Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 131
Lectionary: 131
The Lord GOD opens my ear that I may hear;
and I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
my face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.
The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
He is near who upholds my right;
if anyone wishes to oppose me,
let us appear together.
Who disputes my right?
Let that man confront me.
See, the Lord GOD is my help;
who will prove me wrong?
and I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
my face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.
The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
He is near who upholds my right;
if anyone wishes to oppose me,
let us appear together.
Who disputes my right?
Let that man confront me.
See, the Lord GOD is my help;
who will prove me wrong?
Responsorial
PsalmPS 116:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9
R. (9) I will
walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I love the LORD because he has heard
my voice in supplication,
because he has inclined his ear to me
the day I called.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The cords of death encompassed me;
the snares of the netherworld seized upon me;
I fell into distress and sorrow,
and I called upon the name of the LORD,
"O LORD, save my life!"
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gracious is the LORD and just;
yes, our God is merciful.
The LORD keeps the little ones;
I was brought low, and he saved me.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
For he has freed my soul from death,
my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
I shall walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I love the LORD because he has heard
my voice in supplication,
because he has inclined his ear to me
the day I called.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The cords of death encompassed me;
the snares of the netherworld seized upon me;
I fell into distress and sorrow,
and I called upon the name of the LORD,
"O LORD, save my life!"
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gracious is the LORD and just;
yes, our God is merciful.
The LORD keeps the little ones;
I was brought low, and he saved me.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
For he has freed my soul from death,
my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
I shall walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Reading 2JAS 2:14-18
What good is it, my brothers and sisters,
if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
Can that faith save him?
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear
and has no food for the day,
and one of you says to them,
"Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well, "
but you do not give them the necessities of the body,
what good is it?
So also faith of itself,
if it does not have works, is dead.
Indeed someone might say,
"You have faith and I have works."
Demonstrate your faith to me without works,
and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.
if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
Can that faith save him?
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear
and has no food for the day,
and one of you says to them,
"Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well, "
but you do not give them the necessities of the body,
what good is it?
So also faith of itself,
if it does not have works, is dead.
Indeed someone might say,
"You have faith and I have works."
Demonstrate your faith to me without works,
and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.
AlleluiaGAL 6:14
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord
through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord
through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMK 8:27-35
Jesus and his disciples set out
for the villages of Caesarea Philippi.
Along the way he asked his disciples,
"Who do people say that I am?"
They said in reply,
"John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others one of the prophets."
And he asked them,
"But who do you say that I am?"
Peter said to him in reply,
"You are the Christ."
Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.
He began to teach them
that the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days.
He spoke this openly.
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."
He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,
"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the gospel will save it."
for the villages of Caesarea Philippi.
Along the way he asked his disciples,
"Who do people say that I am?"
They said in reply,
"John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others one of the prophets."
And he asked them,
"But who do you say that I am?"
Peter said to him in reply,
"You are the Christ."
Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.
He began to teach them
that the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days.
He spoke this openly.
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."
He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,
"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the gospel will save it."
Meditation: Who
do you say that Jesus is?"
Who is Jesus for you - and what difference does he
make in your life? Many in Israel recognized Jesus as a mighty man of God, even
comparing him with the greatest of the prophets. Peter, always quick to respond
whenever Jesus spoke, professed that Jesus was truly the "Christ of
God" - "the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16). No mortal
being could have revealed this to Peter, but only God. Through the "eyes
of faith" Peter discovered who Jesus truly was. Peter recognized that
Jesus was much more than a great teacher, prophet, and miracle worker. Peter
was the first apostle to publicly declare that Jesus was the Anointed
One, consecrated by the Father and sent into the world to redeem a
fallen human race enslaved to sin and cut off from eternal life with God (Luke
9:20, Acts 2:14-36). The word for "Christ" in Greek is a translation
of the Hebrew word for "Messiah" - both words
literally mean the Anointed One.
Jesus begins to explain the mission he was sent to
accomplish
Why did Jesus command his disciples to be silent about his identity as the anointed Son of God? They were, after all, appointed to proclaim the good news to everyone. Jesus knew that they did not yet fully understand his mission and how he would accomplish it. Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD), an early church father, explains the reason for this silence:
Why did Jesus command his disciples to be silent about his identity as the anointed Son of God? They were, after all, appointed to proclaim the good news to everyone. Jesus knew that they did not yet fully understand his mission and how he would accomplish it. Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD), an early church father, explains the reason for this silence:
There were things
yet unfulfilled which must also be included in their preaching about him. They
must also proclaim the cross, the passion, and the death in the flesh. They
must preach the resurrection of the dead, that great and truly glorious sign by
which testimony is borne him that the Emmanuel is truly God and by nature the
Son of God the Father. He utterly abolished death and wiped out destruction. He
robbed hell, and overthrew the tyranny of the enemy. He took away the sin of
the world, opened the gates above to the dwellers upon earth, and united earth
to heaven. These things proved him to be, as I said, in truth God. He commanded
them, therefore, to guard the mystery by a seasonable silence until the whole
plan of the dispensation should arrive at a suitable conclusion. (Commentary on Luke, Homily
49)
God's Anointed Son must suffer and die to
atone for our sins
Jesus told his disciples that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and die in order that God's work of redemption might be accomplished. How startled the disciples were when they heard this word. How different are God's thoughts and ways from our thoughts and ways (Isaiah 55:8). It was through humiliation, suffering, and death on the cross that Jesus broke the powers of sin and death and won for us eternal life and freedom from the slavery of sin and from the oppression of our enemy, Satan, the father of lies and the deceiver of humankind.
