Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 94
Lectionary: 94
Jeremiah said:
“I hear the whisperings of many:
‘Terror on every side!
Denounce! let us denounce him!’
All those who were my friends
are on the watch for any misstep of mine.
‘Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail,
and take our vengeance on him.’
But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion:
my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph.
In their failure they will be put to utter shame,
to lasting, unforgettable confusion.
O LORD of hosts, you who test the just,
who probe mind and heart,
let me witness the vengeance you take on them,
for to you I have entrusted my cause.
Sing to the LORD,
praise the LORD,
for he has rescued the life of the poor
from the power of the wicked!”
“I hear the whisperings of many:
‘Terror on every side!
Denounce! let us denounce him!’
All those who were my friends
are on the watch for any misstep of mine.
‘Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail,
and take our vengeance on him.’
But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion:
my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph.
In their failure they will be put to utter shame,
to lasting, unforgettable confusion.
O LORD of hosts, you who test the just,
who probe mind and heart,
let me witness the vengeance you take on them,
for to you I have entrusted my cause.
Sing to the LORD,
praise the LORD,
for he has rescued the life of the poor
from the power of the wicked!”
Responsorial
PsalmPS 69:8-10, 14, 17, 33-35
R. (14c) Lord, in your great
love, answer me.
For your sake I bear insult,
and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to my brothers,
a stranger to my mother's children,
Because zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
I pray to you, O LORD,
for the time of your favor, O God!
In your great kindness answer me
with your constant help.
Answer me, O LORD, for bounteous is your kindness;
in your great mercy turn toward me.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.
Let the heavens and the earth praise him,
the seas and whatever moves in them!’‘
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
For your sake I bear insult,
and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to my brothers,
a stranger to my mother's children,
Because zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
I pray to you, O LORD,
for the time of your favor, O God!
In your great kindness answer me
with your constant help.
Answer me, O LORD, for bounteous is your kindness;
in your great mercy turn toward me.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.
Let the heavens and the earth praise him,
the seas and whatever moves in them!’‘
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
Reading 2ROM 5:12-15
Brothers and sisters:
Through one man sin entered the world,
and through sin, death,
and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned—
for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world,
though sin is not accounted when there is no law.
But death reigned from Adam to Moses,
even over those who did not sin
after the pattern of the trespass of Adam,
who is the type of the one who was to come.
Through one man sin entered the world,
and through sin, death,
and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned—
for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world,
though sin is not accounted when there is no law.
But death reigned from Adam to Moses,
even over those who did not sin
after the pattern of the trespass of Adam,
who is the type of the one who was to come.
But the gift is not like the
transgression.
For if by the transgression of the one the many died,
how much more did the grace of God
and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ
overflow for the many.
For if by the transgression of the one the many died,
how much more did the grace of God
and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ
overflow for the many.
AlleluiaJN 15:26B, 27A
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord;
and you also will testify.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord;
and you also will testify.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 10:26-33
Jesus said to the Twelve:
“Fear no one.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;
what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;
rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy
both soul and body in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?
Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.
Even all the hairs of your head are counted.
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Everyone who acknowledges me before others
I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.
But whoever denies me before others,
I will deny before my heavenly Father.”
“Fear no one.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;
what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;
rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy
both soul and body in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?
Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.
Even all the hairs of your head are counted.
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Everyone who acknowledges me before others
I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.
But whoever denies me before others,
I will deny before my heavenly Father.”
Meditation: "Fear not
- you are of more value than many sparrows"
What
does fear have to do with the kingdom of God? Fear is a powerful force. It can
lead us to panic and flight or it can spur us to faith and action. The fear of
God is the antidote to the fear of losing one's life. I sought the
Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. O fear the Lord,
you his saints, for those who fear him have no want! Come, O sons,
listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord. (Psalm
34:4,9,11)
Godly fear, reverence, and respect for God's ways produce wisdom and right judgment
What is godly fear? It is reverence for the One who made us in love and who sustains us in mercy and kindness. The greatest injury or loss which we can experience is not physical but spiritual - the loss of one's heart, mind, and soul to the power of hell. A healthy fear of God leads to spiritual maturity, wisdom and right judgment and it frees us from the tyranny of cowardly fear and sinful pride that refuses to do what is right, good, and just - especially in the face of opposition and evil. Do you trust in the power of God's love and truth that can conquer every fear and form of evil and wrongdoing? The Lord Jesus willingly embraced the cross for our sake to atone for our sins and to free us from slavery to sin, Satan, and death. Do you believe in the power of his cross and victory over death, despair, and sin?
