Daily Readings August 19, 2012

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time


Lectionary: 119

Reading 1
Prv 9:1-6

Wisdom is frequently portrayed as a person in Scripture.  Compare the first verse of today's reading to:

Sirach 1: 

16The fullness of wisdom is to fear the Lord;she inebriates them with her fruits.
17 Their entire house she fills with choice foods,
their granaries with her produce.

When Wisdom is portrayed as a woman, I tend to think it is a veiled reference to the Virgin Mary.  Because it is She who taught Jesus Christ.  Or a reference to the Church which teaches the Wisdom of God (Eph 3:10).  Otherwise, I consider it a reference to Jesus Christ.

A reading from the book of Proverbs:

Wisdom has built her house,

Wisdom-The Wisdom of God, the Synagogue, the Church
her house-A veiled reference to the Kingdom of God, the House of David.  In another sense, a reference to the Church.

she has set up her seven columns;

seven-the mystical number meaning "oath" or "completeness".
columns-columns are supports, pillars, which hold something up.
seven columns-I suspect the seven columns of the Old Testament are the Ten Commandments.

With respect to the New Covenant, I suspect it is a reference to the Seven Sacraments.

she has dressed her meat,
 mixed her wine, yes,
she has spread her table.

her meat, wine and table,  I suspect, are the people of God, whom God has prepared for entering the Promised Land, or heaven.

With respect to the Church, I suspect it is a reference to the Eucharist and the Altar.

She has sent out her maidens; she callsfrom the heights out over the city:

Her maidens-a reference to God's fellow laborers (1 Cor 3:9).  We are they who go about the land seeking people to listen to the Wisdom of God.

"Let whoever is simple turn in here;To the one who lacks understanding, she says,Come, eat of my food,and drink of the wine I have mixed!

And this is the message which we, through the Church, pass on to who ever will listen.  The food and wine are a reference to the Eucharist (1 Cor 11:26).

Forsake foolishness that you may live;advance in the way of understanding."

The Wisdom of God first teaches us to fear God, that we may live:

Psalm 111:10
King James Version (KJV)
¹⁰ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

Deuteronomy 30:19
King James Version (KJV)
¹⁹ I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

Response. (9a) Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.

R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.

R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.

R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

I'm Catholic, so when I hear the verse spoken in "Taste and see the goodness of the Lord", I immediately think of the Eucharist. However, for the Jews, those words meant to experience, in their life, the goodness of God.

Reading 2Eph 5:15-20

Brothers and sisters:Watch carefully how you live,not as foolish persons but as wise,making the most of the opportunity,because the days are evil.

Has this warning lost any relevance today?  Not in my opinion.  We must live with our eyes open.  We must keep our eyes on heaven and do only that which is good.

Colossians 3:1
King James Version (KJV)
1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

Therefore, do not continue in ignorance,but try to understand what is the will of the Lord.

By faith, we must do our best to please God (Heb 11:6) and therefore we need to study to show ourselves approved (2 Tim 2:15).

And do not get drunk on wine, in which lies debauchery,but be filled with the Spirit,

And do not get drunk on earthly spirits (i.e. alcoholic beverages) but drink up the wine of the Holy Spirit.

addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,singing and playing to the Lord in your hearts,

And don't waste time arguing and fighting but always talk to each other of the heavenly things which God has revealed.  Always making a joyful noise unto the Lord.

giving thanks always and for everythingin the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.

Giving thanks always-a reference to the Eucharist.

When we eat the bread and drink the cup of our Lord, we give thanks to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ.  This is why we come to Mass.

Below, in the Gospel, we come to the famous address which is known as the "Bread of Life discourse".  It is here that Jesus EXPLICITLY teaches about the Eucharist.

Gospel
Jn 6:51-58

Jesus said to the crowds:"I am the living bread that came down from heaven;whoever eats this bread will live forever;and the bread that I will giveis my flesh for the life of the world."

Jesus is teaching the crowds about the Sacrament which He will soon establish, the Eucharist.  The words,  the bread that I will give is my flesh, are, in my opinion, an explicit reference to Transubstantiation.  All that was needed was for someone to coin the word.

The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying,"How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"

The Jews are confused by Jesus.  They ask, "how can this ordinary person give us his body to consume?"  I suspect they are thinking "cannibalism".  They are shocked and repulsed by the thought.

Jesus said to them,"Amen, amen, I say to you,unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,you do not have life within you.

Jesus knows what they are saying but doesn't back off one whit.  He repeats the teaching.

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my bloodhas eternal life,and I will raise him on the last day.

again,

For my flesh is true food,
and my blood is true drink.

and again,

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my bloodremains in me and I in him.  Just as the living Father sent me

and I have life because of the Father,so also the one who feeds on mewill have life because of me.

repeatedly telling them that in order for them to be saved, they must eat His Flesh and drink His Blood.

This is the bread that came down from heaven.Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died,whoever eats this bread will live forever."

Compared to Jesus Eucharistic Bread, even the Mannah was not true bread of heaven.  Because those who ate the mannah died.  But those who eat of the Eucharistic bread of Christ, will live forever.

Sincerely,

De Maria