Monday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary
Time
Lectionary: 395
Lectionary: 395
Hear what the LORD says:
Arise, present your plea before the mountains,
and let the hills hear your voice!
Hear, O mountains, the plea of the LORD,
pay attention, O foundations of the earth!
For the LORD has a plea against his people,
and he enters into trial with Israel.
Arise, present your plea before the mountains,
and let the hills hear your voice!
Hear, O mountains, the plea of the LORD,
pay attention, O foundations of the earth!
For the LORD has a plea against his people,
and he enters into trial with Israel.
O my people, what have I done to
you,
or how have I wearied you? Answer me!
For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
from the place of slavery I released you;
and I sent before you Moses,
Aaron, and Miriam.
or how have I wearied you? Answer me!
For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
from the place of slavery I released you;
and I sent before you Moses,
Aaron, and Miriam.
With what shall I come before the
LORD,
and bow before God most high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
with myriad streams of oil?
Shall I give my first-born for my crime,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
You have been told, O man, what is good,
and what the LORD requires of you:
Only to do the right and to love goodness,
and to walk humbly with your God.
and bow before God most high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
with myriad streams of oil?
Shall I give my first-born for my crime,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
You have been told, O man, what is good,
and what the LORD requires of you:
Only to do the right and to love goodness,
and to walk humbly with your God.
Responsorial
Psalm50:5-6, 8-9, 16BC-17, 21 AND 23
R. (23b) To the upright I will
show the saving power of God.
“Gather my faithful ones before me,
those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
And the heavens proclaim his justice;
for God himself is the judge.
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,
for your burnt offerings are before me always.
I take from your house no bullock,
no goats out of your fold.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think that I am like yourself?
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Gather my faithful ones before me,
those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
And the heavens proclaim his justice;
for God himself is the judge.
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,
for your burnt offerings are before me always.
I take from your house no bullock,
no goats out of your fold.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think that I am like yourself?
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
AlleluiaPS 95:8
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 12:38-42
Some of the scribes and Pharisees
said to Jesus,
“Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”
He said to them in reply,
“An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign,
but no sign will be given it
except the sign of Jonah the prophet.
Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights,
so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth
three days and three nights.
At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah;
and there is something greater than Jonah here.
At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation
and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon;
and there is something greater than Solomon here.”
“Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”
He said to them in reply,
“An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign,
but no sign will be given it
except the sign of Jonah the prophet.
Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights,
so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth
three days and three nights.
At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah;
and there is something greater than Jonah here.
At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation
and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon;
and there is something greater than Solomon here.”
For the readings of the Optional Memorial
of Saint Apollinaris, please go here.
Meditation: An Adulterous
Generation Seeks for a Sign
: What would the Lord Jesus say about our generation? Jesus gave a rather
stern warning to his generation when they demanded a sign from him. It was
characteristic of the Jews that they demanded "signs" from God's messengers
to authenticate their claims. Jesus faulted them for one thing: spiritual
adultery. The image of adultery was often used in the Scriptures for
describing apostasy or infidelity towards God.
Signs from God
When the religious leaders pressed Jesus to give proof for his claims to be the Messiah sent from God, he says in so many words that he is God's sign and that they need no further evidence from heaven than his own person. The Ninevites recognized God's warning when Jonah spoke to them, and they repented (Jonah 3:5). And the Queen of Sheba recognized God's wisdom in Solomon (1 Kings 10:1-9). Jonah was God's sign and his message was the message of God for the people of Nineveh. Unfortunately the religious leaders of Jesus' day were not content to accept the signs right before their eyes. They had rejected the message of John the Baptist and now they reject Jesus as God's Anointed One (Messiah) and they fail to heed his message.
Simeon had prophesied at Jesus' birth that he was destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against... that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed (Luke 2:34-35). Jesus confirmed his message with many miracles in preparation for the greatest sign of all - his resurrection on the third day.
The Holy Spirit's gift of wisdom and understanding
The Lord Jesus, through the gift of his Holy Spirit, offers us freedom from sin and ignorance, and he gives us wisdom and understanding so that we may grow in knowledge of God and his ways. Do you thirst for God and for the wisdom which comes from above? James the Apostle says that the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without uncertainty or insincerity (James 3:17). A double-minded person cannot receive this kind of wisdom. If we wish to be wise in God's ways, then we must humble ourselves before him, like attentive students who wish to learn, and submit our heart and mind to his will for our lives.
The single of heart and mind desire one thing alone - God who is the source of all wisdom, goodness, truth, and knowledge. Do you wish to be wise and loving as God is wise and loving? Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with the wisdom which comes from above and to free your heart from all that would hinder God's loving action in your life.