Jesus told his disciples that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and die in order that God's work of redemption might be accomplished. How startled the disciples were when they heard this word. How different are God's thoughts and ways from our thoughts and ways (Isaiah 55:8). It was through humiliation, suffering, and death on the cross that Jesus broke the powers of sin and death and won for us eternal life and freedom from the slavery of sin and from the oppression of our enemy, Satan, the father of lies and the deceiver of humankind.
We, too, have a share in the mission and victory of
Jesus Christ
If we want to share in the victory of the Lord Jesus, then we must also take up our cross and follow where he leads us. What is the "cross" that you and I must take up each day? When my will crosses (does not align) with God's will, then his will must be done. To know Jesus Christ is to know the power of his victory on the cross where he defeated sin and conquered death through his resurrection. The Holy Spirit gives each of us the gifts and strength we need to live as sons and daughters of God. The Holy Spirit gives us faith to know the Lord Jesus personally as our Redeemer, and the power to live the Gospel faithfully, and the courage to witness to others the joy, truth, and freedom of the Gospel. Who do you say that Jesus is?
If we want to share in the victory of the Lord Jesus, then we must also take up our cross and follow where he leads us. What is the "cross" that you and I must take up each day? When my will crosses (does not align) with God's will, then his will must be done. To know Jesus Christ is to know the power of his victory on the cross where he defeated sin and conquered death through his resurrection. The Holy Spirit gives each of us the gifts and strength we need to live as sons and daughters of God. The Holy Spirit gives us faith to know the Lord Jesus personally as our Redeemer, and the power to live the Gospel faithfully, and the courage to witness to others the joy, truth, and freedom of the Gospel. Who do you say that Jesus is?
"Lord Jesus, I believe and I profess that you are
the Christ, the Son of the living God. Take my life, my will, and all that I
have, that I may be wholly yours now and forever."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Peter confesses that Jesus is God's Anointed
Son and Savior of all, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)
"You see the skillfulness of the question. He
[Jesus] did not at once say, 'Who do you say that I am?' He refers to the rumor
of those that were outside their company. Then, having rejected it and shown it
unsound, he might bring them back to the true opinion. It happened that way.
When the disciples had said, 'Some, John the Baptist, and others, Elijah, and
others, that some prophet of those in old time has risen up,' he said to them,
'But you, who do you say that I am?' Oh! how full of meaning is that word you!
He separates them from all others, that they may also avoid the opinions of
others. In this way, they will not conceive an unworthy idea about him or
entertain confused and wavering thoughts. Then they will not also imagine that
John had risen again, or one of the prophets. 'You,' he says, 'who have been
chosen,' who by my decree have been called to the apostleship, who are the
witnesses of my miracles. Who do you say that I am?'" (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 49)
24th 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 - Isaiah 50:4c-9a
Again this week we hear our first reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah; this time from chapter 50 which is in what has been called by some scripture scholars Second or Deutero-Isaiah. The division of Isaiah into two (or three) separate groupings [chapters 1 through 39, and chapters 40 through 66 (or chapters 1 through 39, 40 through 55, and 56 through 66)] is rather recent in terms of history. Until the 18th century it was presumed that Isaiah wrote all 66 chapters. Then, it was proposed that chapters 40 through 66 were written by a different author some 150 years later, during the Babylonian exile, with some scholars maintaining that yet a third author writing chapters 56 through 66. The reasons for separate authorship of chapters 40 through 55 are first of all historical. The addressees seem to be no longer inhabitants of Jerusalem, but exiles in Babylon. Jerusalem, in fact, has been captured and destroyed. Babylon is no longer a friendly ally, for she has destroyed Jerusalem and deported the Israelites. The former prophesies about Jerusalem’s destruction have been carried out and Israel now awaits a new and glorious future.
Among the many finds in the Dead Sea Scrolls was a complete copy of Isaiah (all 66 chapters). There is no indication that anyone at the time of Jesus believed anything other than that the prophet Isaiah wrote all 66 chapters.
Today’s reading comes from the section which has been titled “Hymns to the new Jerusalem” and is called “Israel in Darkness” and is the third song of the suffering servant.
4c The Lord GOD opens my ear that I may hear; 5 and I have not rebelled, have not turned back.
The servant must first be a disciple, prayerfully receiving God’s word, before he can presume to teach others.
6 I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.
Like the prophets before him, the servant, too, is ignored and even maltreated (Amos 7:10-17; Micah 2:6-10; Jeremiah 20:7-18).
7 The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced;
The word translated here has the same root as “buffet” and thus provides a strong contrast in the confrontation of good and evil.
I have set my face like flint,
A phrase frequent in prophetic preaching (Ezekiel 3:8-9; Luke 9:51). It has special meaning here when you picture a face covered with spittle.
knowing that I shall not be put to shame. 8 He is near who upholds my right; if anyone wishes to oppose me, let us appear together. Who disputes my right? Let him confront me. 9a See, the Lord GOD is my help; who will prove me wrong?
2nd Reading - James 2:14-18
The Epistle of Saint James is one of the books which Martin Luther had eliminated from his Bible. He reverted the Old Testament from the Greek (Septuagint) to the Hebrew canon (which hadn’t been determined by the Jews until A.D. 90 in response to the Christian use of the Septuagint) and he also tried to eliminate James, Hebrews, 2 & 3 John and Revelation from the New Testament. His followers did not go along with his New Testament changes. It has been postulated that the reason he wanted to eliminate James is that it clearly does not support his doctrine of salvation by faith alone as we hear in this reading.
