2020/04/16 — 3rd Sunday of Easter — Year A

We are still celebrating the resurrection of Jesus with its consequences for us.

The first reading — Acts 2:14a, 22-33 — gives an excerpt from Peter’s address to the people on Pentecost. After reminding the crowd of the death of Jesus, Peter goes on to proclaim his resurrection, using Psalm 16, with its promise of deliverance from death, to support his testimony. Since David, believed to be the author of the psalm, has died, the promise must be a prophecy about his promised descendant, the Messiah; and it is fulfilled in Jesus. At the conclusion of Peter’s speech, as later verses tell us, his testimony with its scriptural support proves persuasive, and 3,000 people were baptized.

The responsorial psalm quotes some of the same verses we heard in the first reading. The congregation’s refrain, “Lord, you will show us the path to life,” accepts the prophecy of overcoming death as applying to believers as well as to Jesus himself.

The second reading — 1 Peter 1:17-21 — speaks of the “futile conduct” (another translation has “futile way of life”) handed on by the hearers’ ancestors. I see two senses for this phrase. It can be understood as referring to the entire way of life of the Gentiles before their conversion. Rather than continuing in that way of life, sinful in a number of ways, those redeemed by the precious blood of Christ are to live virtuous lives, “with reverence.” In another sense, the futile conduct can be considered the pagan sacrifices and rituals invoking nonexistent deities. By contrast, Jesus’ sacrifice is offered to the true God and thus can truly save us from sin, so that we have faith and hope in God, who raised Jesus from the dead — implying that we look forward to a like resurrection.

The account in today’s gospel of the disciples’ encounter with the risen Jesus — Luke 24:13-35 — can readily be understood as a primitive witness to the general form of the Mass. The “congregation” gathers, and Jesus is with them. The scriptures are explained. We have readings and a homily. After that comes the breaking of bread: bread and wine are prepared and blessed, with Jesus’ words being central to that blessing. Then the body and blood of Jesus are distributed to the people. The disciples’ zeal to share the good news about Jesus should also be reflected in our desire to share that good news.

As I was looking over this gospel passage, one word struck me in a way it never had before: “all.” Jesus rebukes the disciples for being “slow … to believe all that the prophets spoke.” This suggests that they believed some of what the prophets spoke. They had hoped he would be “the one to redeem Israel,” that is, the Messiah. But in this hope, they believed the elements of the Messianic prophecies which fit the commonplace expectations about the Messiah, which they (and the apostles) shared — namely, that he would be a great military leader and ruler, like David, and would drive out the Romans and restore Israel to the glory it had under David. This image failed to include other prophecies of the meekness, suffering, and death of God’s servant. So Jesus had to explain all the passages that referred to him. No doubt we see this explanation reflected in Peter’s speech on Pentecost, as well as in all the other references to scripture found in the New Testament and in the writings of the Church Fathers.

Now, we need to be careful not to let our belief become partial. We should not let ourselves become so focused on one part of doctrine, worship and devotion, or right conduct, that we ignore other elements of Christian faith and life. Care for the poor and sexual morality and right to life. Mass and sacraments and private prayer. Scripture and tradition and responding to the “signs of the times.”

2020/04/05 — Passion Sunday (Palm Sunday) — Year A

Gospel of the Entry into Jerusalem — Matthew 21:1-11
First Reading — Isaiah 50:4-7
Second Reading — Philippians 2:6-11
Gospel — Matthew 26:14-27:66

I blogged about the Mass readings for this Sunday three years ago. Certainly there is more that could be said about them, and many speakers and writers have done so. But I'd like to base this post on the gospel passage about Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, which is read at the blessing of palms at the beginning of Mass. One preliminary note: as the citations show, this passage is from the beginning of Chapter 21 of Matthew's Gospel. There are five chapters between it and the passion narrative. In other words, a lot took place in the meantime. There was the cleansing of the temple, followed by many parables and other teaching, and the anointing of Jesus at Bethany. You might want to check it out between now and Holy Thursday.

When the crowds acclaim Jesus as "Son of David," they are recognizing him as the Messiah, since the belief in a Messiah rested on the Old Testament promises that a descendant of David would rule over Israel forever. Te crowds were right that Jesus is the Messiah, but they probably held the general belief that the Messiah would be a political-military ruler who would end the Roman occupation and restore the independence of the Jewish people. As we know, Messiahship did not include military or political rule.