Godly fear, reverence, and respect for God's ways produce wisdom and right judgment
What is godly fear? It is reverence for the One who made us in love and who sustains us in mercy and kindness. The greatest injury or loss which we can experience is not physical but spiritual - the loss of one's heart, mind, and soul to the power of hell. A healthy fear of God leads to spiritual maturity, wisdom and right judgment and it frees us from the tyranny of cowardly fear and sinful pride that refuses to do what is right, good, and just - especially in the face of opposition and evil. Do you trust in the power of God's love and truth that can conquer every fear and form of evil and wrongdoing? The Lord Jesus willingly embraced the cross for our sake to atone for our sins and to free us from slavery to sin, Satan, and death. Do you believe in the power of his cross and victory over death, despair, and sin?
Proclaim
boldly what no earthly power can destroy - the cross and resurrection of Jesus
Christ
When Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God he met opposition and hostility from those who refused to believe in him. He tells his disciples that they must expect the same treatment if they are to live and to proclaim the reign of God. There is both a warning and a privilege in his statement. Just as Jesus had to carry his cross, so the disciples must carry their cross and not try to evade it. To suffer for the faith is to share in the work of Christ. As one hymn states: Lift high the Cross of Christ! Tread where his feet have trod. The Holy Spirit gives us power and grace to live as disciples of Jesus Christ. Do you trust in God’s grace to carry your cross for Jesus' sake?
When Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God he met opposition and hostility from those who refused to believe in him. He tells his disciples that they must expect the same treatment if they are to live and to proclaim the reign of God. There is both a warning and a privilege in his statement. Just as Jesus had to carry his cross, so the disciples must carry their cross and not try to evade it. To suffer for the faith is to share in the work of Christ. As one hymn states: Lift high the Cross of Christ! Tread where his feet have trod. The Holy Spirit gives us power and grace to live as disciples of Jesus Christ. Do you trust in God’s grace to carry your cross for Jesus' sake?
"Lord
Jesus, it is my joy and privilege to be your disciple. Give me strength and
courage to bear any hardship and suffering which may come my way in your
service. May I witness to others the new life, joy and victory you have won for
us through your cross and resurrection."
A
Daily Quote for the early church fathers: Fear not, you are of more value than
many sparrows, by John Chrysostom, 344-407 A.D.
"What
do you see in creation of less value than a tiny sparrow? But even the sparrow
will not fall without God's knowledge. Jesus does not mean that the sparrow
falls by God’s direct will because it is unworthy but that nothing that occurs
is hidden from God. If then God is not ignorant of anything that happens in
creation, and if God loves us more truly than the best human father, and if God
loves us so as to have numbered our very hairs, then we need not be afraid.
Jesus said this not to indicate that God literally has a number placed on the
very hairs of our head but rather to show that God has perfect knowledge of
everything about us and providentially cares for everything about us.
Therefore, if God both knows all things that happen to us and is able to save
us and willing to do so, then whatever we may be suffering, we need not think
that God has forsaken us in our suffering. For it is not God's will to keep us
wholly separated from that which elicits dread but rather to persuade us not to
make an idol out of whatever we dread. It is this, more than anything else,
that constitutes deliverance from dread. 'Therefore, don’t be afraid. You are
of more value than many sparrows.' Don’t you see that God views your fear with
more concern than the lives of many sparrows? He already knows the secrets of
your heart. Hence Jesus adds, 'Do not fear.' For even if that which you dread
prevails, it prevails only over your body; this is the limited part of
yourself, which nature will surely take in due time and bring to an
end." (excerpt from The Gospel of Matthew, Homily 34, 2-3)
12th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A
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 - Jeremiah 20:10-13
Jeremiah’s prophetic career extended from his youth in 626 B.C. to a date considerably later than the ruin of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. Thus he witnessed the brief renewal of the covenant people under Josiah; the latter’s death in 609 at Megiddo; the obstinate, weak, and futile resistance of Josiah’s successors to Babylon; and the continued intrigues by those left behind in the land after the mass deportations in 605, 597, and 586, these intrigues culminating in the murder of Gedaliah, Babylon’s representative. After this episode the assassins forced Jeremiah to accompany them on their flight to Egypt.
More than any other prophet, Jeremiah not merely preached his inspired message but lived it too; incurring the hatred and persecution of the anti-Babylonian party throughout his life, and suffering intense personal anguish and conflicts from the part he was forced by Yahweh to play in these events.
Jeremiah’s message as a whole is dominated by a four-fold opposition: First, between Yahweh as true God and the false gods; Second, between Jeremiah as the true prophet and the false prophets; Third, between the transforming power of the true religion of mind and heart and the ineffective externalism of the official cult; and Fourth, between Babylon, designated by Yahweh to be his “servant” and Egypt, the beguiler and deceiver. Yahweh is consistently thought of as dwelling not in the Temple at Zion (as He is in Isaiah) but transcendently in heaven, looking down upon the world and presiding over all that it contains from the vast cosmic forces to the most interior thoughts and dispositions of its inhabitants.
Today we hear Jeremiah despairing about his situation.
10 I hear the whisperings of many: “Terror on every side!
This was the cry of Jeremiah to the officer in charge of the Temple in Jeremiah 20:4. This cry resulted in Jeremiah being flogged and set in the stocks. The cry is now turned against the prophet in derision and mockery.