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
This is a rhetorical question which implies the answer “nothing”. A faith without deeds cannot obtain salvation (see Matthew 7:21).
Can that faith save him?
This does not imply the possibility of true faith existing apart from deeds – merely making such a claim appears to Saint John to be ludicrous. Obedient implementation of God’s revealed will in every aspect of our life results in works.
15 If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it?
The point of the previous analogy is now going to be made clear by rephrasing it.
17 So also faith of itself,
Unaccompanied by deeds, thus the contrary of “faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6).
if it does not have works, is dead.
Unable to save him for eternal life (James 2:14). The same Greek word for “dead” (nekros) is applied to sinful deeds in Hebrews 6:1; 9:14. Saint James does not place faith and works in opposition, but instead contrasts a living faith and a dead one.
18 Indeed someone might say, “You have faith and I have works.” Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.
Works righteousness (the heresy of Pelagianism) was condemned by the Church at the Council of Ephesus in A.D. 431. One cannot “earn” or “work” their way into heaven. The gift of eternal life with the Father is freely given to all who will avail themselves of it. However, one must live the life of Christ if they expect to enter heaven. The corporal works of mercy are done, not because we are obliged to do them, but because we love Jesus so much that we want to do them. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
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 - Isaiah 50:4c-9a
Again this week we hear our first reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah; this time from chapter 50 which is in what has been called by some scripture scholars Second or Deutero-Isaiah. The division of Isaiah into two (or three) separate groupings [chapters 1 through 39, and chapters 40 through 66 (or chapters 1 through 39, 40 through 55, and 56 through 66)] is rather recent in terms of history. Until the 18th century it was presumed that Isaiah wrote all 66 chapters. Then, it was proposed that chapters 40 through 66 were written by a different author some 150 years later, during the Babylonian exile, with some scholars maintaining that yet a third author writing chapters 56 through 66. The reasons for separate authorship of chapters 40 through 55 are first of all historical. The addressees seem to be no longer inhabitants of Jerusalem, but exiles in Babylon. Jerusalem, in fact, has been captured and destroyed. Babylon is no longer a friendly ally, for she has destroyed Jerusalem and deported the Israelites. The former prophesies about Jerusalem’s destruction have been carried out and Israel now awaits a new and glorious future.
Among the many finds in the Dead Sea Scrolls was a complete copy of Isaiah (all 66 chapters). There is no indication that anyone at the time of Jesus believed anything other than that the prophet Isaiah wrote all 66 chapters.
Today’s reading comes from the section which has been titled “Hymns to the new Jerusalem” and is called “Israel in Darkness” and is the third song of the suffering servant.
4c The Lord GOD opens my ear that I may hear; 5 and I have not rebelled, have not turned back.
The servant must first be a disciple, prayerfully receiving God’s word, before he can presume to teach others.
6 I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.
Like the prophets before him, the servant, too, is ignored and even maltreated (Amos 7:10-17; Micah 2:6-10; Jeremiah 20:7-18).
7 The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced;
The word translated here has the same root as “buffet” and thus provides a strong contrast in the confrontation of good and evil.
I have set my face like flint,
A phrase frequent in prophetic preaching (Ezekiel 3:8-9; Luke 9:51). It has special meaning here when you picture a face covered with spittle.
knowing that I shall not be put to shame. 8 He is near who upholds my right; if anyone wishes to oppose me, let us appear together. Who disputes my right? Let him confront me. 9a See, the Lord GOD is my help; who will prove me wrong?
2nd Reading - James 2:14-18
The Epistle of Saint James is one of the books which Martin Luther had eliminated from his Bible. He reverted the Old Testament from the Greek (Septuagint) to the Hebrew canon (which hadn’t been determined by the Jews until A.D. 90 in response to the Christian use of the Septuagint) and he also tried to eliminate James, Hebrews, 2 & 3 John and Revelation from the New Testament. His followers did not go along with his New Testament changes. It has been postulated that the reason he wanted to eliminate James is that it clearly does not support his doctrine of salvation by faith alone as we hear in this reading.
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
This is a rhetorical question which implies the answer “nothing”. A faith without deeds cannot obtain salvation (see Matthew 7:21).
Can that faith save him?
This does not imply the possibility of true faith existing apart from deeds – merely making such a claim appears to Saint John to be ludicrous. Obedient implementation of God’s revealed will in every aspect of our life results in works.
15 If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it?
The point of the previous analogy is now going to be made clear by rephrasing it.
17 So also faith of itself,
Unaccompanied by deeds, thus the contrary of “faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6).
if it does not have works, is dead.
Unable to save him for eternal life (James 2:14). The same Greek word for “dead” (nekros) is applied to sinful deeds in Hebrews 6:1; 9:14. Saint James does not place faith and works in opposition, but instead contrasts a living faith and a dead one.
18 Indeed someone might say, “You have faith and I have works.” Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.
Works righteousness (the heresy of Pelagianism) was condemned by the Church at the Council of Ephesus in A.D. 431. One cannot “earn” or “work” their way into heaven. The gift of eternal life with the Father is freely given to all who will avail themselves of it. However, one must live the life of Christ if they expect to enter heaven. The corporal works of mercy are done, not because we are obliged to do them, but because we love Jesus so much that we want to do them. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
Gospel - Mark 8:27-35
This passage is the turning point in Mark’s gospel. It climaxes Jesus’ self-revelation with the disciples’ first recognition of Him as the Messiah. It also introduces the theme of the suffering Messiah. This reading corresponds in time to the point in John’s bread of life discourse where Peter acknowledges that Jesus is the Holy one of God; sent by God but not necessarily a messianic title.
