January 27, 2013

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Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 69

Reading 1
Neh 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10

Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly,
which consisted of men, women,
and those children old enough to understand.

The books of the Prophets Nehemiah and Ezra are complementary.  Both Prophets speak about the same period.

In this section, Nehemiah has begun a rebuilding of the destroyed Jerusalem.  A remnant of the Jewish people have been brought together to begin to live according to the Law of Moses.  The prophet Ezra has begun to read to them the Law of Moses in order to begin to educate the people on the traditions which they have forgotten.

Standing at one end of the open place that was before the Water Gate,
he read out of the book from daybreak till midday,
in the presence of the men, the women,
and those children old enough to understand;
and all the people listened attentively to the book of the law.

The Jewish people listened attentively to the reading of the book of the Law.

Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform
that had been made for the occasion.

Ezra was standing on a stage so that he could be seen and heard by all.

He opened the scroll
so that all the people might see it
— for he was standing higher up than any of the people —;
and, as he opened it, all the people rose.

I believe the scroll here mentioned is the same thing as the "book" of the law.  Scrolls were the original books before they were bound into pages, they were simply rolled.

All the people stood out of respect for the Word of God.

Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God,
and all the people, their hands raised high, answered,
“Amen, amen!”

Ezra praised God and all the people rejoiced with hands high in the air and approved verbally by saying, "Amen!  Amen!"

Then they bowed down and prostrated themselves before the LORD,
their faces to the ground.

Then they kneeled down with their faces on the ground and humbled themselves before God in an act of worship.

Ezra read plainly from the book of the law of God,
interpreting it so that all could understand what was read.

Ezra read the law out loud and explained it as he went so that all could understand.

Then Nehemiah, that is, His Excellency, and Ezra the priest-scribe
and the Levites who were instructing the people
said to all the people:

The Nehemiah, who had been appointed the Governor and the man who was in charge of restoring Jerusalem spoke to the people.

“Today is holy to the LORD your God.
Do not be sad, and do not weep”—
for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.

The people had begun to weep because of the emotions they felt as the law was being read.  But Nehemiah instructed them to rejoice in their God.

He said further: “Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks,
and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared;
for today is holy to our LORD.
Do not be saddened this day,
for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength!”

He instructed them to go and feast in celebration of God's grace towards them. 

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 15

R. (cf John 6:63c) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart
find favor before you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

What a beautiful poem in celebration of the Wisdom of God which is revealed to us today through the Church:

Ephesians 3:10

King James Version (KJV)

10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

Reading 2 from the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians
1 Cor 12:12-30

Brothers and sisters:
As a body is one though it has many parts,
and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,
so also Christ.

Excellent segway.  We are the Church and the Church is the body of Christ.

For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,
whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,
and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

In Baptism we become members of the Body of Christ by the action of the Holy Spirit.

Now the body is not a single part, but many.

A human body consists of many parts.

If a foot should say,
“Because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body,
“it does not for this reason belong any less to the body.
Or if an ear should say,
“Because I am not an eye I do not belong to the body, “
it does not for this reason belong any less to the body.
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be?
If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?

Every part, every member of the body is important and must work with the other parts and members of the body.

But as it is, God placed the parts,
each one of them, in the body as he intended.
If they were all one part, where would the body be?
But as it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you, “
nor again the head to the feet, “I do not need you.”

God designed the body to work as He intended.  Every part has its job to do.  And all have a different job which must be done in together in order for the body to be healthy.

Indeed, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker
are all the more necessary,
and those parts of the body that we consider less honorable
we surround with greater honor,
and our less presentable parts are treated with greater propriety,
whereas our more presentable parts do not need this.

In fact, those parts of the body which we consider weaker are the stronger.  It reminds me of the saying, "a chain is only as strong as its weakest link".  The weakest part is the strongest because it must be protected by the stronger parts.

The same goes for those we consider less honorable and less presentable.  They must be treated with greater care and honored the more, because we need to do so.  Whereas other parts which need no greater care, we neglect.