Denounce! let us denounce him!” All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. “Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail, and take our vengeance on him. 11 But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph. In their failure they will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion.
This confidence has its foundation in Yahweh’s promise (Jeremiah 1:8, 19), which the prophet often recalled. In the midst of strong contradictions he keeps his faith in Yahweh’s loyalty.
12 O LORD of hosts, you who test the just, who probe mind and heart, Let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause. 13 Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD, For he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked!
This verse has often been rejected by scholars as a late doxology but the closing words “from the power of the wicked” is found only in Jeremiah’s writings (Jeremiah 15:21; 21:12; 23:14). The Hebrew word ebyôn , translated here as “the poor” has meaning other than sociological; it refers to a pious man, the one who does Yahweh’s bidding.
2nd Reading - Romans 5:12-15
Our reading continues from where we left off last week. Recall that Saint Paul approaches his discussions from the perspective of family covenant, not the legal courtroom. To gain a better understanding of the context of this reading, we will continue on through Romans 6:1.
12 [T]hrough one person
This refers to Adam. As a result of original sin we are born spiritually dead which leads to sin.
sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all, inasmuch as all sinned 13 for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world, though sin is not accounted when there is no law.
See Romans 4:14-15.
14 But death reigned from Adam to Moses,
Saint Paul now begins to discusses three ages: Adam to Moses is the natural period which is represented by the fallen, unhappy family; Moses to Christ is the legal period in which one nation is the example; and from Christ onward is the period of international blessing where all nations are blessed and freed from the Law through the grace of Christ
even over those who did not sin after the pattern of the trespass of Adam, who is the type of the one who was to come.
Typology plays an important role in the writings of Saint Paul. Here, he talks about how Christ, the “last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45), was prefigured by Adam.
“Although through one man’s sin death has passed to all men, Him whom we do not refuse to acknowledge as the father of the human race we cannot refuse to acknowledge as also the author of death. ... In Adam I fell, in Adam I was cast out of paradise, in Adam I died. How shall God call me back, except He find me in Adam? For just as in Adam I am guilty of sin and owe a debt to death, so in Christ I am justified.” [Saint Ambrose of Milan (A.D. 378), On The Death Of His Brother Satyrus 2,6]
15 But the gift is not like the transgression.
Lest the comparison with Adam should seem like an affront to Christ, Saint Paul stresses the surpassing quality of Christ’s influence on humanity. The first mode of expressing that superabundance is the manifestation of God’s favor far in excess of any mercy that sin might have otherwise evoked.
For if by that one person’s transgression the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one person Jesus Christ overflow for the many.
“These words clearly teach that original sin is common to all men, regardless of the personal sins of each one.” [Saint Augustine of Hippo (ca. A.D. 421), Against Julian, Defender of the Pelagian Heresy 20,63]
“As infants cannot help being descended from Adam, so they cannot help being touched by the same sin, unless they are set free from its guilt by the baptism of Christ.” [Saint Augustine of Hippo (A.D. 414) Letter to the Sicilian Layman Hilary 157]
16 And the gift is not like the result of the one person’s sinning. For after one sin there was the judgment that brought condemnation; but the gift, after many transgressions, brought acquittal. 17 For if, by the transgression of one person, death came to reign through that one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of justification come to reign in life through the one person Jesus Christ. 18 In conclusion, just as through one transgression condemnation came upon all, so through one righteous act acquittal and life came to all. 19 For just as through the disobedience of one person the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one the many will be made righteous.
From Adam we get a sinful nature, but from Christ we gain a righteous nature.
20 The law entered in so that transgression might increase but, where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through justification for eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 6:1 What then shall we say? Shall we persist in sin that grace may abound? Of course not!
Gospel - Matthew 10:26-33
We rejoin Jesus this week during the first year of His public ministry. He has just commissioned the twelve and is instructing them as they are sent out.
[Jesus said to the Twelve:] 26 “Fear no one.
The ministry of preaching is intrinsically frightening. Only faith in a revealing and judging God can overcome that fear.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. 27 What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28 And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.
Gehenna is the term which Jesus uses to refer to the place of eternal destruction. It is also the valley which runs along the southern edge of Jerusalem at the time of Christ. The Hebrew word ge-hinnom means “valley of the son of Hinnom.” The name is probably that of the original Jebusite owner of the property. It became a cultic shrine where human sacrifice was offered (2 Kings 23:10; 2 Chronicles 28:3; 33:6; Jeremiah 7:31; 19:2ff; 32:35). Because of this cult Jeremiah cursed the place and predicted that it would be a place of death and corruption.
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.
The cheapest life in the market is cited; yet God’s providential care extends to it. God knows even when a small bird dies, He is aware of the death of one of His own and He will save the life that endures forever.
30 Even all the hairs of your head are counted. 31 So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
A rabbinic argument technique which compares a light matter to a heavy one. It is used here to overcome fear and encourage the disciples to trust God.