27 [] Jesus and his disciples set out for the villages of Caesarea Philippi.
The ancient town of Paneas, a place of the Greek god Pan’s cult in classical antiquity. The city (now barely a ruin) is located between a wall of rock and a set of beautiful waterfalls at the headwaters of the eastern branch of the Jordan River. It was a pagan city and on the top of the wall of rock was a white marble temple dedicated to Caesar and at the bottom of this wall was a sanctuary of Pan.
Along the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”
Those outside Jesus’ circle (Mark 1:17).
28 They said in reply, “John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.”
They have recognized that He has been sent by God as were those who are mentioned.
29 And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?”
In contrast to “people”. They are the “you” to whom has been entrusted the secret of God’s kingdom while “those outside” have seen everything as a riddle.
Peter said to him in reply, “You are the Messiah.”
The anointed one. The term “Christ” comes from the Greek while “Messiah” comes from the Hebrew; the meaning is the same. The term is used in the Old Testament in reference to the king and the priest. Peter is the first human being to openly acknowledge that Jesus was the expected deliverer. The woman at the well had speculated this, but the acknowledgment is not there.
30 Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.
By counseling His disciples to be silent, Jesus avoids false interpretations of His Messiahship and prepares for the three instructions which follow (Mark 8:31-9:29; 9:30-10:31; 10:32-45 parts of all of which we will hear in the coming weeks).
31 He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days.
Jesus words now come as a commentary on Peter’s announcement of revelation – they are an instruction on the sense in which He is to be understood as Messiah. They are not to tell others because, as yet, they do not understand the essential: the son of man, the Messiah, must suffer and die.
32 He spoke this openly.
Prior to this, Jesus met speculations about His identity with commands to silence.
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
This is proof that, in spite of His calling Jesus “Christ,” Peter still doesn’t grasp that this function entails suffering and death for Jesus.
33 At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said,
This graphic detail indicates that Jesus’ reply, although addressed to Peter, is intended for the others as well.
“Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
Jesus uses the same words he used to address the devil in the desert (Matthew 4:10). Like the devil, Peter is tempting him. He is not calling or naming Peter “Satan,” but telling him that like Satan, he is tempting Him. “Get behind me” is telling him to be a follower; he is not yet equipped to lead, he still has much to learn.
34 He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross,
A public teaching which alludes to Jesus’ sufferings which He had made explicit to His disciples (verses 31-33).
and follow me.
Stay behind Him, be a follower.
Although describing His passion, He also shows that the Christian life, lived as it should be lived, with all its demands, is also a cross which one has to carry, following Christ. Jesus’ words, which must have seemed extreme to His listeners, indicate the standard He requires His followers to live up to. He does not ask for short-lived enthusiasm or occasional devotion; He asks for complete commitment. The goal He sets for men is eternal life. The present life should be evaluated in the light of this eternal life: Life on earth is not definitive, but transitory and relative; it is a means to be used to achieve definitive live in heaven. This is an example of our second reading.
“How hard and painful does this appear! The Lord has required that ‘whoever will come after him must deny himself.’ But what He commands is neither hard nor painful when He Himself helps us in such a way so that the very thing He requires may be accomplished. ... For whatever seems hard in what is enjoined, love makes easy” [Saint Augustine of Hippo (between A.D. 391-430), Sermons, 46,1].
35 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
In the Greek and Latin vulgate, the word translated here as “life” literally means “soul.” Soul and life are the same when you consider eternal life.
but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel
The gospel is not a book but the good news about Jesus Himself.
will save it.
Whoever wishes to save his earthly life will lose his eternal life. But whoever loses his earthly life for Jesus and the Gospel will save his eternal life. We must seek and savor the things that are God’s and not the things of this earth (Colossians 3:1-2).
Verses 31 through 38 are Jesus’ first passion prediction and its consequences for discipleship.
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church,
Picayune, MS http://www.scborromeo.org
TWENTY-FOURTH
SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, MARK 8:27-35
(Isaiah 50:5-9a; Psalm 146; James 2:14-18)
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, MARK 8:27-35
(Isaiah 50:5-9a; Psalm 146; James 2:14-18)
KEY VERSE: "Who do people say that I am?" (v 27).
TO KNOW: Jesus took his disciples to the area of Caesarea Philippi in northern Israel near Banias. In that place there was a cave dedicated to Pan, the Roman god of fields and forests, Faunus, half goat, half man-god. From the cave a stream flowed forth, which was the source of the Jordan River. Farther up on the hillside, a temple had been built to honor Caesar, the Roman Emperor, who was regarded as a god. Against this pagan background, Jesus asked his disciples what people were saying about him. They told him the popular notions of the Messiah: a king of David's line, a conqueror who would destroy his enemies and restore Israel to power. Then Jesus put the question to them, "Who do you say that I am?" And through the gift of faith, Peter realized that Jesus, a simple carpenter from Nazareth, was the Messiah, the One who would bring salvation to the world. Jesus then explained the true meaning of being God's anointed one: He would suffer, be put to death on a cross, but would rise again. Peter could not comprehend a suffering Messiah and he reproached Jesus for saying this. But Jesus rebuked Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things" (v 33b). Peter was allowing Satan to cloud his understanding and impede God's will. Anyone who wished to follow Jesus must take up the cross, and share in Jesus’ struggles and sufferings.