Signs from God
When the religious leaders pressed Jesus to give proof for his claims to be the Messiah sent from God, he says in so many words that he is God's sign and that they need no further evidence from heaven than his own person. The Ninevites recognized God's warning when Jonah spoke to them, and they repented (Jonah 3:5). And the Queen of Sheba recognized God's wisdom in Solomon (1 Kings 10:1-9). Jonah was God's sign and his message was the message of God for the people of Nineveh. Unfortunately the religious leaders of Jesus' day were not content to accept the signs right before their eyes. They had rejected the message of John the Baptist and now they reject Jesus as God's Anointed One (Messiah) and they fail to heed his message.
Simeon had prophesied at Jesus' birth that he was destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against... that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed (Luke 2:34-35). Jesus confirmed his message with many miracles in preparation for the greatest sign of all - his resurrection on the third day.
The Holy Spirit's gift of wisdom and understanding
The Lord Jesus, through the gift of his Holy Spirit, offers us freedom from sin and ignorance, and he gives us wisdom and understanding so that we may grow in knowledge of God and his ways. Do you thirst for God and for the wisdom which comes from above? James the Apostle says that the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without uncertainty or insincerity (James 3:17). A double-minded person cannot receive this kind of wisdom. If we wish to be wise in God's ways, then we must humble ourselves before him, like attentive students who wish to learn, and submit our heart and mind to his will for our lives.
The single of heart and mind desire one thing alone - God who is the source of all wisdom, goodness, truth, and knowledge. Do you wish to be wise and loving as God is wise and loving? Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with the wisdom which comes from above and to free your heart from all that would hinder God's loving action in your life.
Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy
Spirit that I may grow in wisdom and knowledge of your love and truth. Free me
from stubborn pride and willfulness that I may wholly desire to do what is
pleasing to you.
Daily Quote from the Early Church
Fathers: The stumbling block of the
cross, from an anonymous early Christian teacher
"What is the sign of Jonah? The
stumbling block of the cross. So it is not the disputers of knowledge who will
be saved but those who believe true teaching. For the cross of Christ is indeed
a stumbling block to those who dispute knowledge but salvation to those who
believe. Paul testifies to this: 'But we, for our part, preach the crucified
Christ - to the Jews indeed a stumbling block and to the Gentiles foolishness,
but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and
the wisdom of God' (1 Corinthians 1:23-24). Why do the Jews seek signs and the
Greeks seek wisdom? God pointed to the sign of the stumbling block of the cross
to both the Jews and the Greeks. Thus those who wish to find Christ not through
faith but through wisdom will perish on the stumbling block of foolishness.
Those who wish to know the Son of God not through faith but through a
demonstration of signs will remain trapped in their disbelief, falling on the
stumbling block of his death. It is no small wonder that the Jews, considering
the death of Christ, thought he was merely a man, when even Christians - as
they purport to be but really are not - because of his death are reluctant to
declare the only begotten, the crucified, as incomparable majesty. (excerpt
from INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 30)
MONDAY, JULY 20, MATTHEW 12:38-42
Weekday
(Micah 6:1-4, 6-8; Psalm 50)
KEY VERSE: "An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign" (v. 39).
TO KNOW: The scribes and Pharisees demanded evidence from Jesus that his works came from God and not from the evil one (Beelzebul, v 27, the pagan god Baal of Syria). Jesus said that it was the religious leaders who were sinful, since they preferred a religion of legalism over one that made moral demands of them. Jesus told them that the people of Nineveh repented because of Jonah's preaching, not because of signs and wonders (Jon 3:10). The Queen of Sheba sought Solomon's wisdom, not his magic (1 Kgs 10:1-10). Jesus was greater than either Jonah or Solomon, yet the people refused to believe in him. The only sign he would give those faithless ones was the "Sign of Jonah," the three days the prophet spent in the belly of the whale (Jon 2), a symbol of Jesus' impending death and resurrection.
TO LOVE: Do I need to see evidence in order to have faith in Jesus?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to see you in the everyday circumstances of my life.
Weekday
(Micah 6:1-4, 6-8; Psalm 50)
KEY VERSE: "An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign" (v. 39).
TO KNOW: The scribes and Pharisees demanded evidence from Jesus that his works came from God and not from the evil one (Beelzebul, v 27, the pagan god Baal of Syria). Jesus said that it was the religious leaders who were sinful, since they preferred a religion of legalism over one that made moral demands of them. Jesus told them that the people of Nineveh repented because of Jonah's preaching, not because of signs and wonders (Jon 3:10). The Queen of Sheba sought Solomon's wisdom, not his magic (1 Kgs 10:1-10). Jesus was greater than either Jonah or Solomon, yet the people refused to believe in him. The only sign he would give those faithless ones was the "Sign of Jonah," the three days the prophet spent in the belly of the whale (Jon 2), a symbol of Jesus' impending death and resurrection.
