June 16, 2025
Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 365
Reading 1
Brothers and sisters:
As your fellow workers, we appeal to you
not to receive the grace of God in vain.
For he says:
In an acceptable time I heard you,
and on the day of salvation I helped you.
Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.
We cause no one to stumble in anything,
in order that no fault may be found with our ministry;
on the contrary, in everything we commend ourselves
as ministers of God, through much endurance,
in afflictions, hardships, constraints,
beatings, imprisonments, riots,
labors, vigils, fasts;
by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness,
in the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love, in truthful speech,
in the power of God;
with weapons of righteousness at the right and at the left;
through glory and dishonor, insult and praise.
We are treated as deceivers and yet are truthful;
as unrecognized and yet acknowledged;
as dying and behold we live;
as chastised and yet not put to death;
as sorrowful yet always rejoicing;
as poor yet enriching many;
as having nothing and yet possessing all things.
Responsorial Psalm
R.(2a) The Lord has made known his salvation.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
In the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A lamp to my feet is your word,
a light to my path.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one to him as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow."
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061625.cfm
Commentary on 2
Corinthians 6:1-10
Paul continues the defence of his ministry against critics
among the Christians of Corinth and speaks both eloquently and movingly about
his experiences in working for the gospel. In the Greek, our reading is a
single long sentence, incorporating a quotation from Isaiah. The single main verb
is “we entreat” (i.e. “we appeal” or “we beg”). Paul is both exercising his
ministry of reconciliation and tells how this ministry is carried out. He is
saying that his message of reconciliation is being confirmed by the apostolic
experience which he describes here.
He begins by calling on all to work together, and urges them
to ensure that the grace and love of God, which Paul has opened up for them, be
not be received in vain. One way of doing this is to become reconciled once
again with him.
He quotes from the prophet Isaiah:
At an acceptable time I have listened to you,
and on a day of salvation I have helped you. (Is 49:8)
Right now, he tells them, is an acceptable time; the day of
their salvation is right here. God is bestowing favour and salvation at this
very moment as he addresses his letter to them.
The “day of salvation” is a concept that can be found in
many parts of Scripture. It is described by the Jerusalem Bible in
this way:
There is an intermediary period between the time of Christ’s
first coming and his return. This period is the ‘day of salvation’, a time
allowed for conversion; it is granted to the ‘remnant’ and to the pagans.
Though the duration is uncertain, this time of pilgrimage may be regarded as
being short and full of trials and sufferings which are a prelude to the glory
to come. The end is at hand, the day approaches, and it is necessary to be on
the watch and to use the time well that remains for one’s own salvation and
that of others, leaving the final vindication to God. (edited)
By using this time well, Paul is telling the Corinthians
they can guarantee their being united forever with their Lord. At the same time
he denies that anything he has done or said can be seen as a stumbling block to
their faith. He consistently acts in such a way that no fault can be found with
his ministry and that of his companions.
…as servants [diakonoi] of God we have
commended ourselves in every way…
And that is confirmed by the list of experiences which
follows in the passage.
Among the proofs of their sincerity is the great amount of
suffering and trials they willingly undergo for the sake of preaching the
Gospel. Nine items are listed:
…afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings,
imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger…
There is a paradox here in his pointing to experiences that
would not normally be regarded as matters of pride and achievement, but appear
very differently when seen through the eyes of faith.
In spite of being so badly treated, he and his companions
have proved their credentials as servants of God:
…in purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of
spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons
of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in
ill repute and good repute.
The passage concludes with a series of paradoxes—a series of
experiences which could not co-exist except in someone whose life was totally
devoted to Christ and his Gospel:
We are treated as impostors and yet are true, as unknown
and yet are well known, as dying and look—we are alive, as punished and yet not
killed, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as
having nothing and yet possessing everything.
Paul perceives his life and work as a reflection of Jesus’
own. The last two examples are an illustration of an apparent contradiction
that is characteristic of the true apostle. It is something that can be seen in
the lives of the saints, people like St Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa).
What we see here is the special Christian experience of
finding joy, happiness and peace in the midst of hardship, pain, rejection and
persecution. This is the peace that Christ gives and which no human agency can
take away. And at the same time, it is the common experience that the living
out of the Gospel of love and peace can engender such hatred and violence from
those who feel threatened by the vision of Christ.
