October 2, 2013

Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels 


Lectionary: 457/650
Reading 1 NEH 2:1-8

In the month Nisan of the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,
when the wine was in my charge,
I took some and offered it to the king.

Nehemia, a Jew, was in charge of the wine in the palace of King Artaxerxes.

As I had never before been sad in his presence,
the king asked me, “Why do you look sad?
If you are not sick, you must be sad at heart.”

The King noticed that Nehemia was sad and asked the reason.

Though I was seized with great fear, I answered the king:
“May the king live forever!
How could I not look sad
when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins,
and its gates have been eaten out by fire?”

Nehemia answered that he was sad because Jerusalem was in ruins.

The king asked me, “What is it, then, that you wish?”
I prayed to the God of heaven and then answered the king:

The King asked him what he wanted.  And Nehemia prayed to God before he responded.  Then he said:

“If it please the king,
and if your servant is deserving of your favor,
send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors’ graves,
to rebuild it.”

Please send me to rebuild the city of my ancestors.

Then the king, and the queen seated beside him,
asked me how long my journey would take
and when I would return.
I set a date that was acceptable to him,
and the king agreed that I might go.

The King asked how long it would take and Nehemia set the date.  The King agreed.

I asked the king further: “If it please the king,
let letters be given to me for the governors
of West-of-Euphrates,
that they may afford me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah;
also a letter for Asaph, the keeper of the royal park,
that he may give me wood for timbering the gates
of the temple-citadel and for the city wall
and the house that I shall occupy.”
The king granted my requests,
for the favoring hand of my God was upon me.

Then Nehemia asked the King of letters of recommendation and of safe passage that all would know that he was traveling under the King's protection.  And that also was granted him.

Responsorial Psalm PS 137:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6

R. (6ab) Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you!
By the streams of Babylon
we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
On the aspens of that land
we hung up our harps.
R. Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you!
Though there our captors asked of us
the lyrics of our songs,
And our despoilers urged us to be joyous:
“Sing for us the songs of Zion!”
R. Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you!
How could we sing a song of the LORD
in a foreign land?
If I forget you, Jerusalem,
may my right hand be forgotten!
R. Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you!
May my tongue cleave to my palate
if I remember you not,
If I place not Jerusalem
ahead of my joy.
R. Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you!

The Psalmists is preferring death to ever forgetting Jerusalem.  And we should have the same mind about the Catholic Church.  The Catholic Church is the New Jerusalem, where we are continually nourished by God, Our Father through the Sacraments established by His Son and the fountains of grace of the Holy Spirit.

Gospel MT 18:1-5, 10

The disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever humbles himself like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”

The disciples were still arguing over who was the greatest.  Jesus reminded them that heaven was not about who was most powerful.  But about who was most loving and humble.