TO LOVE: Answer Jesus question for yourself: "Who do you say that I am?"
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to judge by your standards and not those of the world.
Sunday 16
September 2018
Week IV Psalter. 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Isaiah 50:5-9. Psalm 114(116):1-6, 8-9. James 2:14-18. Mark
8:27-35.
I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the
living—Psalm 114(116):1-6, 8-9.
‘You are the Messiah.’
Dear Lord, there was Peter telling you that he believed that you
were the Messiah and, perhaps, looking forward to the time when you would be
acknowledged by all in glory and splendour. Then you tell him, in no uncertain
terms, that he is on the wrong track. Instead of lording it over everyone, you
would be rejected, killed, and would rise again.
Why did Peter rebuke you? Did he dislike hearing about you
rising again – a concept impossible to imagine – or did he want you not to be
so negative?
It seems that you are telling us to look at life from your point
of view, from a divine perspective. Give us this grace.
Saint Cornelius
Saint of the Day for September 16
(d. 253)
 |
| Stained glass window in Catholic Church of Saint-Corneille | photo by GFreihalter |
Saint Cornelius’ Story
There was no pope for 14 months after the martyrdom of Saint Fabian because
of the intensity of the persecution of the Church. During the interval, the
Church was governed by a college of priests. Saint Cyprian, a friend of
Cornelius, writes that Cornelius was elected pope “by the judgment of God and
of Christ, by the testimony of most of the clergy, by the vote of the people, with
the consent of aged priests and of good men.”
The greatest problem of Cornelius’s two-year term as pope had to
do with the Sacrament of Penance and centered on the readmission of Christians
who had denied their faith during the time of persecution. Two extremes were
finally both condemned. Cyprian, primate of North Africa, appealed to the pope
to confirm his stand that the relapsed could be reconciled only by the decision
of the bishop.
In Rome, however, Cornelius met with the opposite view. After
his election, a priest named Novatian (one of those who had governed the
Church) had himself consecrated a rival bishop of Rome—one of the first
antipopes. He denied that the Church had any power to reconcile not only the
apostates, but also those guilty of murder, adultery, fornication, or second
marriage! Cornelius had the support of most of the Church (especially of
Cyprian of Africa) in condemning Novatianism, though the sect persisted for
several centuries. Cornelius held a synod at Rome in 251 and ordered the
“relapsed” to be restored to the Church with the usual “medicines of
repentance.”
The friendship of Cornelius and Cyprian was strained for a time
when one of Cyprian’s rivals made accusations about him. But the problem was
cleared up.
A document from Cornelius shows the extent of organization in
the Church of Rome in the mid-third century: 46 priests, seven deacons, seven
subdeacons. It is estimated that the number of Christians totaled about 50,000.
He died as a result of the hardships of his exile in what is now Civitavecchia.
Reflection
It seems fairly true to say that almost every possible false
doctrine has been proposed at some time or other in the history of the Church.
The third century saw the resolution of a problem we scarcely consider—the
penance to be done before reconciliation with the Church after mortal sin. Men
like Cornelius and Cyprian were God’s instruments in helping the Church find a
prudent path between extremes of rigorism and laxity. They are part of the
Church’s ever-living stream of tradition, ensuring the continuance of what was
begun by Christ, and evaluating new experiences through the wisdom and
experience of those who have gone before.
LECTIO: 24TH SUNDAY OF
ORDINARY TIME (B)
Lectio Divina:
Sunday, September 16, 2018
How to follow Jesus
Care of the Disciples, healing of the Blind
Mark 8: 27-35
Care of the Disciples, healing of the Blind
Mark 8: 27-35
1. OPENING PRAYER
Lord Jesus, send Your Spirit to help us
to read the Scriptures with the same mind that you read them to the disciples
on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the Bible, You
helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of Your
sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope
became for them the source of life and of resurrection.
Create in us silence so that we may listen to Your voice in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May Your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples from Emmaus, may experience the force of Your resurrection and witness to others that You are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of You, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed to us the Father and sent us Your Spirit. Amen.
Create in us silence so that we may listen to Your voice in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May Your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples from Emmaus, may experience the force of Your resurrection and witness to others that You are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of You, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed to us the Father and sent us Your Spirit. Amen.
2. READING
a) A key to the reading:
The text of the Gospel of this 24th Sunday
of ordinary time presents the first announcement of the Passion and death of
Jesus, to the disciples, Peter trying to eliminate the Cross and the teaching
of Jesus concerning the consequences of the Cross for those who wish to be His
disciples. Peter does not understand the proposal of Jesus concerning the Cross
and suffering. He accepted Jesus as Messiah, not as a suffering Messiah. Peter
was conditioned by the propaganda of the government of that time which spoke of
the Messiah only in terms of a glorious king. Peter seemed to be blind. He
could not see anything and wished that Jesus could be like him, Peter desired
and imagined. Today we all believe in Jesus. But all of us do not understand
him in the same way. Who is Jesus for me? Today, which is the most common image
of Jesus that people have? Today, is there a propaganda that tries to interfere
in our way of seeing Jesus? Who am I for Jesus?
b) A division of the text to help in the
reading:
Mark 8:27-28: The question of Jesus
concerning the opinion of the people and the response of the Disciples
Mark 8:29-30: The question of Jesus and the opinion of his Disciples
Mark 8:31-32ª: The first announcement of the Passion and death
Mark 8:32b-33: The conversation between Jesus and Peter
Mark 8:34-35: The conditions to follow Jesus
Mark 8:29-30: The question of Jesus and the opinion of his Disciples
Mark 8:31-32ª: The first announcement of the Passion and death
Mark 8:32b-33: The conversation between Jesus and Peter
Mark 8:34-35: The conditions to follow Jesus
c) The text:
Jesus and his disciples set out for the villages of Caesarea Philippi. Along the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" They said in reply, "John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets." And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter said to him in reply, "You are the Christ." Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him. He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days. He spoke this openly. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do." He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it."
