August 20, 2013

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Memorial of Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church 

Lectionary: 420

Reading 1JGS 6:11-24A

The angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth in Ophrah
that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite.
While his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press
to save it from the Midianites,
the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said,
“The LORD is with you, O champion!”
Gideon said to him, “My Lord, if the LORD is with us,
why has all this happened to us?
Where are his wondrous deeds of which our fathers
told us when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’
For now the LORD has abandoned us
and has delivered us into the power of Midian.”
The LORD turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have
and save Israel from the power of Midian.
It is I who send you.”
But Gideon answered him, “Please, my lord, how can I save Israel?
My family is the lowliest in Manasseh,
and I am the most insignificant in my father’s house.”
“I shall be with you,” the LORD said to him,
“and you will cut down Midian to the last man.”
Gideon answered him, “If I find favor with you,
give me a sign that you are speaking with me.
Do not depart from here, I pray you, until I come back to you
and bring out my offering and set it before you.”
He answered, “I will await your return.”

So Gideon went off and prepared a kid and a measure of flour
in the form of unleavened cakes.
Putting the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot,
he brought them out to him under the terebinth
and presented them.
The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and unleavened cakes
and lay them on this rock; then pour out the broth.”
When he had done so,
the angel of the LORD stretched out the tip of the staff he held,
and touched the meat and unleavened cakes.
Thereupon a fire came up from the rock
that consumed the meat and unleavened cakes,
and the angel of the LORD disappeared from sight.
Gideon, now aware that it had been the angel of the LORD,
said, “Alas, Lord GOD,
that I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!”
The LORD answered him,
“Be calm, do not fear. You shall not die.”
So Gideon built there an altar to the LORD
and called it Yahweh-shalom.

The faith of our Fathers is something beautiful and at the same time, fearful.  This poor man was asked to fight an entire nation.  A lowly farmer.  Understandably, he asked for a sign before proceeding.  God be praised for the faith of our Fathers!

Responsorial PsalmPS 85:9, 11-12, 13-14

R. (see 9b) The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

I will hear what God proclaims;

the LORD–for he proclaims peace

To his people, and to his faithful ones,

and to those who put in him their hope.

R. The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

Kindness and truth shall meet;

justice and peace shall kiss.

Truth shall spring out of the earth,

and justice shall look down from heaven.

R. The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

The LORD himself will give his benefits;

our land shall yield its increase.

Justice shall walk before him,

and salvation, along the way of his steps.

R. The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

God's peace is within us.  God's people can be identified by that peace which they maintain even amidst the most terrible and fearful of times.  That is the peace which Christ gives.  Because Christ Himself said He was not bringing peace amongst the people:

Matthew 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

But the peace which Christ gives is a peace in our hearts and soul which holds us fast even in the midst of persecution. 

GospelMT 19:23-30

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich

to enter the Kingdom of heaven.

Again I say to you,

it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle

than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.”

This is an interesting passage, because many had theorized that there must be a door or portal called the eye of the needle which entered the city of Jerusalem.  Through which, it was said, camels had to enter on their knees, with their loads removed.

Now, however, it has been revealed that the word "camel" also means "rope" in Hebrew and Aramaic.  Jesus is not speaking of a dromedary beast.  He is speaking of a thick rope which can not be passed through the eyelet of an ordinary needle.  In order to do so, it would have to be taken apart thread by thread.

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said,

“Who then can be saved?”

The Jews had always thought that riches were a sign of God's blessing towards the righteous.  Therefore, the rich were automatically considered righteous people.  So, they were surprised to hear that those whom they previously considered righteous, were in grave danger of being condemned to hell.

Jesus looked at them and said,

“For men this is impossible,

but for God all things are possible.”

But Jesus comforted saying that it was possible for God to save them.  To me, this is a reference to Purgatory. That is where fat ropes are taken apart thread by thread and passed through the portal to heaven.

Then Peter said to him in reply,

“We have given up everything and followed you.

What will there be for us?”

St. Peter, concerned about his reward and that of his fellow Apostles, wanted to know what they could expect.  This is not something that he alone was concerned about.  Sts. James and John would also raise this concern in the near future:

Matthew 20:20 Then came to him the mother of Zebedees children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.  21 And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.  22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.

Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you

that you who have followed me, in the new age,

when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory,

will yourselves sit on twelve thrones,

judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

I think these are they which St. John mentions in the Apocalypse:

Revelation 20:4

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters

or father or mother or children or lands

for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more,

and will inherit eternal life.

This takes me back to Job's reward for his trial:

Job 42:12 So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.  13 He had also seven sons and three daughters.  14 And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch.  15 And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren. 16 After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations. 17 So Job died, being old and full of days.

We, should of course, read this spiritually, for St. Paul says:

1 Corinthians 2:9  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.  

But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

To me, this speaks of us.  Christians.  It is we who come last and are paid the same coin as those courageous Fathers who, by their faith, paved the way for our salvation.  We must always be thankful for their role in our salvation.  Our own Lord was born according to their flesh.

Matthew 20:1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. 2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.  3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,  4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.  5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.  6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?  7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.  8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.  9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.  10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.  11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,  12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.  13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?  14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.  15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?  16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.