November 16, 2012

Friday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 495

The first reading from the 2nd epistle of St. John
2 Jn 4-9

[Chosen Lady:]

Who is the Chosen Lady?  Some have claimed it is the Virgin Mary, but the context doesn't bear it out. Besides, it would seem a bit presumptuous of St. John to be instructing the Blessed Mother about any topic concerning the faith.

It seems very clear to me, that St. John is speaking to St. Peter and his community in Rome.  The reason being that it was now clear that the See of Rome was the location selected for the Bishoprick of St. Peter, the Prince of the Apostles and leader of the Church.

Why the cryptic references?  Probably because the leaders of the Church were being persecuted.  We find the same sort of cryptic references in St. Peter's letter:


1 Peter 5:12 By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.  13 The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.  14 Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Most people believe that the Church at Babylon is a cryptic reference to the Church at Rome.

I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth
just as we were commanded by the Father.

Rome was previously a pagan city. But now, some of her children were converted.  And this made St. John rejoice.  We can compare this to St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans:


Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,...7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.  8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

But now, Lady, I ask you,
not as though I were writing a new commandment
but the one we have had from the beginning:
let us love one another.

For this is love, that we walk according to his commandments;
this is the commandment, as you heard from the beginning,
in which you should walk.

This is simply a polite statement confirming the doctrine of love amongst brethren.


John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

Many deceivers have gone out into the world,
those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh;
such is the deceitful one and the antichrist.

Apparently, even in that early period, there were some who denied that Jesus Christ ever existed or perhaps denied that Jesus Christ was God made flesh.  This deception, St. John says, is from Satan.

Look to yourselves that you do not lose what we worked for
but may receive a full recompense.

This is a confusing statement reminiscent of St. Paul's style of speech.  He says to the new converts in that Church, "be careful that you don't lose what "we", the Apostles, worked so hard to obtain for you, eternal life."

Anyone who is so "progressive"
as not to remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God;
whoever remains in the teaching has the Father and the Son.

This also takes me back to St. Paul, although he was talking about a slightly different subject and his tone was more emphatic:


Galatians 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Responsorial Psalm 

Ps 119:1, 2, 10, 11, 17, 18

R. (1b) Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

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

R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

Blessed are they who observe his decrees,
who seek him with all their heart.

R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

With all my heart I seek you;
let me not stray from your commands.

R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

Within my heart I treasure your promise,
that I may not sin against you.

R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

Be good to your servant, that I may live
and keep your words.

R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

Open my eyes, that I may consider
the wonders of your law.

R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

As I have mentioned frequently, the Commandments are not annulled. We must continue to walk in them.  The Commandments have never justified anyone.  But unless one keeps the Commandments, that one will not be justified.  Those who keep the Commandments will be justified on the Last Day.

Unless they are Christian.  And they,  those who keep the Commandments, are justified by God, in the Sacraments. 

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke
Lk 17:26-37

Jesus said to his disciples:
"As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be in the days of the Son of Man;
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage up to the day
that Noah entered the ark,
and the flood came and destroyed them all.

Jesus is teaching the Apostles about the end times.  He says that no one will know when the Day approaches.  People will be going about their usual business, just as those in the time of Noah when the Flood came.

Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot:
they were eating, drinking, buying,
selling, planting, building;
on the day when Lot left Sodom,
fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all.

Just as when Sodom was destroyed by fire from the sky.

So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed.

That is how it will be when Jesus comes in the clouds.

On that day, someone who is on the housetop
and whose belongings are in the house
must not go down to get them,
and likewise one in the field
must not return to what was left behind.

On that day, He says, don't worry about your belongings.  Worry about yourself.

Remember the wife of Lot.

He uses Lot's wife as an example.  She turned into a pillar of salt when she looked back to see what had happened to Sodom:


Genesis 19:26
But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it,
but whoever loses it will save it.

This is not a reference to an emergency situation.  This is a reference to our everyday life.  Those who live their lives for the betterment of others will preserve their own life to eternity.  Those who live their life for their own pleasure at the expense of others, will lose their lives to eternal punishment.  See Matt 25:31-46

I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed;
one will be taken, the other left.
And there will be two women grinding meal together;
one will be taken, the other left."

Protestants think this is a reference to the Protestant doctrine of the Rapture.  But if we let Scripture interpret Scripture, we see that the one which is left behind, is the one who will be saved:


1 Thessalonians 4:17
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

They said to him in reply, "Where, Lord?"
He said to them, "Where the body is,
there also the vultures will gather."

This is a cryptic response.  The ask Him where these things will take place.  And He responds "where the body is, there the vultures will gather."

Body, I think, refers to "dead body", since vultures gather around dead bodies.
Vultures, I think, refers to demons.  Since demons surround the weak of faith.

Since those weak in faith are not alive in Christ, then this refers to sin.  So, in other words, Jesus saying that the harsh parts of His prophecy will occur where ever sin is committed.

Sincerely,

De Maria