3. A MOMENT OF PRAYERFUL
SILENCE
so that the Word of God may penetrate
and enlighten our life.
4. SOME QUESTIONS
to help us in our personal reflection.
a) Which point in this text pleased you
the most or what struck you the most? Why?
b) What is the opinion of the people and of Peter on Jesus? Why do Peter and the people think in this way?
c) What is the relationship between the healing of the blind man, described before (Mk 8:22-26) and the conversation of Jesus with Peter and the other Disciples?
d) What does Jesus ask from those who want to follow Him?
e) What prevents us today from recognizing and assuming the work of Jesus?
b) What is the opinion of the people and of Peter on Jesus? Why do Peter and the people think in this way?
c) What is the relationship between the healing of the blind man, described before (Mk 8:22-26) and the conversation of Jesus with Peter and the other Disciples?
d) What does Jesus ask from those who want to follow Him?
e) What prevents us today from recognizing and assuming the work of Jesus?
5. FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO
DEEPEN MORE ON THE THEME
a) Context of yesterday and of today:
i) In the text of Mark 8:27 the long
instruction of Jesus to His disciples begins, and this goes on until the
passage of Mark 10:45. At the beginning of this instruction as well as at the
end of it, Mark places the healing of the blind man: Mark 8:22-26 and Mark 10:46-52.
At the beginning the healing of the blind man was not easy and Jesus had to
heal him in two stages. The healing of the blindness of the disciples was also
difficult. Jesus had to give them a long explanation concerning the
significance of the Cross in order to help them to see the reality, because it
was the cross which brought about the blindness in them. At the end, the
healing of the blind man Bartimaeus is the fruit of faith in Jesus. It suggests
the ideal of the disciple: to believe in Jesus and to accept Him as He is, and
not as I want or imagine.
ii) In the year 70, when Mark wrote, the
situation of the communities was not easy. There was much suffering, many were
the crosses. Six years before, in 64, Nero, the emperor had decreed the first great
persecution, killing many Christians. In the year 70, in Palestine, Jerusalem,
was about to be destroyed by the Romans. In other countries, a great tension
between the converted Jews and the non converted was beginning. The greatest
difficulty was the Cross of Jesus. The Jews thought that a crucified person
could not be the Messiah greatly expected by the people, because the Law
affirmed that anyone who had been crucified had to be considered as cursed by
God (Dt 21:22-23).
b) Commentary on the text:
Mark 8:27-30. TO SEE: the
discovery of reality
Jesus asks: “Whom do people say that I am?” They answer indicating the diverse opinions of the people: “John the Baptist”, “Elijah or one of the prophets”. After having heard the opinions of others , Jesus asks: “And you, whom do you say that I am?” Peter answers: “You are the Christ, the Messiah!” That is: “The Lord is the one whom the people are expecting!” Jesus agrees with Peter, but forbids to speak about this with the people. Why does Jesus forbid them this? Then, everyone was waiting for the coming of the Messiah, but each one in his own way, according to the class and the social position which he had: some expected Him to come as King, others as Priest. Doctor, Warrior, Judge or Prophet! Nobody seemed to wait for the Messiah as Servant, as announced by Isaiah (Is 42:1-9).
Jesus asks: “Whom do people say that I am?” They answer indicating the diverse opinions of the people: “John the Baptist”, “Elijah or one of the prophets”. After having heard the opinions of others , Jesus asks: “And you, whom do you say that I am?” Peter answers: “You are the Christ, the Messiah!” That is: “The Lord is the one whom the people are expecting!” Jesus agrees with Peter, but forbids to speak about this with the people. Why does Jesus forbid them this? Then, everyone was waiting for the coming of the Messiah, but each one in his own way, according to the class and the social position which he had: some expected Him to come as King, others as Priest. Doctor, Warrior, Judge or Prophet! Nobody seemed to wait for the Messiah as Servant, as announced by Isaiah (Is 42:1-9).
Mark 8:31-33. TO JUDGE:
clarification of the situation: first announcement of the Passion
Jesus begins to teach that He is the Messiah Servant announced by Isaiah, and will be taken prisoner and be killed during the exercise of His mission of justice (Is 49:4-9; 53:1-12). Peter is filled with fear, he takes Jesus aside and tries to rebuke Him.
And Jesus responds to Peter: “Get behind Me, Satan! You are thinking not as God thinks, but as human beings do!” Peter thought he had given the right answer. And, in fact he says the just word: “You are the Christ!” But he does not give this word the right significance. Peter does not understand Jesus. He is like the blind man of Bethsaida. He interchanged the people with the trees! Jesus’ answer was very hard. He calls Peter Satan! Satan is a Hebrew word which means accuser, the one who withdraws others from the path of God. Jesus does not allow anyone to draw Him away from His mission. Literally, Jesus says: “Get behind Me!” That is, Peter has to go behind Jesus, has to follow Jesus and accept the way or direction which Jesus indicates. Peter wanted to be the first one and to indicate the direction. He wanted a Messiah according to his measure and according to his desire.