But God has so constructed the body
as to give greater honor to a part that is without it,
so that there may be no division in the body,
but that the parts may have the same concern for one another.
If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it;
if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy.

The previous verses were a metaphor comparing the human body to the Church.  I consider these verses to be a subtle change from a metaphor to a veiled reference.  In other words, he is now speaking of the Church, not the human body.  The Church is constructed so that there is no division in it.  So that all members and parts are concerned with one another and if one suffers, all suffer.  If one is honored, all rejoice.

To be more explicit, he is referring to the:
1.  Church glorified, the Saints in heaven.
2.  Church suffering, the Saints in purgatory.
3.  Church battling, the Saints on earth.

There is no division between us.

Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it.

Now there is an explicit change to speaking about the Church battling.  Us.  Those of us in the Church today, here on earth.  We are all members of Christ's body.

Some people God has designated in the church
to be, first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers;
then, mighty deeds;
then gifts of healing, assistance, administration,
and varieties of tongues.
Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers?
Do all work mighty deeds? Do all have gifts of healing?
Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?

We each have our role to play and our work to do.

Or the alternate reading which is merely a subset of that which we just read.   So I'll simply reproduce without comment.

1 Cor 12:12-14, 27

Brothers and sisters:
As a body is one though it has many parts,
and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,
so also Christ.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,
whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,
and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.
Now the body is not a single part, but many.
You are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke
Lk 1:1-4; 4:14-21

Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events
that have been fulfilled among us,
just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning
and ministers of the word have handed them down to us,
I too have decided,
after investigating everything accurately anew,
to write it down in an orderly sequence for you,
most excellent Theophilus,
so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings
you have received.

St. Luke was an educated man, a Physician, and a Greek.  Having converted to the Christian faith, he wanted to set down the historical events of the Gospel in order so that "Theophilus" or "Lover of God" would benefit from hearing the story of Christ's life and deeds.

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,
and news of him spread throughout the whole region.
He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.

He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom
into the synagogue on the sabbath day.

St. Luke's first chapters are probably the most detailed birth narratives in Scripture.  But here we skip to the point where Christ has grown up and is going to the Synagogue in accordance to the Law.

He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captivesand recovery of sight to the blind,to let the oppressed go free,and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.

Jesus stood up and read a part of the Old Testament from the Holy Book of the Prophet Isaiah.  This verse is a prophecy of the coming of the Messiah.

Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them,
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Jesus reveals to the people that the Messiah is here and is speaking to them. 

Scott Hahn-St. Paul, Persecutor to Apostle

Remember to visit the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology.

January 26, 2013

USCCB »  Bible »  Daily Readings

« January 25  |  January 27 »

Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, bishops

Read more about Sts. Timothy and Titus.

Lectionary: 520/316

Reading 1 from St. Paul's second letter to St. Timothy
2 Tm 1:1-8

Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God
for the promise of life in Christ Jesus,
to Timothy, my dear child:

St. Paul addresses St. Timothy very tenderly, as a father would his son.

grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father
and Christ Jesus our Lord.

And bestows upon him the blessing of God through Christ.

I am grateful to God,
whom I worship with a clear conscience as my ancestors did,

It is clear that St. Paul considers Christianity to be an extension of the Judaic faith.  Which it is.  It is often referred to as the fulfillment of the Mosaic Covenant.

as I remember you constantly in my prayers, night and day.
I yearn to see you again, recalling your tears,
so that I may be filled with joy,
as I recall your sincere faith
that first lived in your grandmother Lois
and in your mother Eunice
and that I am confident lives also in you.

St. Paul knows the St. Timothy's family intimately.  And he knows who it is that has passed down the faith of Christ.  His mother and grandmother.

Which brings me to this point, which I believe all should recognize.  It is the women in my family who passed down the Faith.  It is they who were concerned that the children lead moral and upright lives.  For the most part, the men, though they were not absent, were recommending the opposite.  It is also lay women whom I see laboring in the pews and in the churches, more than men.