32 Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. 33 But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.
With the assurance of confidence that God knows and cares what happens, the disciples are urged to confess “in Jesus.” The confession would be the typical confession of the primitive Church that “Jesus is Messiah and Lord.” The reward of confession or denial is that Jesus will accept or disown according to one’s fidelity.
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 - Jeremiah 20:10-13
Jeremiah’s prophetic career extended from his youth in 626 B.C. to a date considerably later than the ruin of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. Thus he witnessed the brief renewal of the covenant people under Josiah; the latter’s death in 609 at Megiddo; the obstinate, weak, and futile resistance of Josiah’s successors to Babylon; and the continued intrigues by those left behind in the land after the mass deportations in 605, 597, and 586, these intrigues culminating in the murder of Gedaliah, Babylon’s representative. After this episode the assassins forced Jeremiah to accompany them on their flight to Egypt.
More than any other prophet, Jeremiah not merely preached his inspired message but lived it too; incurring the hatred and persecution of the anti-Babylonian party throughout his life, and suffering intense personal anguish and conflicts from the part he was forced by Yahweh to play in these events.
Jeremiah’s message as a whole is dominated by a four-fold opposition: First, between Yahweh as true God and the false gods; Second, between Jeremiah as the true prophet and the false prophets; Third, between the transforming power of the true religion of mind and heart and the ineffective externalism of the official cult; and Fourth, between Babylon, designated by Yahweh to be his “servant” and Egypt, the beguiler and deceiver. Yahweh is consistently thought of as dwelling not in the Temple at Zion (as He is in Isaiah) but transcendently in heaven, looking down upon the world and presiding over all that it contains from the vast cosmic forces to the most interior thoughts and dispositions of its inhabitants.
Today we hear Jeremiah despairing about his situation.
10 I hear the whisperings of many: “Terror on every side!
This was the cry of Jeremiah to the officer in charge of the Temple in Jeremiah 20:4. This cry resulted in Jeremiah being flogged and set in the stocks. The cry is now turned against the prophet in derision and mockery.
Denounce! let us denounce him!” All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. “Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail, and take our vengeance on him. 11 But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph. In their failure they will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion.
This confidence has its foundation in Yahweh’s promise (Jeremiah 1:8, 19), which the prophet often recalled. In the midst of strong contradictions he keeps his faith in Yahweh’s loyalty.
12 O LORD of hosts, you who test the just, who probe mind and heart, Let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause. 13 Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD, For he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked!
This verse has often been rejected by scholars as a late doxology but the closing words “from the power of the wicked” is found only in Jeremiah’s writings (Jeremiah 15:21; 21:12; 23:14). The Hebrew word ebyôn , translated here as “the poor” has meaning other than sociological; it refers to a pious man, the one who does Yahweh’s bidding.
2nd Reading - Romans 5:12-15
Our reading continues from where we left off last week. Recall that Saint Paul approaches his discussions from the perspective of family covenant, not the legal courtroom. To gain a better understanding of the context of this reading, we will continue on through Romans 6:1.
12 [T]hrough one person
This refers to Adam. As a result of original sin we are born spiritually dead which leads to sin.
sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all, inasmuch as all sinned 13 for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world, though sin is not accounted when there is no law.
See Romans 4:14-15.
14 But death reigned from Adam to Moses,
Saint Paul now begins to discusses three ages: Adam to Moses is the natural period which is represented by the fallen, unhappy family; Moses to Christ is the legal period in which one nation is the example; and from Christ onward is the period of international blessing where all nations are blessed and freed from the Law through the grace of Christ
even over those who did not sin after the pattern of the trespass of Adam, who is the type of the one who was to come.
Typology plays an important role in the writings of Saint Paul. Here, he talks about how Christ, the “last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45), was prefigured by Adam.
“Although through one man’s sin death has passed to all men, Him whom we do not refuse to acknowledge as the father of the human race we cannot refuse to acknowledge as also the author of death. ... In Adam I fell, in Adam I was cast out of paradise, in Adam I died. How shall God call me back, except He find me in Adam? For just as in Adam I am guilty of sin and owe a debt to death, so in Christ I am justified.” [Saint Ambrose of Milan (A.D. 378), On The Death Of His Brother Satyrus 2,6]
15 But the gift is not like the transgression.
Lest the comparison with Adam should seem like an affront to Christ, Saint Paul stresses the surpassing quality of Christ’s influence on humanity. The first mode of expressing that superabundance is the manifestation of God’s favor far in excess of any mercy that sin might have otherwise evoked.
For if by that one person’s transgression the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one person Jesus Christ overflow for the many.