If we compare ourselves with Paul, most of us will find that
we give up too easily in the face of criticism, that we expect that our efforts
to be good Christians should be met with admiration and respect. Paul was so
convinced of Christ’s love for him that nothing that could happen to him could
change that conviction. He found Christ present in every experience and his
sufferings were for him only a privileged time to share in the sufferings of
his Lord.
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Commentary on
Matthew 5:38-42
We continue Jesus’ interpretations of some commands of the
Mosaic Law as he pushes that law to a higher level of understanding. The saying
from the Old Testament, “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” is not, as
it may seem to be saying, an encouragement to take revenge. It is part of what
is known as the lex talionis (the principle of reciprocal
justice) by which punishment for an assault was to be restricted to not more
than the suffering experienced. The passage in Exodus says:
If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life,
eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn,
wound for wound, stripe for stripe. (Ex 21:23-25)
Jesus calls for a very different kind of response. He tells
us to offer the “evildoer” no resistance. He makes the famous recommendation to
turn the other cheek. As well:
…if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, give
your coat as well, and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second
mile. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to
borrow from you.
It is unsurprising that even in Christian circles not a
great deal of time is given to this text. Is it to be taken literally? Are we
really to allow people to walk over us and offer no resistance at all?
I think the answer is both yes and no. For many in our
modern world, turning the other cheek seems the ultimate in ‘wimpishness’ and
cowardice. Turning the other cheek is certainly not the way of countless
‘heroes’ in our movies and on our TV screens.
But Jesus did. During his trial before the Sanhedrin:
…they spat in his face and struck him, and some slapped
him, saying, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who is it that struck you?” (Matt
26:67-68)
And Jesus’ response was silence. This was turning the other
cheek. Was this weakness or was it strength? Which is easier to do under great
provocation: to practise self-restraint and keep one’s dignity or to lash out
in retaliation? By lashing out, one comes down to the same level as one’s
attackers (of course, this is quite different from self-defence.)
In another account of Jesus’ trial, after having given an
answer to a question:
…one of the police standing nearby struck Jesus on the
face, saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?”
(John 18:22-23)
Jesus replied:
If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong. But if I
have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?
Here Jesus does respond to the attack but on a totally
different level. The physical and unreasonable attack on an unarmed person is
actively responded to on the basis of reason and non-violence. Jesus is not a
victim here, rather he is in control. And this is true of the whole experience
of the Passion. His executioners behave in the most barbaric way, but Jesus
never loses his calm and dignity right up through the very end. And that is why
we worship him as our Lord and Master. He asks us to follow in his footsteps.
Revenge, in all its various forms, is the easier way, the
more instinctive way, but it is not the better way. The way of active (not
passive) non-violence is, in the long run, far more productive, far more in
keeping with human ideals and human dignity. We have more than enough evidence
in our world of the bankruptcy of a never-ending cycle of violence and
counter-violence. We see it all over. Yet violence does not pay and revenge is
not sweet.
Turning the other cheek is not at all a sign of weakness. It
requires great inner strength, self-respect and even respect for the dignity of
one’s attacker. Jesus is calling us a long way forward and upward from “an eye
for an eye”.
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https://livingspace.sacredspace.ie/o1112g/
Monday,
June 16, 2025
Ordinary
Time
Opening Prayer
Almighty God, our hope and our
strength, without You we falter. Help us to follow Christ and to live according
to Your will.
Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Gospel Reading - Matthew 5: 38-42
Jesus said to his disciples: "You have heard that
it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you,
offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right
cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you
over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into
service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of
you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow."
Reflection
Today’s Gospel forms part of a small literary unit which
goes from Mt 5: 17 to Mt
5: 48, which describes how to pass from the
ancient justice of the Pharisees (Mt 5: 20) to the new justice of the Kingdom
of God (Mt 5: 48). It describes how to go up to the Mount of the Beatitudes,
from where Jesus announces the new Law of love. The great desire of the
Pharisees was to live in justice, to be just before God. This is the desire of
all of us. Just is the one who succeeds in living where God wants him/her to live.