Many preachers lament what they see as the fickleness of the crowd: on Palm Sunday we hear, "Hosanna in the highest," and on Good Friday the shout is "Crucify him!" But when we pay close attention to the closing lines of this passage we hear, "The whole city was shaken and asked, 'Who is this?' And the crowds replied, 'This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee.'" Neither the Palm Sunday crowd nor the Good Friday crowd was the whole population of Jerusalem. It is possible that some of the former were part of the latter, but we have no reason to believe that all (or even many) of those who shouted "Hosanna" were there in front of Pontius Pilate.

Still, it is worthwhile for us to be reminded that our faith should be constant and steady. It is certainly not wrong to have moments of great enthusiasm for the Lord in our joy at being saved by his merciful grace. But that enthusiasm should continue into our daily lives as a steady commitment to living according to his call. God's grace should strengthen us to resist the temptation to go along with the crowds who would deny Jesus or depart from the way of love which he teaches.

2018/03/25 — Passion Sunday (Palm Sunday) — Year B

First Reading — Isaiah 50:4-7
Second Reading — Philippians 2:6-11
Gospel — Mark 14:1-15:47

The liturgy of Palm Sunday can begin with a ceremony of blessing of palms during which the passage telling of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem is read. It is taken from the current year's gospel, except that in Year B there is an option to read the account from John. Thus, if the blessing takes place at a given Mass, we may hear Mark 11:1-10 or John12:12-16. The version from Mark includes Jesus' sending disciples to borrow the colt for him. John's version includes an Old Testament quote promising Zion that her king would arrive as Jesus did. Central in significance for both is the people's acclamation, "Hosanna!" followed by words quoted at every Mass, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" The irony that a few days later a crowd, possibly including some of the same people, would be shouting for his crucifixion is a warning to us all to be v=clear about where we stand. Our human nature can be fickle. Even if we don't explicitly oppose Jesus, we can ignore his teachings and calls in our life.

The first two readings and responsorial psalm of Palm Sunday are the same every year. The gospel is the Passion Narrative of the gospel being read on Sundays throughout the year. So this year we hear the Passion according to St. Mark.

The first reading — Isaiah 50:4-7 — is the third of four "Songs of the Suffering Servant" in the book of Isaiah. The servant of the Lord undergoes sufferings like those of Jesus, but he has confidence in God that he will ultimately be vindicated.

The responsorial psalm — verses of Psalm 22, with verse 2 as the refrain — is quoted by Jesus on the cross. Like the first reading, it tells of one who is being tormented, but concludes with an expression of confidence in being vindicated by God.

In the gospel — Mark 14:1—15:47 — we hear of Jesus fully aware of what is about to happen to him, saying that the woman who anointed him at the home of Simon the leper had done so in preparation for his burial. Although in the garden he wishes that it weren't necessary, he accepts it as the will of his Father. At the Last Supper, he gives the Twelve his body and "[his] blood of the covenant." "Blood of the covenant" is significant because it recalls the blood of the covenant in Exodus 24:8. To ratify God's covenant with Israel, Moses offers a sacrifice and takes the blood of the animals sacrificed and splashes half of it on the altar and sprinkles the people with the other half, Now Jesus' sacrifice establishes God's covenant with his people and brings forgiveness of sins.
Jesus unflinchingly proclaims his Messiahship and accepts his crucifixion. Others actively seek his death (the Sanhedrin), yield to pressure (Pilate), betray him (Judas), deny him (and repent)(Peter), run away (disciples, young man who ran away naked — instead of leaving all to follow Jesus, he left all to stop following), mock him (Sanhedrin members, Roman soldiers, passers-by, chief priests, those crucified with him), follow loyally (women observing the crucifixion), or come to faith (centurion). If we sin, we are yielding, denying, or running away from him, and seeking our own comfort or pleasure. But he will forgive, as he forgave Peter and the other disciples after he rose.
I was at a lecture where someone asked where was Jesus' mercy when he said of Judas, "better for that man if he had never been born." The answer is that all of God's threats are conditional: this is what will happen if you don't repent and change your ways. When Jesus spoke to Judas, it was a warning and a plea: what you are about to do will turn out very badly for you; don't go through with it. Judas could have repented and been restored to God's grace. God's mercy remained available to him, as it is to all of us.
We might note that the Sanhedrin trial was a kangaroo court. At 14:1, days beforehand, they decide to put Jesus to death. At the trial, failing to get testimony capable of justifying the death sentence, the high priest asserts that Jesus' claim of Messiahship consistent with Daniel 7:13 is blasphemy. But of course, if true, it isn't blasphemy. There is no proof that Jesus' claim is false, just an assertion made in order to justify the predetermined outcome.