“These words clearly teach that original sin is common to all men, regardless of the personal sins of each one.” [Saint Augustine of Hippo (ca. A.D. 421), Against Julian, Defender of the Pelagian Heresy 20,63]
“As infants cannot help being descended from Adam, so they cannot help being touched by the same sin, unless they are set free from its guilt by the baptism of Christ.” [Saint Augustine of Hippo (A.D. 414) Letter to the Sicilian Layman Hilary 157]
16 And the gift is not like the result of the one person’s sinning. For after one sin there was the judgment that brought condemnation; but the gift, after many transgressions, brought acquittal. 17 For if, by the transgression of one person, death came to reign through that one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of justification come to reign in life through the one person Jesus Christ. 18 In conclusion, just as through one transgression condemnation came upon all, so through one righteous act acquittal and life came to all. 19 For just as through the disobedience of one person the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one the many will be made righteous.
From Adam we get a sinful nature, but from Christ we gain a righteous nature.
20 The law entered in so that transgression might increase but, where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through justification for eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 6:1 What then shall we say? Shall we persist in sin that grace may abound? Of course not!
Gospel - Matthew 10:26-33
We rejoin Jesus this week during the first year of His public ministry. He has just commissioned the twelve and is instructing them as they are sent out.
[Jesus said to the Twelve:] 26 “Fear no one.
The ministry of preaching is intrinsically frightening. Only faith in a revealing and judging God can overcome that fear.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. 27 What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28 And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.
Gehenna is the term which Jesus uses to refer to the place of eternal destruction. It is also the valley which runs along the southern edge of Jerusalem at the time of Christ. The Hebrew word ge-hinnom means “valley of the son of Hinnom.” The name is probably that of the original Jebusite owner of the property. It became a cultic shrine where human sacrifice was offered (2 Kings 23:10; 2 Chronicles 28:3; 33:6; Jeremiah 7:31; 19:2ff; 32:35). Because of this cult Jeremiah cursed the place and predicted that it would be a place of death and corruption.
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.
The cheapest life in the market is cited; yet God’s providential care extends to it. God knows even when a small bird dies, He is aware of the death of one of His own and He will save the life that endures forever.
30 Even all the hairs of your head are counted. 31 So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
A rabbinic argument technique which compares a light matter to a heavy one. It is used here to overcome fear and encourage the disciples to trust God.
32 Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. 33 But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.
With the assurance of confidence that God knows and cares what happens, the disciples are urged to confess “in Jesus.” The confession would be the typical confession of the primitive Church that “Jesus is Messiah and Lord.” The reward of confession or denial is that Jesus will accept or disown according to one’s fidelity.
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Picayune, MS http://www.scborromeo.org
TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
SUNDAY, JUNE 21, MATTHEW 10:26-33
(Jeremiah 20:10-13; Psalm 69; Romans 5:12-15)
SUNDAY, JUNE 21, MATTHEW 10:26-33
(Jeremiah 20:10-13; Psalm 69; Romans 5:12-15)
KEY VERSE: "So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows" (Mt 10:31).
TO KNOW: Jesus instructed his twelve apostles to be courageous as they shared his mission of announcing God's reign. Despite the coming darkness and opposition, they should be fearless in proclaiming the light and truth of the gospel. Fear of persecution and death should not deter them. They should be more afraid of the Evil One who could lead them to eternal destruction. Jesus encouraged his followers by reminding them of their worth before God. Sparrows were eaten by the poor, and were the cheapest of all the birds. If God cared for these tiny birds how much more were God's children valued? No ill-treatment on earth could compare with the ultimate fate of one who had been guilty of infidelity to God. If the apostles remained faithful to their witness, Jesus would testify to their fidelity at the final judgment.
TO LOVE: Do I defend the faith when I am opposed?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to recognize my worth in God's sight.
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 21 June 2020
12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jeremiah 20:10-13. Lord, in your great love, answer me – Psalm
68(69):8-10, 14, 17, 33-35. Romans 5:12-15. Matthew 10:26-33.
‘Do not be afraid of those who kill the body’
The readings today strike at the heart of so many of us. Can we
really have the courage to speak out in the name of the Lord? Jeremiah had
every reason to clam up – even his ‘friends, he says, were waiting for him to
slip up, so they could take their revenge on him. What a detail to include!
Enemies, one could understand, but friends? This is a
distressing insight. Interestingly, he does not call on the Lord to let him
have revenge, but rather, accepts that vengeance, if any, belongs only to God.
Matthew echoes Jeremiah’s ultimate confidence: under God, we
need have no fear of those who can only kill the body – the One to ‘fear’ is
the One Who can kill body and soul – but chooses, instead, to offer
forgiveness, love, peace and mercy.
Our prayer: Help me never to deny your Name, Lord; help me to
speak your gospel of hope!
Saint Aloysius Gonzaga
Saint of the Day for June 21
(March 9, 1568 – June 21, 1591)
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| The Vocation of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga | Guercino |
Saint Aloysius Gonzaga’s Story
The Lord can make saints anywhere, even amid the brutality and
license of Renaissance life. Florence was the “mother of piety” for Aloysius
Gonzaga despite his exposure to a “society of fraud, dagger, poison, and lust.”