The Pharisees tried to attain justice through the strict observance of the Law.
They thought that with their own effort they could succeed in being where God
wanted them to be. Jesus takes a stand concerning this practice and announces
the new justice which should surpass the justice of the Pharisees (Mt 5: 20).
In today’s Gospel we are almost reaching the summit of the mountain. Only a
little is lacking. The summit is described in one sentence: “Be perfect as your
Heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5: 48), on which we will meditate in tomorrow’s
Gospel. Let us look closely at this last degree which is still lacking to reach
the summit of the mountain, of which Saint John of the
Cross says, “Here reign silence and love.”
•
Matthew 5: 38: Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.
Jesus quotes a text of the Ancient Law saying, “You have heard how it was said:
Eye for eye and tooth for tooth!” He shortened the text, because the complete
text said: “Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, foot for foot, burn
for burn, wound for wound, blow for blow” (Ex 21: 23-25). As in the previous
cases, here Jesus makes a completely new rereading. The principle “eye for eye,
tooth for tooth” was already found in the origin of the interpretation which
the scribes made of the law. This principle should be overthrown, because it
perverts and destroys the relationship among people and with God.
•
Matthew 5: 39ª: Do not give back evil for evil
received. Jesus affirms exactly the contrary: “But I say to you do not offer
resistance to the wicked.” When some violence is received, our natural reaction
is to pay the other one with the same coin. Vengeance asks for “eye for eye,
tooth for tooth.” Jesus asks to pay back the evil not with evil, but with good.
Because if we do not know how to overcome the violence received, the spiral of
violence will take up everything and we will not know what to do. Lamech said:
For a wound received I will kill a man, and for a scar I would kill a young
person. If the vengeance of Cain was worth seven, then Lamech will count for
seventy-seven” (Gen 4: 24). And it was precisely because of this terrible act
of vengeance that everything ended in the confusion of the Tower of Babel. (Gen
11: 1-9). Faithful to the teaching of Jesus, Paul writes in the letter to the
Romans: “Never pay back evil with evil; let your concern be to do good to all
men. Do not allow yourselves to be overcome by evil but overcome evil with
good” (Rom 12: 17, 21). To be able to have this attitude it is necessary to
have much faith in the possibility of recovery that the human being has. How
can we do this in practice? Jesus offers four concrete examples.
•
Matthew 5: 39b-42: the four examples to overcome
the spiral of violence. Jesus says: “rather
•
(a) if anyone hits you on the right cheek, offer
him the other as well;
•
(b) if anyone wishes to go to Law with you to
get your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
•
(c) And if anyone requires you to go one mile,
go two miles with him.
•
(d) Give to anyone who asks you, and if anyone
wants to borrow, do not turn away” (Mt 5: 40-42).
How are these four affirmations to be understood? Jesus
Himself helps us to understand. When the soldier hit Him on the cheek, He did
not offer the other cheek explicitly and invite another strike. Rather, by not threatening
or not blocking another blow, He still “offers” the other cheek. At the same
time, He reacted with energy: “If there is some offense in what I said, point
it out, but if not, why do you strike Me?” (Jn 18: 23) Jesus does not teach us
to be passive. Saint Paul thinks that paying evil with good “you will make
others be ashamed” (Rom 12: 20). This faith in the possibility to recover the
human being is possible only beginning from the root which comes from the total
gratuity of the creative love which God shows us in the life and the attitudes
of Jesus.
Personal Questions
•
Have you ever felt within you such a great anger
as to want to apply the vengeance “eye for eye, tooth for tooth”? What did you
do to overcome this?
•
In your daily life, how would you implement or
act out the four examples in Matthew 5: 39b-42?
•
How can these affirmations of Jesus be applied
to immigration and allowing immigration into the country?
•
Many times, people will agree with affirmations
such as these, and then give a BUT… and proclaim exclusions, exceptions, and
limitations. Consider real-life modern situations that suggest an opportunity
for “turning the other cheek”, “giving more than is asked”, eye for an eye”,
etc. Do you too have a BUT, or ONLY IF limitation in your answer? Would Jesus
say the same thing?
Concluding Prayer
Give ear to my words, Yahweh, spare a thought for my
sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God! To You I pray. (Ps 5:
1-2)
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