Jesus begins to teach that He is the Messiah Servant announced by Isaiah, and will be taken prisoner and be killed during the exercise of His mission of justice (Is 49:4-9; 53:1-12). Peter is filled with fear, he takes Jesus aside and tries to rebuke Him.
And Jesus responds to Peter: “Get behind Me, Satan! You are thinking not as God thinks, but as human beings do!” Peter thought he had given the right answer. And, in fact he says the just word: “You are the Christ!” But he does not give this word the right significance. Peter does not understand Jesus. He is like the blind man of Bethsaida. He interchanged the people with the trees! Jesus’ answer was very hard. He calls Peter Satan! Satan is a Hebrew word which means accuser, the one who withdraws others from the path of God. Jesus does not allow anyone to draw Him away from His mission. Literally, Jesus says: “Get behind Me!” That is, Peter has to go behind Jesus, has to follow Jesus and accept the way or direction which Jesus indicates. Peter wanted to be the first one and to indicate the direction. He wanted a Messiah according to his measure and according to his desire.
Mark 8:34-35. TO ACT: conditions
to follow
Jesus draws conclusions which are still valid today: He who wants to follow Me, let him take up his cross and follow Me! At that time, the cross was the death sentence which the Roman Empire imposed to the marginalized. To take up the cross and to carry it following Jesus meant, then, to accept to be marginalized by the unjust system which legitimized injustice. It indicated a radical and total rupture. As Saint Paul says in the Letter to the Galatians: “But as for me, it is out of the question that I should boast at all, except of the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal 6:14). The Cross is not fatalism, nor is it an exigency from the Father. The Cross is the consequence of the commitment, freely assumed by Jesus to reveal the Good News that Jesus is Father and that, therefore, all have to be accepted and treated as brothers and sisters. Because of this revolutionary announcement, He was persecuted and He was not afraid to surrender His life. There is no proof of a greater love than to give one’s life for the brother.
Jesus draws conclusions which are still valid today: He who wants to follow Me, let him take up his cross and follow Me! At that time, the cross was the death sentence which the Roman Empire imposed to the marginalized. To take up the cross and to carry it following Jesus meant, then, to accept to be marginalized by the unjust system which legitimized injustice. It indicated a radical and total rupture. As Saint Paul says in the Letter to the Galatians: “But as for me, it is out of the question that I should boast at all, except of the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal 6:14). The Cross is not fatalism, nor is it an exigency from the Father. The Cross is the consequence of the commitment, freely assumed by Jesus to reveal the Good News that Jesus is Father and that, therefore, all have to be accepted and treated as brothers and sisters. Because of this revolutionary announcement, He was persecuted and He was not afraid to surrender His life. There is no proof of a greater love than to give one’s life for the brother.
c) Extending the information:
The instruction of Jesus to the
Disciples
Between the two healings of the blind men
(Mk 8:22-26 and Mark 10:46-52), is found the long instruction of Jesus to His
Disciples, to help them to understand the significance of the Cross and its
consequences for life (Mark 8:27 to 10:45). It seems to be a document, a
certain type of catechism, made by Jesus Himself. It speaks about the cross in
the life of the Disciple. It is a type of a schema of instruction:
Mk 8:22-26: Healing of a blind man
Mk 8:277-38: 1st announcement of the Passion
Mk 9:1-29: Instruction on the Messiah Servant
Mk 9:30-37: 2nd Announcement of the Passion
Mk 9:38 to 10, 31: Instructions on conversation
Mk 10:32-45: 3rd Announcement of the Passion
Mk 10:46-52: Healing of a blind man.
Mk 8:22-26: Healing of a blind man
Mk 8:277-38: 1st announcement of the Passion
Mk 9:1-29: Instruction on the Messiah Servant
Mk 9:30-37: 2nd Announcement of the Passion
Mk 9:38 to 10, 31: Instructions on conversation
Mk 10:32-45: 3rd Announcement of the Passion
Mk 10:46-52: Healing of a blind man.
As we can see, the instruction is formed
by three announcements of the Passion. The first one is in Mark 8:27-38, the
second one in Mark 9:30-37 and the third one in Mark 10:32-45. Between the
first one and the second one, there are a series of instructions to help them
to understand that Jesus is the Messiah Servant (Mk 9:1-29).
Between the second and the third one, a series of instructions which clarify
the conversion which has to take place in the life of those who accept Jesus as
Messiah Servant (Mk 9:38 to 10:31).
The background of the whole instruction
is the road from Galilee to Jerusalem, from the lake to the
cross. Jesus is on the way toward Jerusalem, where He will be put to death.
From the beginning and up to the end of this instruction, Mark informs that
Jesus is on the way toward Jerusalem (Mk 8:27; 9, 30.33; 10, 1, 17.32), where
He will find the cross.
In each one of these three
announcements, Jesus speaks about His Passion, Death and Resurrection as part
of the project of Jesus: “The Son of man has to suffer
grievously, and to be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the
scribes, and to be put to death, and after three days to rise again” (Mk 8:31;
9:31; 10:33). The expression has indicates that the cross had
already been announced in the prophecies (cfr. Lk 24:26).