As a son of a princely family, he grew up in royal courts and army camps. His
father wanted Aloysius to be a military hero.
At age 7 Aloysius experienced a profound spiritual quickening.
His prayers included the Office of Mary, the psalms, and other devotions. At
age 9 he came from his hometown of Castiglione to Florence to be educated;
by age 11 he was teaching catechism to poor children, fasting three days a
week, and practicing great austerities. When he was 13 years old, he traveled
with his parents and the Empress of Austria to Spain, and acted as a page in
the court of Philip II. The more Aloysius saw of court life, the more
disillusioned he became, seeking relief in learning about the lives of saints.
A book about the experience of Jesuit missionaries in India
suggested to him the idea of entering the Society of Jesus, and in Spain his
decision became final. Now began a four-year contest with his father. Eminent
churchmen and laypeople were pressed into service to persuade Aloysius to
remain in his “normal” vocation. Finally he prevailed, was allowed to renounce
his right to succession, and was received into the Jesuit novitiate.
Like other seminarians, Aloysius was faced with a new kind of
penance—that of accepting different ideas about the exact nature of penance. He
was obliged to eat more, and to take recreation with the other students. He was
forbidden to pray except at stated times. He spent four years in the study of
philosophy and had Saint Robert Bellarmine as his spiritual adviser.
In 1591, a plague struck Rome. The Jesuits opened a hospital of
their own. The superior general himself and many other Jesuits rendered
personal service. Because he nursed patients, washing them and making their
beds, Aloysius caught the disease. A fever persisted after his recovery and he
was so weak he could scarcely rise from bed. Yet, he maintained his great
discipline of prayer, knowing that he would die within the octave of Corpus
Christi, three months later, at the age of 23.
Reflection
As a saint who fasted, scourged himself, sought solitude and
prayer, and did not look on the faces of women, Aloysius seems an unlikely
patron of youth in a society where asceticism is confined to training camps of
football teams and boxers, and sexual permissiveness has little left to permit.
Can an overweight and air-conditioned society deprive itself of anything? It
will when it discovers a reason, as Aloysius did. The motivation for letting
God purify us is the experience of God loving us in prayer.
Saint Aloysius Gonzaga is the Patron Saint of:
Catholic Youth
Teenagers
Teenagers
Lectio
Divina: 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
Lectio Divina
Sunday, June 21, 2020
Witness to the Gospel without fear
Matthew 10: 26-33
Matthew 10: 26-33
1. OPENING PRAYER
In the darkness of a starless night,
a night of no sense,
You, the Word of life,
like lightning in the storm of forgetfulness,
entered within the bounds of doubt
under cover of the limits of precariousness
to hide the light.
a night of no sense,
You, the Word of life,
like lightning in the storm of forgetfulness,
entered within the bounds of doubt
under cover of the limits of precariousness
to hide the light.
Words made of silence and of the ordinary,
Your human words, heralds of the secrets of the Most High:
like hooks cast into the waters of death
to find man once more, immersed in his anxious follies,
and reclaim him, plundered,
through the attractive radiance of forgiveness.
To You, Ocean of Peace and shadow of eternal Glory,
I render thanks:
Calm waters on my shore that awaits the wave, I wish to seek You!
And may the friendship of the brothers protect me
when night falls on my desire for You. Amen.
Your human words, heralds of the secrets of the Most High:
like hooks cast into the waters of death
to find man once more, immersed in his anxious follies,
and reclaim him, plundered,
through the attractive radiance of forgiveness.
To You, Ocean of Peace and shadow of eternal Glory,
I render thanks:
Calm waters on my shore that awaits the wave, I wish to seek You!
And may the friendship of the brothers protect me
when night falls on my desire for You. Amen.
2. READING
a) The text:
26 'So do not be afraid of them. Everything now covered up will
be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. 27 What I say to
you in the dark, tell in the daylight; what you hear in whispers, proclaim from
the housetops. 28 'Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill
the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. 29 Can
you not buy two sparrows for a penny? And yet not one falls to the ground
without your Father knowing. 30 Why, every hair on your head has been counted.
31 So there is no need to be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. 32
'So if anyone declares himself for Me in the presence of human beings, I will
declare Myself for him in the presence of My Father in heaven. 33 But the one
who disowns Me in the presence of human beings, I will disown in the presence
of My Father in heaven.
b) A moment of silence:
Let us allow the voice of the Word to resonate within us.
3. MEDITATION
a) Questions for reflection:
There is nothing hidden which will not be revealed: the truth
under the veil of silence is spread more than if it is exposed in the avid or
greedy hands of people who are deaf to the breath of the Spirit. Where do you
place the Word of God that you listen to: in the power of your adventurous
thoughts or in the sacrarium of your profound acceptance?