The second reading — Philippians 2:6-11 — also speaks of the sufferings of Jesus, putting them in the context of his divinity. As God he was unable to suffer and die, so he became human in order to die for us. His exaltation shows him as Lord, our Savior, deserving of our reverent and grateful praise.

I don't think I'll have a chance to write new posts for Holy Thursday and Good Friday, but the readings are the same every year, so you might want to check out those from 2016 in the archive.

2017/04/09 — Passion Sunday (Palm Sunday) — Year A

The first two readings and responsorial psalm of Palm Sunday are the same every year. The gospel is the Passion Narrative of the gospel being read on Sundays throughout the year. So this year we hear the Passion according to St. Matthew.


The first reading — Isaiah 50:4-7 — is the third of four "Songs of the Suffering Servant" in the book of Isaiah. The servant of the Lord undergoes sufferings like those of Jesus, but he has confidence in God that he will ultimately be vindicated.


The responsorial psalm — verses of Psalm 22, with verse 2 as the refrain — is quoted by Jesus on the cross. Like the first reading, it tells of one who is being tormented, but concludes with an expression of confidence in being vindicated by God.


In the gospel — Matthew 26:14—27:66 — we hear of Jesus fully aware of what is about to happen to him. Although he wishes that it weren't necessary, he accepts it as the will of his Father. At the Last Supper, he gives the Twelve his body and "[his] blood of the covenant." "Blood of the covenant is significant because it recalls the blood of the covenant in Exodus 24:8. To ratify God's covenant with Israel, Moses offers a sacrifice and takes the blood of the animals sacrificed and splashes half of it on the altar and sprinkles the people with the other half, Now Jesus' sacrifice establishes God's covenant with his people and brings forgiveness of sins. At Jesus' trial before Pilate, the people say, "His blood be upon us and upon our children," not realizing that his blood is the blood of the covenant. What they are really saying is, "We accept God's covenant through the sacrificial offering of Jesus."

Jesus unflinchingly proclaims his Messiahship and accepts his crucifixion. Others actively seek his death, yield to pressure, betray him (and despair), deny him (and repent), run away, mock him, follow loyally, or come to faith. If we sin, we are yielding, denying, or running away from him, and seeking our own comfort or pleasure. But he will forgive, as he forgave Peter and the other disciples after he rose.

I was at a lecture where someone asked where was Jesus' mercy when he said of Judas, "better for that man if he had never been born." The answer is that all of God's threats are conditional: this is what will happen if you don't repent and change your ways. When Jesus spoke to Judas, it was a warning and a plea: what you are about to do will turn out very badly for you; don't go through with it. But even when Judas led the arresting force and gave the sign by kissing him, Jesus called him, "Friend." He invited him to return to friendship with him. Judas could have repented and been restored to God's grace, rather than despairing. God's mercy remained available to him, as it is to all of us.


The second reading — Philippians 2:6-11 — also speaks of the sufferings of Jesus, putting them in the context of his divinity. As God he was unable to suffer and die, so he became human in order to die for us. His exaltation shows him as Lord, our Savior, deserving of our reverent and grateful praise.

2016/12/18 — 4th Sunday of Advent — Year A

As we come to the last Sunday before Christmas, the main focus of the readings turns from the return of Christ at the end of time (fully establishing the Messianic Age, the peaceable kingdom) to the birth of the Messiah in time.