Each one of these three announcements of
the Passion is accompanied by gestures or words of misunderstanding on the part
of the disciples. In the first one, Peter does not want the cross and
criticizes Jesus (Mk 8:32). In the second one, the disciples do not understand
Jesus, they are afraid and wish to be greater (Mk 9:32-34). In the third one,
they are afraid, they are apprehensive (Mk 10:32), and they seek promotions (Mk
10:35-37). And this because in the communities for which Mark writes his Gospel
there were many persons like Peter: they did not want the cross! They were like
the disciples: they did not understand the cross, they were afraid and wanted
to be the greatest; they lived in fear and desired promotions. Each one of
these three announcements gives them a word of orientation on the part of
Jesus, criticizing the lack of understanding of the disciples and teaching how
their behavior should be. Thus, in the first announcement, Jesus demands from
those who wish to follow Him to carry the cross behind Him, to lose their life
out of love for Him and for His Gospel, not to be ashamed of Him and of His
word (Mk 8:34-38). In the second one He demands: to become the servant of all,
to receive the children, the little ones, as if they were Jesus Himself (Mk
9:35-37). In the third one He demands: to drink the cup that He will drink, not
to imitate the powerful who exploit the others, but to imitate the Son of Man
who has not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life for the
redemption of many (Mk 10:35-45).
The total understanding of the following
of Jesus is not obtained from the theoretical instruction, but from the
practical commitment, walking with Him along the way of service, from
Galilee to Jerusalem. Those who insist in maintaining the idea of Peter, that
is, of the glorious Messiah without the cross, will not understand and will not
succeed in assuming an attitude of the true disciple. They will continue to be
blind, interchanging people for trees (Mk 8:24). Because without the cross it
is impossible to understand who Jesus is and what it means to follow
Jesus.
The road of the following is the way of
dedication, of abandonment, of service, of availability, of acceptance of
conflict, knowing that there will be the resurrection. The cross is not an
accident on the way, but forms part of the road. Because in the world,
organized beginning with egoism, love and service can exist only in the
crucified! The one who gives his life in the service of others, disturbs those who
live attached to privileges and he suffers.
6. PRAYER OF PSALM 25 (24)
Show me Lord, Your ways!
Adoration I offer, Yahweh,
to You, my God.
But in my trust in You do not put me to shame,
let not my enemies gloat over me.
Calling to You, none shall ever be put to shame,
but shame is theirs who groundlessly break faith.
Direct me in Your ways,
Yahweh, and teach me Your paths.
Encourage me to walk in Your truth
and teach me since You are the God who saves me.
For my hope is in You all day long
-- such is Your generosity, Yahweh.
Goodness and faithful love have been Yours for ever, Yahweh,
do not forget them.
Hold not my youthful sins against me,
but remember me as Your faithful love dictates.
Integrity and generosity are marks of Yahweh
for He brings sinners back to the path.
Judiciously He guides the humble,
instructing the poor in His way.
Kindness unfailing and constancy mark all Yahweh's paths,
for those who keep His covenant and His decrees.
Let my sin, great though it is, be forgiven,
Yahweh, for the sake of Your name.
Men who respect Yahweh, what of them?
He teaches them the way they must choose.
Neighbors to happiness will they live,
and their children inherit the land.
Only those who fear Yahweh have His secret
and His covenant, for their understanding.
Permanently my eyes are on Yahweh,
for He will free my feet from the snare.
Quick, turn to me, pity me,
alone and wretched as I am!
Relieve the distress of my heart,
bring me out of my constraint.
Spake a glance for my misery and pain,
take all my sins away.
Take note how countless are my enemies,
how violent their hatred for me.
Unless You guard me and rescue me I shall be put to shame,
for You are my refuge.
Virtue and integrity be my protection,
for my hope, Yahweh, is in You.
Ransom Israel, O God,
from all its troubles.
to You, my God.
But in my trust in You do not put me to shame,
let not my enemies gloat over me.
Calling to You, none shall ever be put to shame,
but shame is theirs who groundlessly break faith.
Direct me in Your ways,
Yahweh, and teach me Your paths.
Encourage me to walk in Your truth
and teach me since You are the God who saves me.
For my hope is in You all day long
-- such is Your generosity, Yahweh.
Goodness and faithful love have been Yours for ever, Yahweh,
do not forget them.
Hold not my youthful sins against me,
but remember me as Your faithful love dictates.
Integrity and generosity are marks of Yahweh
for He brings sinners back to the path.
Judiciously He guides the humble,
instructing the poor in His way.
Kindness unfailing and constancy mark all Yahweh's paths,
for those who keep His covenant and His decrees.
Let my sin, great though it is, be forgiven,
Yahweh, for the sake of Your name.
Men who respect Yahweh, what of them?
He teaches them the way they must choose.
Neighbors to happiness will they live,
and their children inherit the land.
Only those who fear Yahweh have His secret
and His covenant, for their understanding.
Permanently my eyes are on Yahweh,
for He will free my feet from the snare.
Quick, turn to me, pity me,
alone and wretched as I am!
Relieve the distress of my heart,
bring me out of my constraint.
Spake a glance for my misery and pain,
take all my sins away.
Take note how countless are my enemies,
how violent their hatred for me.
Unless You guard me and rescue me I shall be put to shame,
for You are my refuge.
Virtue and integrity be my protection,
for my hope, Yahweh, is in You.
Ransom Israel, O God,
from all its troubles.
7. FINAL PRAYER
Lord Jesus, we thank You for the word
that has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May Your
Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice that which
Your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, Your mother, not only listen
to but also practice the Word. You who live and reign with the Father in the
unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
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