Therefore, I believe we owe a great debt to the women in our lives for guiding our children in the right path.

For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame
the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.

St. Paul urges St. Timothy to become inflamed with the Spirit of God, which is the gift he received, either in Confirmation or in Holy Orders.  Both of which include a ritual of laying of hands.  Since St. Timothy is a Bishop however, he probably means the laying on of hands of the presbytery, which is Holy Orders or the Priesthood.

For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice
but rather of power and love and self-control.

The gift of the Holy Spirit is not of fear.  But of power, love and self-control.

So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord,
nor of me, a prisoner for his sake;
but bear your share of hardship for the Gospel
with the strength that comes from God.

And he says, don't hold back, but testify to your faith in Jesus Christ.  And tell them also about me, how I am a prisoner of Christ, and accept the suffering that comes with speaking the truth with the perseverance that comes from God.

The altnernate is a reading from St. Paul's letter to St. Titus
Ti 1:1-5

There is a subtle difference in the greeting between St. Paul's letter to St. Timothy and that to St. Titus.  Whether this translates to a difference in their personal relationship, I don't know.  But to me, if the letters are any indication, his relationship with St. Timothy seems to have been more intimate.

Paul, a slave of God and Apostle of Jesus Christ

St. Paul is not making a distinction here.  He is being redundant.  He acknowledges that Jesus is God.   We know this because he says it explicitly in the next Chapter of his letter to St. Titus:


Titus 2:13
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

for the sake of the faith of God’s chosen ones

This can be taken two ways.
1.  For the sake of the Church.  The Church teaches and practices the Faith which God has revealed to His chosen ones.
2.  For the sake of those who believe in Christ.  That their faith may be strengthened and multiplied in order to assure their salvation.

and the recognition of religious truth,
in the hope of eternal life

This also can be taken in two ways.
1. For the sake of the spreading of the Gospel which is the good news of our salvation by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
2.  For the sake of the recognition of the Church, which is the house of God, the pillar and foundation of the truth and which teaches the wisdom of God even in the heavens.

that God, who does not lie, promised before time began,

All that which he just mentioned is promised way back in Genesis 3:15, when God said that the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent.

who indeed at the proper time revealed his word
in the proclamation with which I was entrusted
by the command of God our savior,

The redundnancies and metaphors abound in these few sentences.  Here, "His Word" could be the Gospel or Jesus Christ the Word of God.

God our savior, is, of course, Jesus Christ.  But it could be taken as a reference to the Father.

to Titus, my true child in our common faith:
grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior.

For those Protestants that say we should not call our Priests, "father", here is an example of the fact that back in the Apostolic period, the Apostles considered themselves spiritual fathers of their flocks.  This is why he calls St. Titus, his true child.

For this reason I left you in Crete
so that you might set right what remains to be done
and appoint presbyters in every town, as I directed you.

This part of the letter ends with his directive to St. Titus to appoint more priests in the towns of his Bishoprick or as we would call it today, "diocese".

Responsorial Psalm
ps 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8a, 10

R. (3) Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.

R. Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.

R. Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Give to the LORD, you families of nations,
give to the LORD glory and praise;
give to the LORD the glory due his name!

R. Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.

R. Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

In the New Testament, God's glory is Jesus Christ:

2 Corinthians 4:6
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

And it is this glory which we should proclaim to the world.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark
Mk 3:20-21

Jesus came with his disciples into the house.
Again the crowd gathered,
making it impossible for them even to eat.
When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him,
for they said, “He is out of his mind.”

Personally speaking, I think the relatives were trying to protect him from the crowds which were saying that He was out of his mind.  But that is not how it comes out in the translation.  It sounds as though some in his family were against Him.