The first reading — Isaiah 7:10-14 — is the familiar passage which foretells the birth of the one whose birth means God is with us. In context, Isaiah was reassuring King Ahaz that the attack on Jerusalem by the Arameans and the breakaway kingdom of Israel would not succeed, and the predicted birth would probably have been that of Hezekiah — since the birth of Jesus something over 700 years later would not have served as a sign to Ahaz. Still, this prophecy is part of a section of the book which promises the Messiah (in ch. 9). And while the Hebrew speaks of a "young woman" as the mother of Emmanuel in v. 14, in the Septuagint (the Jewish Greek translation) the word for "virgin" is used. Thus for Jews of Jesus' time (and some centuries before) this text was seen as having a meaning beyond the immediate one for Ahaz. We see the virgin birth of Jesus as the fulfillment of the prophecy.


The responsorial psalm — Ps. 24:1-6, with refrain from verses 7 and 10 — has us reflect on God as creator and the holiness required of one who would enter the temple. We think of Jesus as the king of glory who enters.


In the second reading — Romans 1:1-7 — Paul elaborates the customary salutation of a letter with a reference to Jesus as a descendant of David (hence capable of fulfilling the prophecies of the Messiah), followed by a statement of his saving work and of Paul's apostolic mission.


The gospel — Matthew 1:18-24 — tells of the annunciation to Joseph that Mary's unborn child was conceived by the Holy Spirit and that he would be the Savior. Matthew explicitly quotes the Emmanuel prophecy of the first reading and says the birth of Jesus fulfills the prophecy.


As we look forward to Christmas, these readings invite us to see the importance of the birth of Jesus, both for the world and for ourselves as individuals. God is with us now and always.

2016/12/11 — 3rd Sunday of Advent — Year A

It's late, but here's a brief review of last Sunday's readings.


As was the case on the Second Sunday, the readings present the figure of John the Baptist as the greatest prophet, who prepared the people for Jesus, while offering some thoughts about the Messianic Age.


In the first reading —Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10 — we are told of four aspects of the Messianic Age: deserts will bloom; God will bring about justice; the disabled will be healed; and the exiles will return. In the light of these promises, the people should be strong and fearless.


The responsorial psalm — Psalm 146: 6-10, with a refrain based on Isaiah 35:4 — some of the themes of the first reading are reprised, with emphasis on God''s power to save.


In the gospel — Matthew 11:2-11 — John sends disciples to ask if Jesus is really the Messiah, as he had thought. (Perhaps this was for the disciples' benefit, rather than reflective of any doubt on his own part.) Jesus' response is to point to healings such as those promised by Isaiah and more as indications that he was indeed inaugurating the Messianic Age. But the promises will not be completely fulfilled in the present life. This life is not heaven. We must await Jesus' return at the end of time.


The second reading — James 5:7-10  exhorts us to be patient while we wait. Farmers can't force the rains to come, and we can't force Jesus to return. But the farmer prepares for the rain, and we prepare for Jesus' return be being uncomplaining toward one another.


It is our faith that enables us to be patient. We see all the evil in the world — wars, violence, illnesses and premature deaths, all sorts of natural disasters — and we long for an end to them. Impatience could take various forms. One is to abandon faith and decide that there cannot be a God if these things can happen. But when we hold on to faith we realize that all these evils are merely temporary, and we have confidence that the world to come will not have such things and will more than make up for them. We may not understand why the fullness of the Messianic Age can't be with us already, but we don't despair of its arrival.

2016/12/04 — 2nd Sunday of Advent — Year A

This Sunday introduces John the Baptist as part of a set of readings which can be linked by the theme of the Messianic Age. There is still no focus on the birth of Christ yet.


The first reading — Isaiah 11:1-10 — has three parts. We begin with a description of the Messiah. He will be a descendant of King David. (Jesse was David's father.) The Spirit of God will enable him to bring true justice, upholding the poor and afflicted and overcoming the wicked. Then there is an image of harmony among all creatures, often depicted with the title "The Peaceable Kingdom," in which predators cease preying and live in peace with animals they now attack. There are videos which show instances of this sort of behavior, usually among members of different species who were raised together. As a priest I know says, they show us how it was supposed to be. The prophet says that is how it will be. The final section of the reading adds that the Messiah will draw all the nations to himself.


The responsorial psalm — verses of Psalm 72 — has us reflect on the Messiah as the one who brings everlasting justice and peace to all the people of the world.