That which I tell you in the dark, tell it in the
daylight: Christ speaks in the dark, in the secret of the heart. To offer
His words to the light, these must go though your thought, within your
feelings, in your entrails before they come to your lips. The words which you
habitually say to others, are they words said in the secret of Him or rather
syllables of thoughts which just come to mind?
And do not be afraid of those who kill the body: not anything nor
anybody can do you harm if God is with you. They can make you a prisoner, but
they cannot take away liberty and dignity from you because these cannot be
seized by anybody. Fears, worry, suspicions, anxieties... can become a souvenir
which is far away. When will you leave all this aside, trusting that God will
not abandon you ever and will take care of you?
Can you not buy two sparrows for a penny? And yet not one falls
to the ground without your Father knowing. God’s
Providence can be similar to destiny, but it is something different. Think of
the sparrows which fall to the ground. It is not God who throws them down, but
when they fall the Father is there. It is not God who sends sickness, but when
people become ill, the Father is there with them. Our things belong to Him.
Solitude, which frequently presses on us, is not abandonment. Will we
look around to encounter the eyes of Christ who lives with us in that moment of
desolation?
If anyone declares himself to be for Me in the presence of human
beings, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father: Give
Christ the courage of our faith in Him... this is a requirement of life in
which God is not an accessory, but daily bread and the identity card of
Himself. Does this challenge you or does it remain only a hidden desire? Even
among the heads or leaders, says John, many believed in Him, but did not recognize
Him openly because of the Pharisees, so as not to be expelled from the
Synagogue. Would you risk your name for Him?
b) Key for the reading:
Do not fear! This is a key word, which, repeated three times,
gives unity to the passage.
Probably it is a literary unity which joins together four isolated sayings. Faith requires as a basic disposition, not to fear. The themes which emerge: public proclamation of the Gospel (vv. 26-27), the availability to face martyrdom sacrificing physical life in order to attain eternal life (v. 28), images of trust in Providence (vv. 29-31), the courageous profession of faith in Christ (vv. 32-33).
The counter-positions are of a remarkable efficacy: veiled/unveiled, or covered/uncovered, hidden/known, darkness/light, body/soul, acknowledge/deny... which make evident the shore of a life lived evangelically. The veils of knowledge open themselves in the light and on the roofs of the universe the word heard in secret goes forth. The whole person is present to the heart of God, and if the creatures of the earth arouse tenderness, how much more the life of a creature-child. Belonging makes the difference in the witness.
Probably it is a literary unity which joins together four isolated sayings. Faith requires as a basic disposition, not to fear. The themes which emerge: public proclamation of the Gospel (vv. 26-27), the availability to face martyrdom sacrificing physical life in order to attain eternal life (v. 28), images of trust in Providence (vv. 29-31), the courageous profession of faith in Christ (vv. 32-33).
The counter-positions are of a remarkable efficacy: veiled/unveiled, or covered/uncovered, hidden/known, darkness/light, body/soul, acknowledge/deny... which make evident the shore of a life lived evangelically. The veils of knowledge open themselves in the light and on the roofs of the universe the word heard in secret goes forth. The whole person is present to the heart of God, and if the creatures of the earth arouse tenderness, how much more the life of a creature-child. Belonging makes the difference in the witness.
v. 26. Do not be afraid of them, for everything now covered up
will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. That which
is covered is not reserved for few but it is simply kept waiting to be
manifested. There is a time to keep hidden and a time to make manifest, as
Qoheleth would say... to know how to keep the truth in the secret of the days
that go by: this is what forges the credibility of the manifestation. A seed
cannot be thrown into the air, it is put into the furrow of the heart, it is
left to itself while it is transformed in dying, and it is attentively followed
until it germinates and comes to light, until the spike is ripe and ready to be
harvested. Every word of God requires that it pass through the furrow of one’s
own history in order to bear abundant fruit in due time.
v. 27. What I say to you in the dark, tell it in the daylight,
and what you hear in whispers, proclaim from the housetops. Jesus
speaks in secret; we speak in the light. God speaks, we listen and we become
His mouth for others. The darkness of the listening, of putting it in, of
assimilation, precedes the dawn of every proclamation. And when from the
housetops the good news will be heard, people will be obliged to look up. A
treasure of glory is enclosed in every moment of listening. It is a
moment of waiting which leads to the birth of light.
v. 28. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but cannot
kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in
hell. One can be afraid of those who can strike that which is not man
in fullness: to stop earthly life is not equal to death. The only really
fearful is God. But God also after death preserves the life for the human
being. That is why we should not fear. Whatever can happen, God is with
humanity. This is a certainty which permits us to sail on even in the midst of
the most devastating storms, because the treasures of humanity are taken care
of in God, and from the hands of God nobody can snatch the elect.
v. 29. Can you not buy two sparrow for a penny? And yet not one
falls to the ground without your Father knowing. There are two
sparrows, one penny. A minimum value but which is in the thought of the Father.
