September 23, 2012

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 134

A Reading from the Old Testament book of  Wisdom

Wis 2:12, 17-20

This is an Old Testament prophecy of the Crucifixion.

The wicked say:
Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;

The Just One is Jesus Christ.  Spiritually speaking, every righteous person

he sets himself against our doings,reproaches us for transgressions of the lawand charges us with violations of our training.

Both Jesus and St. John preached against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees:

Matthew 23:13
King James Version (KJV)
¹³ But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.  

Let us see whether his words be true;
let us find out what will happen to him.
For if the just one be the son of God, God will defend him
and deliver him from the hand of his foes.

This is precisely what the Jews said about Christ on the Cross:

Mark 15:35-36
King James Version (KJV)
³⁵ And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.  ³⁶ And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down. 

With revilement and torture let us put the just one to the test
that we may have proof of his gentleness
and try his patience.

Matthew 22:18
King James Version (KJV)
¹⁸ But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? 

Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
for according to his own words, God will take care of him.

Mark 15:12-14
King James Version (KJV)
¹² And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews?¹³ And they cried out again, Crucify him.¹⁴ Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 54:3-4, 5, 6 And 8

Response. (6b) The Lord upholds my life. 

O God, by your name save me,
and by your might defend my cause.
O God, hear my prayer;
hearken to the words of my mouth. 

R. The Lord upholds my life. 

For the haughty men have risen up against me,
the ruthless seek my life;
they set not God before their eyes. 

R. The Lord upholds my life. 

Behold, God is my helper;
the Lord sustains my life.
Freely will I offer you sacrifice;
I will praise your name, O LORD, for its goodness. 

R. The Lord upholds my life.

How many times a day do we call out to God?  And how many times do we feel disappointed when we don't hear a response?  And yet, God answers every prayer:

Luke 11:10-12
King James Version (KJV)
¹⁰ For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.¹¹ If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?¹² Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 

God doesn't give us those things we pray for which are spiritually detrimental for us:

James 4:2-3
King James Version (KJV)
² Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.³ Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 

Therefore, we need to always pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit:

Luke 11:13
King James Version (KJV)
¹³ If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? 

Second Reading from the Epistle of St. James 

Jas 3:16-4:3

Beloved:
Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist,
there is disorder and every foul practice.

Selfishness and jealousy lead to  immorality and sin.

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure,
then peaceable, gentle, compliant,
full of mercy and good fruits,
without inconstancy or insincerity.

But the Wisdom of God brings about love.

And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace
for those who cultivate peace.

And the Righteousness of God brings about the peace which only Christ gives.

Where do the wars
and where do the conflicts among you come from?
Is it not from your passions
that make war within your members?

Where to the wars and fights which happen amongst you come from?  It is from the sin in your flesh.

Romans 7:5
King James Version (KJV)
⁵ For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. 

You covet but do not possess.

You want things but can't have them.

You kill and envy but you cannot obtain;

You murder and begrudge because you want what others have but does not belong to you.

you fight and wage war.

And so you become violent.

You do not possess because you do not ask.
You ask but do not receive,
because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

And the reason why God doesn't give you what you want is because He knows that you will use those things to multiply your sins and thus destroy your souls:

Matthew 16:26
King James Version (KJV)
²⁶ For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark 

Mk 9:30-37

Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee,
but he did not wish anyone to know about it.

Jesus and His disciples began a secret journey through Galilee.

He was teaching his disciples and telling them,
"The Son of Man is to be handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise."

At this point, He was teaching them that He would be crucified and rise after three days.

But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him.

But they didn't understand what He was talking about and were afraid to ask Him.

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,
he began to ask them,
"What were you arguing about on the way?"

When they arrived in Capernaum, they went into St. Peter's (i.e. Simon's) house.

But they remained silent.

But they wouldn't answer.

They had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest.

They had been arguing over who amongst them was the greater.

Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,

Jesus then sat down and called the Twelve Apostles, the foundation of our Church.

"If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all."
Taking a child, he placed it in the their midst,
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
"Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me."

And Jesus told the Twelve Apostles, "he who would be the greatest must be the servant of all.  He who would be the greatest must be as innocent and just as a little child."

Sincerely,

De Maria