TO LOVE: Do I need to see evidence in order to have faith in Jesus?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to see you in the everyday circumstances of my life.
Optional Memorial of Saint Apollinaris,
bishop and martyr
Apollinaris, bishop of Hierapolis in Phrygia, was one of the most illustrious bishops of the second century. He was renowned for his powers to heal in the name of Christ. Apollinaris addressed an "Apology" (a defense) of the Christian religion to the emperor Marcus Aurelius. It was to protect his flock against persecution that Apollinaris reminded the Emperor of the favor he had received from God through the prayers of the Christians. Apollinaris and his flock were exiled from Ravenna by the emperor Vespasian. On his way out of the city, Apollinaris was arrested, tortured and martyred, run through with a sword. The date of the death is not known, but it probably occurred about the year 175. Saint Apollinaris' relics are at Ravenna, Italy.
Monday 20 July 2020
St Apollinaris
Micah 6:1-4, 6-8. To the upright I will
show the saving power of God – Psalm 49(50):5-6, 8-9, 16-17, 21, 23. Matthew
12:38-42.
‘Teacher, we wish to see a sign from
you’
Most of us are fascinated by the
spectacular events presented to us daily in the media. We have only to recall
the terrible disasters of the summer bush fires and the horrific coronavirus.
In a way, the Pharisees were no different. What they wanted, however, was a
spectacular sign from Jesus to prove that he possessed miraculous powers. That
is why, no doubt, they said to him: ‘Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you’.
Yet, as we read throughout the Gospels,
Jesus had only one sign to give us – his risen self after the Resurrection. We
need to ask ourselves, how deep is our faith? Do we depend on ‘dramatic things’
happening in response to our prayers? Or do we humbly and trustingly place our
faith and hope in Jesus Christ, and unite our prayers with his? Let our prayer
be: ‘Your will be done’
Saint Apollinaris
Saint of the Day for July 20
(d. c. 79)
 |
| Statue of Saint Apollinaris in Santa Maria del Suffragio, Ravenna | José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro |
Saint Apollinaris’ Story
According to
tradition, Saint Peter sent Apollinaris to Ravenna, Italy, as its first
bishop. His preaching of the Good News was so successful that the pagans there
beat him and drove him from the city. He returned, however, and was exiled a
second time. After preaching in the area surrounding Ravenna, he entered the
city again. After being cruelly tortured, he was put on a ship heading to
Greece. Pagans there caused him to be expelled to Italy, where he went to
Ravenna for a fourth time. He died from wounds received during a savage beating
at Classis, a suburb of Ravenna. A beautiful basilica honoring him was built
there in the sixth century.
Reflection
Following
Jesus involves risks—sometimes the supreme risk of life itself. Martyrs are
people who would rather accept the risk of death than deny the cornerstone of
their whole life: faith in Jesus Christ. Everyone will die eventually—the
persecutors and those persecuted. The question is what kind of a conscience
people will bring before the Lord for judgment. Remembering the witness of past
and present martyrs can help us make the often small sacrifices that following
Jesus today may require.
Lectio Divina: Matthew 12:38-42
Lectio Divina
Monday, July
20, 2020
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Lord,
be merciful to Your people.
Fill us with Your gifts
and make us always eager to serve You
in faith, hope and love.
You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
be merciful to Your people.
Fill us with Your gifts
and make us always eager to serve You
in faith, hope and love.
You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 12:38-42
Some of the
scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”
He said to them in reply, “An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but
no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. Just as Jonah
was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of
Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. At the judgment,
the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because they
repented at the preaching of Jonah; and there is something greater than Jonah
here. At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation
and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom
of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here.”
3) Reflection
• Today’s
Gospel presents to us a discussion between Jesus and the religious authority of
the time. This time, the doctors of the law and the Pharisees are those who ask
Jesus for a sign. Jesus had given many signs: He had cured the leper (Mt
8:1-4), the servant of the centurion (Mt 8:5-13), Peter’s mother-in-law (Mt
8:14-15), the sick and the possessed of the city (Mt 8:16), He had calmed down
the storm (Mt 8:23-27), had cast out devils (Mt 8:28-34) and had worked many
other miracles. The people seeing all these signs recognize in Jesus the
Servant of Yahweh (Mt 8:17; 12:17-21). But the doctors and the Pharisees are
not able to perceive the significance of so many signs which Jesus had given.
