September 25, 2012

Tuesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 450

A reading from the holy book of Proverbs 

1 Prv 21:1-6, 10-13

Like a stream is the king's heart in the hand of the LORD;
wherever it pleases him, he directs it.

God directs the decisions of a human king.

All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes,
but it is the LORD who proves hearts.

A man justifies himself, but only God's judgment counts:

1 Corinthians 4:2-4
King James Version (KJV)
² Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.³ But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.⁴ For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. 

To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

God prefers justice and righteousness over sacrifice:

Matthew 9:13
King James Version (KJV)
¹³ But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. 

Haughty eyes and a proud heart?
the tillage of the wicked is sin.

The proud seek to do evil and commit sin.

The plans of the diligent are sure of profit,
but all rash haste leads certainly to poverty.

Patience and perseverence lead to success.  Haste makes waste.

Whoever makes a fortune by a lying tongue
is chasing a bubble over deadly snares.

Liars never prosper.

The soul of the wicked man desires evil;
his neighbor finds no pity in his eyes.

A wicked man shows no pity to his neighbor.

When the arrogant man is punished, the simple are the wiser;
when the wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.

The simple honest man can learn a lesson from the punishment of the wicked and from the teachings of the wise.

The just man appraises the house of the wicked:
there is one who brings down the wicked to ruin.

The wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just:

Proverbs 13:22
King James Version (KJV)
²² A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.

He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor
will himself also call and not be heard.

The person who does not help his neighbor will himself be ignored by God in his time of need.  Or, what goes around comes around.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 119:1, 27, 30, 34, 35, 44

Response. (35) Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands. 

Blessed are they whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD. 

R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands. 

Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous deeds. 

R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands. 

The way of truth I have chosen;
I have set your ordinances before me. 

R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands. 

Give me discernment, that I may observe your law
and keep it with all my heart. 

R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands. 

Lead me in the path of your commands,
for in it I delight. 

R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands. 

And I will keep your law continually,
forever and ever. 

R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.

There are those who claim that we are no longer to keep God's commandments and that we are not supposed to do good works.  But Scripture is clear:

Revelation 22:14
King James Version (KJV)
¹⁴ Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Romans 2:7
King James Version (KJV)
⁷ To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke 

Lk 8:19-21

The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him
but were unable to join him because of the crowd.
He was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside
and they wish to see you."
He said to them in reply, "My mother and my brothers
are those who hear the word of God and act on it."

Coincidentally, I just responded to a fellow, a former Catholic, who read this as some sort of accusation against the Virgin Mary.  He said:

However, in this passage, Mary and Jesus’ brothers are “outside, asking for” Him. I guess we can only speculate about why they wanted to see Him, but if it was my brother telling off the Pharisees and telling them they were going to hell, I would want a word with him, too.

Assuming you were a Jew. That is true.

But what sort of brother would you be? Let me show you what sort of brethren Jesus had.

Here's one:

John 6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.  66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.  67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? 68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

Simon Peter is one of the brethren. 

Matthew 28:9-10 King James Version (KJV) 

9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. 10 Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me. Jesus commanded the women to inform His brethren. 

Whom did they inform? Matthew doesn't say. But John does: 

John 20: King James Version (KJV) 2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. 

And so does Luke:

24:10 It was Mary Magdalene and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. 12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass. 

But undoubtedly, there are some brethren which had no faith in Jesus. Judas the most obvious. But others as well which are not revealed by name in the Scripture: 

John 7:5 King James Version (KJV) 5 For neither did his brethren believe in him. 

Protestants jump to the conclusion that this is speaking of His family. But read the previous chapter: 

John 6:66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him

So, which sort of brethren would you be? Like the faithful Apostles or like the disciples that left Him? 

Were they expressing concern for Him? Most likely, 

Agreed. 

and they did this because they didn’t really know Him yet, even His own mother.

That is a conclusion which you draw. But it is not in Scripture. 

1st. The brethren and Mary need not be there on the same mission. She might be there to protect Him from the "brethren" if they are of the wrong sort. 

2nd. You assume that the brethren and Mary are there at odds with Jesus. Nowhere does Scripture say so. It simply says they were calling Him and could not join Him because of the "press" . In other words, because there were too many bodies for them to force themselves in there. 

3rd. What if they were there in order to die with Him? Did that ever enter your psyche as a possibility? After all, they were aware that the people had tried to kill Him before. 

Luke 4:29 King James Version (KJV) 29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.

 Could she be sinless and still not fully understand the Word incarnate? 

1. Does sinlessness guarantee that one must understand the nature of Deity? Adam and Eve were both sinless. 

2. What makes you think that Mary did not understand her Son, the Word incarnate? Where does Scripture indicate that she doesn't? I can see where you read into Scripture your assumption. But my assumption is of a different sort. I follow the assumptions provided by Scripture: 

Luke 1:45 King James Version (KJV) 45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. 

So, please show me an explicit reference in Scripture stating that Mary did not believe that Jesus is God. 

Sincerely, 

De Maria