Old Fashioned never goes out of style

I was talking to a co-worker the other day and she shared something with me.  She said her new boyfriend broke up with her because she is a good girl,  I was outraged.  It seems that the majority seems to think that you cannot have a relationship without having sex. I told her that young man was not worthy of her.  I still believe there are men and women in this world who believe in God and his word.  It seems we have lost our way.  Fornication is a sin.  If anyone out there thinks that having sex outside of wedlock is old fashioned, the word of God, the Bible, is never old fashioned.

I hadn't thought of this before, but I remember one of my friends telling me a similar story regarding her son.  Apparently when her son went off to college he met a girl he liked but when he told her he didn't want to have sex outside of wedlock her response was, "What's the point in dating?"

After reflecting on this whole thing, I wonder how we can solve this problem.  Throughout history, Christian men and women have abstained from sex.  Sex is to create life, which is why it was once called "making love".  Giving and sharing yourself with someone is a very special thing.  God knows all and he may have given us free will but he also set boundaries.  Look at the problems we create from wanton sex:   abortion, birth control, orphans, abused children, pornography, human trafficking, AIDS and  other diseases, the list goes on but I'm sure you get the point.

Sincerely,

Hope

January 25, 2013

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« January 24  |  January 26 »

Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle

Who would have thought that being knocked off a horse would result in a Church Feast?  Read more.

Lectionary: 519

Reading 1 from St. Luke's record of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 22:3-16

Paul addressed the people in these words:
“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia,
but brought up in this city.
At the feet of Gamaliel I was educated strictly in our ancestral law
and was zealous for God, just as all of you are today.

St. Paul is introducing himself.  He describes himself as a Jew.  But he says something which I believe is missed by most people.  He says he was educated by Gamaliel.  Gamaliel just happens to be the most important Jewish Theologian that ever lived.

It is no wonder that St. Paul has such a great insight into the Christian religion.  Since Christianity is based upon the Jewish faith.

Read more about Gamaliel.

I persecuted this Way to death,
binding both men and women and delivering them to prison.
Even the high priest and the whole council of elders
can testify on my behalf.
For from them I even received letters to the brothers
and set out for Damascus to bring back to Jerusalem
in chains for punishment those there as well.

Paul describes the time when he persecuted the Church.  And then he describes how he was knocked off his horse.

“On that journey as I drew near to Damascus,
about noon a great light from the sky suddenly shone around me.
I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me,
‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’

He was approaching Damascus around noon when a great light shone upon him.  First remember, the area around Damascus is a desert.  And this is around noon.  But St. Paul describes a great light?!  How bright must this light have been in order for it to knock him off his horse?  And to be the first thing he mentions in this recollection?

In the midst of the light, as he lay on the ground, he heard a voice ask him why he was persecuting Him.

I replied, ‘Who are you, sir?’
And he said to me,
‘I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting.’

St. Paul asked the Voice to identify Himself and it was Jesus Christ.  But notice that St. Paul was not persecuting Jesus.  St. Paul had never met Jesus.  As far as he was concerned, Jesus was long dead.  He was persecuting Jesus' followers.  But Jesus relates so closely to His followers, that when we are persecuted, He is persecuted.

My companions saw the light
but did not hear the voice of the one who spoke to me.

Apparently, St. Paul later discussed this incident with his Jewish companions.  But they had not heard the Voice, although they saw the light.

I asked, ‘What shall I do, sir?’
The Lord answered me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus,
and there you will be told about everything
appointed for you to do.’

St. Paul asked Jesus for directions and he was simply told to go into Damascus where he would reeive further instructions.

Since I could see nothing because of the brightness of that light,
I was led by hand by my companions and entered Damascus.

During the incident, St. Paul had been rendered blind.  His Jewish companions had to lead him by the hand to the destination appointed him by Jesus.  It would be interesting to know what became of his companions.

“A certain Ananias, a devout observer of the law,
and highly spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,
came to me and stood there and said,
‘Saul, my brother, regain your sight.’
And at that very moment I regained my sight and saw him.
Then he said,
‘The God of our ancestors designated you to know his will,
to see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of his voice;
for you will be his witness before all
to what you have seen and heard.
Now, why delay?
Get up and have yourself baptized and your sins washed away,
calling upon his name.’”