They wanted something different.
• Matthew
12:38: The request for a sign made by the Pharisees and the doctors. The
Pharisees arrived and said to Jesus, “Master, we should like to see a sign from
You.” They want Jesus to make a sign for them, a miracle, and thus they will be
able to verify and examine if Jesus is or is not the one who is sent by God
according to what they imagined and expected. They wanted to be sure. They
wanted to submit Jesus to their own criteria in such a way as to be able to
place Him into their own Messianic frame. There is no openness in them for a
possible conversation. They had understood nothing of all that Jesus had done.
• Mathew
12:39: Jesus’ response: the sign of Jonah. Jesus does not submit Himself to the
request of the religious authority, because it is not sincere: “An evil and
unfaithful generation that asks for a sign! The only sign that will be given
them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.” These words constitute a very strong
judgment regarding the doctors and the Pharisees. They evoke the oracle of
Hosea who denounced the people, accusing them of being an unfaithful and
adulterous spouse (Hos 2:4). The Gospel of Mark says that Jesus, upon hearing
the request of the Pharisees, sighed profoundly (Mk 8:12), probably out of
indignation and of sadness before such a great blindness: because it is not
worthwhile to place a beautiful picture before people who do not want to
open their eyes. Anyone who closes his eyes cannot see! The only sign
which will be given to them is the sign of Jonah.
• Matthew
12:41: There is something greater than Jonah here. Jesus looks toward the
future: “For as Jonah remained in the belly of the sea monster for three days
and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three
days and three nights.” Therefore, the only sign will be Jesus’ resurrection,
which will be prolonged in the resurrection of His followers. This is the sign
which will be given to the doctors and the Pharisees in the future. They will
be placed before the fact that Jesus, condemned to death by them and to death
on the cross, will be raised from the dead, and He will continue, in many ways,
to raise those who believe in Him. For example, He will raise them in the
witness of the apostles, “persons without instruction” who will have had the
courage to face authority announcing the resurrection of Jesus (Acts 4:13).
What converts is witness, not miracles: “On Judgment day the men of Nineveh
will appear against this generation and they will be its condemnation, because
when Jonah preached they repented.” The people of Nineveh converted because of
the witness of the preaching of Jonah, and they denounced the unbelief of the
doctors and the Pharisees, because “Look, there is something greater than Jonah
here.”
• Matthew
12:42: There is something greater than Solomon here. The reference to the
conversion of the people of Nineveh is associated and makes one recall the
episode of the Queen of the South. “On Judgment Day the Queen of the South will
appear against this generation and be its condemnation, because she came from
the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and look, there is
something greater than Solomon here!” This reminder of the episode of the Queen
of the South, who recognizes the wisdom of Solomon, indicates how the Bible was
used at that time. By association, the principal rule of interpretation was the
following: “The Bible is explained through the Bible.” Even now, this is one of
the more important norms for the interpretation of the Bible, especially for
the prayerful reading of the Word of God.
4) Personal questions
• To be
converted means to be completely changed morally, but also to change one’s
ideas and way of thinking. A moralist is one who changes behavior but
keeps his way of thinking unaltered. Which one am I?
• In the on-going renewal of the Church today, am I a Pharisee who asks for a sign or am I like the people who recognize that this is the way wanted by God?
• Certain religions today see God in a different light and use it to justify killing and other injustices. Still others re-envision God and His Church as anything they want. In what ways can we discern the truth in terms of on-going renewal?
• Today, we use several types of analysis to interpret the bible, such as literary analysis, historical-criticism, contextual analysis, etc. How familiar are you with these methods and how do you feel they add to understanding the bible?
• In the on-going renewal of the Church today, am I a Pharisee who asks for a sign or am I like the people who recognize that this is the way wanted by God?
• Certain religions today see God in a different light and use it to justify killing and other injustices. Still others re-envision God and His Church as anything they want. In what ways can we discern the truth in terms of on-going renewal?
• Today, we use several types of analysis to interpret the bible, such as literary analysis, historical-criticism, contextual analysis, etc. How familiar are you with these methods and how do you feel they add to understanding the bible?
For further study
The encyclical
of Pope Pius XII, Divino Afflante Spiritu, talks about methods of biblical
interpretation in modern times and promotes biblical studies. Take time to read
this to begin an exploration of the diverse ways we can learn from the bible.
Papal documents are available at www.vatican.va
5) Concluding Prayer
Better Your
faithful love than life itself;
my lips will praise You.
Thus I will bless You all my life,
in Your name lift up my hands. (Ps 63:3-4)
my lips will praise You.
Thus I will bless You all my life,
in Your name lift up my hands. (Ps 63:3-4)
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