Where life beats, there God is, completely. This attentive care enchants and
consoles... and invites listening to everything that vibrates and presents holy
images of the Eternal splendor. Two sparrows: two very small creatures, of a
brief life. The value of things is not given to them because of the greatness
or the strength, but from what animates, that which is “body”. Therefore, every
space where there is life which accepts the print of the Creator is a place of
encounter with Him. It bears witness to His solicitude.
v. 30. Why every hair on your head has been counted. The
solicitude or thoughtfulness of God extends itself even to counting the hair on
our head. It is absurd, the way the Lord loves! When desolation and abandonment
become the words of our today, it will be enough to count some of our
hair to remember the presence of God with us. The protection of the Heavenly
Father will not be lacking for the disciples of Jesus. The Mystery which
embraces all cannot be less towards those who have chosen to follow His Son,
leaving the earth of their human securities.
v. 31. So there is no need to be afraid; you are worth more than
many sparrows! If God uses His thought for two sparrows how much more will He
think of us! Fear disappears before this living image of human and religious
sensibility of Christ. God is in favor of humanity, not against
humanity. And if He keeps silence it is not because of lack of care, but
because His thoughts of us have broader perspectives which go beyond the
horizons of earthly temporality.
v. 32. If anyone declares himself for Me in the presence of
human beings, I will declare Myself for him in the presence of My Father in
Heaven. One must acknowledge oneself. When you find yourself in a square
crowded to the full among unknown faces, you have the experience of being a
foreigner. But as soon as you see a familiar face, your heart expands and you
make your way until you get close to him. This recognizing others allows one to
manifest oneself before others and to expose oneself. Christ in the midst of
the crowd is the familiar face to recognize Him as the Master and Lord of our
life. And what fear can we have if we think that He will declare us before His
Father in Heaven?
v. 33. But the one who disowns Me in the presence of human
beings, I will disown in the presence of My Father in Heaven. Could we
think of a vengeful God? This is not a discourse to “put wood into the fire”,
but a discourse which comes from an existential encounter. Christ will not be
able to recognize as His own the one who will have chosen everything outside of
Him. It is a discourse of fidelity and of respect for human liberty. God
respects the creature to the point of not interfering in the space of his
error. The Gospel demands belonging, not words and actions. The heart lives in
heaven, when Christ is its beating of life!
4. PRAYER (Psalm 22:22-31)
I shall proclaim Your name to my brothers,
praise You in full assembly:
'You who fear Yahweh, praise Him!
All the race of Jacob,
honor Him! Revere Him,
all the race of Israel!'
praise You in full assembly:
'You who fear Yahweh, praise Him!
All the race of Jacob,
honor Him! Revere Him,
all the race of Israel!'
For He has not despised nor disregarded
the poverty of the poor,
has not turned away His face,
but has listened to the cry for help.
the poverty of the poor,
has not turned away His face,
but has listened to the cry for help.
Of You is my praise in the thronged assembly,
I will perform my vows before all who fear Him.
The poor will eat and be filled,
those who seek Yahweh will praise Him,
'May your heart live for ever.'
I will perform my vows before all who fear Him.
The poor will eat and be filled,
those who seek Yahweh will praise Him,
'May your heart live for ever.'
The whole wide world will remember
and return to Yahweh,
all the families of nations bow down before Him.
For to Yahweh, ruler of the nations,
belongs kingly power!
All who prosper on earth will bow before Him,
all who go down to the dust will do reverence before Him.
and return to Yahweh,
all the families of nations bow down before Him.
For to Yahweh, ruler of the nations,
belongs kingly power!
All who prosper on earth will bow before Him,
all who go down to the dust will do reverence before Him.
And those who are dead,
their descendants will serve Him,
will proclaim His name to generations
still to come;
and these will tell of His saving justice
to a people yet unborn:
He has fulfilled it.
their descendants will serve Him,
will proclaim His name to generations
still to come;
and these will tell of His saving justice
to a people yet unborn:
He has fulfilled it.
5. CONTEMPLATION
Lord, among the veils of what I have received and have not
given, may I be able to meditate and to accept everything from you. Let not my
proclamation be an unconscious repeater, but rather a word possessed in so far
as it has indwelling and digested for a long time. May the beauty of Your
presence be unveiled to my senses, and in the mystery of Your unceasing giving
may the veil of the encounter descend bringing You closer. The treasure hidden
for centuries is now known, and from darkness to light, the dawn has raised for
centuries, in a day without sunset which, shining on that which love has
created and the sin being broken, it makes all things new. I will acknowledge
You, my God, before my brothers because it will be impossible for me to hide
the lamp that You have lit in my life. Who will give me the words which create
me and make of my limitations a marvelous definition of what I am, I, in
particular, like nobody else? Only You, Lord, have words of eternal life. And I
will eat them and will offer them, at the cost of being devoured with them. It
will be sufficient for me to feel that I am a sparrow to find again the hope
when the tempest will fall on me, because the pennies that You give for the
sparrows are not counted in Your knapsack. Amen.
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