In the second reading — Romans 15:4-9 — after reminding his hearers of the ongoing value of the scriptures of Israel, Paul exhorts them (us) "to think in harmony with one another." The community is to be welcoming, both in general and particular toward the Gentiles (who are attracted, as Isaiah prophesied), just as Jesus welcomed them (us) into his community. There must not be classes of people whom we consider unwelcome. If, in answer to the call of God, they wish to join us, they must be welcomed.


The gospel — Matthew 3:1-12 — introduces John the Baptist. He prepares the people to receive the Lord, in fulfillment of Isaiah 40:3. He calls people to repent of their sins, and being baptized signifies that repentance. But his strong words to the Pharisees and Pharisees make it clear that true repentance involves not just words, but actions: a changed life. He uses agricultural metaphors — good fruit, trees, wheat, and chaff — to illustrate the point about good deeds and evil ones, about doers of good and evildoers. He makes the further point that descent from Abraham — being part of the Jewishness — is not enough. The metaphor of God raising descendants of Abraham from the stones recalls the call of the Gentiles referred to in the first two readings and the psalm. We should apply it also to ourselves: membership in the Church doesn't make us part of the Messianic community. There is a life to be lived, and if we don't live it perfectly, we need to be repentant for our failures.


Although we believe that the Messiah has come in the person of Jesus, and elements of the Messianic Age have come when he healed the blind, the deaf, and the lame, as well as the spread of the gospel among the Gentiles. Clearly the complete fulfillment of the promises is yet to come, with his return in glory. Meanwhile, we live as members of his kingdom, behaving in a way that extends is justice and peace in the ways we can in our particular circumstances and opportunities.

2016/01/24 — 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time — Year C

After last week's passage from John, today we resume with Luke, the Year C evangelist. The reading — Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21 — gives us Luke's introduction to the gospel and then jumps forward to Jesus' first preaching. We hear that Jesus "stood up to read." We aren't told whether this was by invitation and pre-arrangement or whether he just took it on himself "in the power of the Spirit." I'm inclined to believe the latter. It further says that "he opened the scroll and found the passage," which also sounds as if he was making the decision for himself. He reads Isaiah 61:1-2. Then he sits down— sitting being the posture of a teacher — and his teaching is that the passage is fulfilled in their hearing: it  applies to him. In other words, he is claiming the mandate of the one anointed to bring good news, healing, liberty, and a year of favor.

The word anointed is the word we use to refer to the descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus at his baptism. Now he is acting in the power of the Spirit, and h is applying the word anointed publicly to himself. That word anointed is in Hebrew the word we transliterate Messiah. In other words, Jesus is saying, at the start of his ministry, that he is the Messiah, but his Messiahship is not one of establishing the independence of the people of Israel.  He is not a political-military messiah. He is a Messiah who lifts up the poor, the captives, the blind, and the oppressed.

Jesus proclaims "a year acceptable to the Lord." In the context of what goes before, we may well think of the Jubilee Year of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis. The anointing which Jesus has is to perform spiritual and corporal works of mercy. With our own baptismal anointing, we too are called and empowered to perform works of mercy.


The first reading — Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10 — presents us with another, earlier reading of scripture to an assembly. The Israelites have returned from exile and rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. Now Ezra reads the Torah to the assembled people to renew their way of life according to the Covenant. The people are distressed when they realize that they have been acting in ways contrary to the Law. But the day is holy and it must be a day of rejoicing.

The people show great reverence for the Torah scroll, the word of God. In our sacred assemblies on the Lord's Day, we, too should show reverence for the scriptures. God is present to us in his word, and even the book in which it is written deserves respect. And as with the Israelites of Nehemiah and Ezra's time, the Lord's Day should be for us a day of rejoicing in the Lord.

In the responsorial psalm — Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 15 with a refrain based on John 6:63 — we reflect onwhat a blessing it is to have God's word in sacred scripture.


The second reading — 1 Corinthians 12:12-30 — picks up where last week's left off.Paul underscores the variety of ministries with an analogy of the human body. Each ministry is given by God for the benefit of the whole church, not just for the one who possesses it. Each ministry has a function to play. As unimportant as it may seem, it is needed. Paul also presents the idea that this body, the church, is Christ's body. We have often called it the "mystical body of Christ" to distinguish it from his physical body and from his sacramental body in the Eucharist. It is this body, of which we are all parts, through which Jesus continues to act in history., which is what it means, as I said above, that we are called and empowered to perform works of mercy — those listed in Isaiah, as well as Matthew 25, and elsewhere.

It is also worth reflecting that this reading occurs during the week of prayer for Christian unity. While Paul was not writing with the current divisions among Christians in mind, certainly we can see that a divided Christianity is not something he would have wanted, when even the factions at Corinth were unacceptable. So it is always appropriate for us to pray for the unit among Christians which is God's will for his Church.

Christmas Vigil & Midnight Mass 2015/12/24

There are four Masses for Christmas: Vigil, Midnight, Daybreak, and Daytime. I don't have time to give the full treatment but I'll try to at least give a few points about the scriptures assigned to each.


The Vigil Mass,  to be celebrated in late afternoon or early evening of the 24th, looks forward to celebrating Jesus' birth. In the first reading — Isaiah 62:1-5 — the prophet uses several images to illustrate God's promise to Jerusalem, which we apply also the the Church. There will be glory, like a crown or jewels. The desolation of the exile will be undone and God will become the bridegroom of his people and will rejoice with a joy comparable only to that of a husband with his bride. We speak of the Church as the bride of Christ.

With the responsorial psalm — Ps 89:4-5, 16-17, 27, 29 with 2a as the refrain — we turn from Jerusalem to David, to whom the promise of an everlasting throne was given. In the second reading — Acts 13:16-17, 22-25 — Paul preaches about Jesus as the descendant of David in whom God's promise of an everlasting royal house and kingdom is fulfilled. The gospel — Matthew 1:1-25 — tells us that Jesus is squarely in the Davidic line. We are also told that his birth is the work of God, as prophesied by Isaiah (the Jewish Greek version of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, Translates the nonspecific Hebrew "almah" as "parthenos," which specifically means virgin): a virgin gives birth to the savior who is rightly called "God is with us."


The Midnight Mass,  for midnight or late evening, tells directly of Jesus' birth. First, we apply the messianic prophecy of Isaiah 9:1-6 to Jesus. It tells of the birth of a heroic descendant of David who will liberate God's people in an everlasting and peaceful kingdom. (This has been traditionally understood to apply to Jesus, which is why some of its phrases are used in Handel's "Messiah.") In the responsorial psalm — Ps 96:1-3, 11-13, with Luke 2:11 supplying the refrain — we take part in the rejoicing prophesied by Isaiah. In the second reading — Titus 2:11-14 — Paul tells us that the coming of Jesus into our world gives us the grace to live righteously as we await his return in glory. The gospel — Luke 2:1-14 — is the familiar story of Jesus birth in Bethlehem. It gives a historical context, and reminds us of Jesus' descent from David. God sends an angel to announce his birth to shepherds. Jesus did not come in power and glory, but in humility.

2015/12/20 — 4th Sunday of Advent, Edited

In today's readings, the focus clearly shifts from Jesus' coming at the end of time to his first coming, his birth into time.


First is Micah 5:1-4a. This was traditionally understood as a messianic prophecy. In the gospel of Matthew, when the Magi arrive and ask King Herod about the whereabouts of the newborn king, he consults the chief priests and scribes who say the Messiah is to be born in Bethlehem, citing Micah 5:1. In John 7:40-42 there is a discussion about whether Jesus might be the prophet or the Messiah. Some people say he can't be the Messiah because scripture says the Messiah is of David's family and comes from Bethlehem.

Not only does this passage say that the Messiah comes from Bethlehem, it says his origin is from of old, which we can read in the light of his eternal existence with the Father and the Holy Spirit. It speaks of his mother and is birth, which we commemorate at Christmas. It describes him as a ruler and a shepherd for his people. Shepherd of Israel can be used as a title of God — as in Psalms 23, "The Lord is my shepherd," and 80:2, "Shepherd of Israel, listen, guide of the flock of Joseph." So we can take this as at least suggesting the divinity of the Messiah.

Two of the things he does are to bring back his strayed kindred to Israel and to be peace. We could read the former as referring to Jews of the diaspora or, in light of the promise that his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth, to the spread of the kingdom to the Gentiles. With the promise of peace, we are in the"already, but not yet" of the present era. We are already saved, but our salvation is not yet completed; the kingdom of God is here, within us and among us, but not yet fully established. "He shall be peace." he is the world's peace, but that peace doesn't yet reign in all hearts. Our duty is to extend it in whatever ways we can.


In the Responsorial Psalm — verses from Psalm 80 — we begin with the verse I quoted above and pray, in vv. 3, 15-16, and 18-19, for the coming of the Messiah, "the man at [God's] right hand."* Our response is the refrain in verses 4, 8, and 20, including the words, "let your face shine upon us," which recall the words of blessing given to Aaron to bless the Israelites: Numbers 6:24-26.

*In the creed, we say that Jesus has ascended to heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father.


The second reading — Hebrews 10:5-10 — is related to the other readings in a way similar to the relation of John 1:18 to Matthew and Luke's infancy narratives. Like our first reading and gospel, Matthew and Luke tell of events in time. Hebrews takes a view from outside time as it tells of Jesus' coming into the world, as does the gospel of John. The author uses the Septuagint text of Psalm 40:7-9 to express the mind of Jesus as he comes into the world to do the Father's will. His perfect obedience to the Father is an essential element in making his sacrifice effective for the salvation of the world. He does this in the body which God has prepared for him in the womb of the Virgin Mary through the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit.

Just as John 1:17 says "[W]hile the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ," in Hebrews 10:9 we read, "He takes away the first to establish the second." This raises the question, what is "the first" that is taken away "to establish the second;" and what is "the second?" In context, the first is the sacrifices "offered according to the law," and the second Jesus' doing God's will by offering his body and blood "once for all." For many centuries, there was a theory called "supersessionism" which held that God's covenant with Israel had been superseded by a new covenant, with Christians. But Jeremiah 31:31-34, quoted in Hebrews 10:16-17, says God will make a new covenant "with the house of Israel and the house of Judah." So the new covenant does not exclude the Jews, it is made with the Jews; and the Gentiles, as Paul says, (Romans 11) are grafted into God's people. This is a point which has become clear with the Second Vatican Council, but it is one which we are still striving to understand and express adequately: Jesus and Christianity do not represent a rupture with Judaism but are in continuity with it.


With the gospel — Luke 1:39-45 — we return to a view from within time. The angel Gabriel has told Mary that she will be the mother of the savior who will have the throne of David forever: the Messiah. The sign that this is true is that her old kinswoman Elizabeth has conceived a child (John the Baptist). So today we hear of the Visitation. Mary goes to Elizabeth. John, still in his mother's womb, recognizes Jesus in his mother's womb and rejoices. For her part, Elizabeth expresses the meaning of Mary's motherhood, as it is revealed to her by the Holy Spirit: Mar and her child are blessed; Mary's unborn child is Elizabeth's Lord; Mary's faith makes her blessed.


Today's scriptures present several points for us to consider. God has a plan for our salvation, but he does not do everything instantaneously. He used the events of many centuries to prepare Israel for the birth of the Messiah, and now he takes the necessary time to prepare the world for the Messiah's return. He is working to perfect us. Just as Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, Zechariah, and John were obedient to God's will, so should we seek to do God's will in our lives to be instruments of his peace.


Edited to add: Another possibility with respect to Hebrews 10:9, in the wider context of the letter, is that the author is thinking of the priesthood of Jesus which replaces the Levitical priesthood. The author goes to great lengths to show not only that the sacrifice of Jesus is superior to the sacrifices under the Law, but also that his priesthood is superior.

2015/09/06 — 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Isaiah tells us that healings of the deaf and of the mute are part of the Messianic Age. Jesus performs such a healing and knows that if it becomes widely known, people will realize that he is the Messiah.
In the second reading, we have an instruction from James on proper treatment of the poor among us.


Our first reading — Isaiah 35:4-7a — has been understood by Christians from ancient times to the present to be fulfilled in Jesus. The God who comes to save us is, of course, none other than Jesus himself. For that reason, this passage is also part of the first reading on the Third Sunday of Advent in Year A. The healings prophesied were all performed by Jesus. Matthew 9:27-30 tells of the healing of two blind men, and another two at 20:29-34.  Mark 10:46-52 tells of Jesus giving sight to Bartimaeus. Today's gospel passage — Mark 7:31-37 — is an account of the healing of a deaf man who was also unable to speak. We read of paralytics being healed in Matthew 9:2-7 and John 5:5-9. Jesus himself summarizes his healing work in response to a question from John the Baptist. The question is whether Jesus is the promised Messiah, and Jesus points to the healings as proving that he is. Matthew 11:2-5.

But if the healing of the deaf man shows that Jesus is the Messiah, why does he he tell the witnesses not to tell others about it? This is what is often called "the Messianic Secret." The problem is that the general expectation of the Messiah was that he would be a military-political leader who would restore the independence and glory of Israel: a restoration which would likely involve the military expulsion of the occupying Romans. The revelation of what his Messiahship really is was only possible with his death and resurrection. Meanwhile, some publication of his miracles served to create enough of a following that the authorities were concerned, as at John 11:45-53. Note especially v. 48: "If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation." Jesus needed disciples but not a mass movement.

But there is more to consider than the literal healing of the deaf man. The way Jesus acts — not simply speaking a word, but engaging in symbolic actions — puts us in mind of the sacraments, where something physical has a meaning beyond itself. There is the Bread of Life, which looks like bread, but Jesus says he gives us his flesh for the life of the world. Water, together with the Holy Spirit, gives the rebirth by which we enter the kingdom of heaven. These bodily healings by Jesus point to spiritual healing. In this life, Jesus does not heal every believer's physical illness or suffering. But he can heal spiritual blindness, lack of faith; deafness, failure to understand what he says; lameness, failure to put faith into action; muteness, failure to witness to our faith. He comes to save us above all from the sinfulness which separates us from God.

The literal fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecies in verses 5-6a tells us that Jesus is the Messiah. The Messianinc Age has begun. Whether the prophecies in 6b-7 about the abundance of water are figurative or something that will happen literally in the future is not certain. At this point we know that one level of fulfillment is reading water as symbolic of the Holy Spirit giving life to believers, who would be spiritually dead without the gift of grace.

Verses 4-5a are included (along with much more from Isaiah) in Handel's "Messiah." The first 22 seconds of this video give the musical setting.

The responsorial psalm — Ps 146:6-10, with 1b as the responsory — makes reference to the healing of the blind and the coming Messianic Age, but it also turns our attention from what the Lord does for us to what he does for those in need. In that way it prepares us to hear the second reading.


James 2:1-5 is that second reading. It is a straightforward call to show no favoritism toward the rich during church gatherings, i.e., worship. The tendency to show favoritism which the early Christians had to be warned about is still a danger. The first four verses of the readings call for equal treatment of the rich and the poor, but the final verse adds a new element: God has chosen the poor. We are reminded, perhaps, of Jesus' saying that it is difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. Mark 10:23(-27) To become rich usually requires conscious effort, which can easily amount to serving mammon, which is incompatible with serving God. Luke 16:13-15 (The last line in the passage from Luke —"what is of human human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God" — is even more more powerful than what we hear from James.) Thus, the poor are said to be the ones God chooses because they are free from the preoccupation with money which would hinder their attention to God.

As Brad S. Gregory pointed out in chapter 5 of The Unintended Revolution, greed — avarice — has become so pervasive in Western culture that we don't even notice it in ourselves and society. We see nothing problematic in trying to get richer. We expect pay raises and cost-of living increases in benefits. The economy must grow. The stock market must increase in value. Why isn't enough to stay where we are? Why is it intolerable even to lose income or net worth as long as we still have enough for our real needs?

We can apply this teaching more widely in our lives. The tendency to judge by appearances seems natural (at least for fallen nature), and it can lead both to undue respect for those who appear respectable and undue disrespect toward those who appear less respectable. We tell ourselves, "You can't tell a book by its cover," but we do it all the time.


The call for us is, first, to recognize Jesus as Messiah. Then we would do well to ask God to show us what spiritual healing we need. Is our faith weak? Do we need to grow in our knowledge and understanding of the faith? (Have we progressed beyond what we could grasp as children?) Do we live in accordance with our faith? Do our lives sometimes fail to witness to it? Do we show partiality the rich and "respectable?" Are we uncomfortable when poor people approach us? Do we show partiality against the poor, the needy, those who aren't elegant. Do we pursue money? And, of course,  we should pray for healing for all who are ill in body, mind, or spirit.