There he met a remarkable Saint.  St. Ananias, who with great confidence gave back St. Paul his sight and then commanded him to be baptized to wash away his sins calling upon the name of Christ.

or

The Alternate reading is a separate version of the same incident.   There are few differences in the narrative.

A reading from St. Luke's record of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 9:1-22

Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord,
went to the high priest and asked him
for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that,
if he should find any men or women who belonged to the Way,
he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains.

St. Luke describes St. Paul's (i.e. Saul's) zeal against the Church of Jesus Christ.

On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus,
a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him.
He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him,
“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

St. Paul saw a flash of light and fell to the ground.  Whereupon, Jesus asked him why he was persecuting Him.

He said, “Who are you, sir?”
The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

St. Paul did not now who was talking to Him, so Jesus identified Himself.

Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.”
The men who were traveling with him stood speechless,
for they heard the voice but could see no one.
Saul got up from the ground,
but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing;
so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus.
For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank.

St. Paul was commanded to go into the city where he would be given further instructions.  However, St. Paul had been struck blind by the light, so he was led by the hand by his companions.  And he neither ate or drank for three days.

There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias,
and the Lord said to him in a vision, AAnanias.”
He answered, “Here I am, Lord.”
The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight
and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul.

Meanwhile, in Damascus, Jesus appeared to His servant, St. Ananias and gave him directions concerning St. Paul.

He is there praying,
and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias
come in and lay his hands on him,
that he may regain his sight.”
But Ananias replied,
“Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man,
what evil things he has done to your holy ones in Jerusalem.
And here he has authority from the chief priests
to imprison all who call upon your name.”

Ananias was hesitant because he had heard of Saul and his mission against the Church.

But the Lord said to him,
“Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine
to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel,
and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name.”

But Jesus said, "This man is now a chosen instrument of mine.  Therefore go and do as I say."

So Ananias went and entered the house;
laying his hands on him, he said,
“Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me,
Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came,
that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes
and he regained his sight.

So St. Ananias obediently did as he was instructed and met St. Paul and gave him back his sight.

He got up and was baptized,
and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength.

And St. Paul was immediately baptized, presumably by St. Ananias.

He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus,
and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues,
that he is the Son of God.

And St. Paul immediately began to preach in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

All who heard him were astounded and said,
“Is not this the man who in Jerusalem
ravaged those who call upon this name,
and came here expressly to take them back in chains
to the chief priests?”
But Saul grew all the stronger
and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus,
proving that this is the Christ.

All who heard him were astonished, because they knew that he was the persecutor of the Christians.  But now he was defending them and preaching Christ with great power.

Responsorial Psalm
PS 117:1bc, 2

R. (Mark 16:15) Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.or:
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Praise the LORD, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!

R. Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.or:
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

For steadfast is his kindness toward us,
and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.

R. Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.or:
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Tell them all.  God gave us His only begotten Son that He might die and we might live.  They will not believe it.  But tell them anyway.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark
Mk 16:15-18

Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them:
“Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved;
whoever does not believe will be condemned.

This is the Great Commission.  The Church is empowered to teach the good news of Jesus Christ to the whole world.

These signs will accompany those who believe:
in my name they will drive out demons,
they will speak new languages.
They will pick up serpents with their hands,
and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.
They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

These signs have accompanied the Church in every generation.  The Canonized Saints are described in those words.  Many of them have healed the sick, even brought the dead to life, they driven out demons, spoken new languages and many other things:

January 24, 2013

USCCB »  Bible »  Daily Readings

« January 23  |  January 25 »

Memorial of Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Read more about St. Francis de Sales.

Lectionary: 314

Reading 1 from St. Paul's epistle to the Hebrews
Heb 7:25—8:6

Jesus is always able to save those who approach God through him,
since he lives forever to make intercession for them.

Jesus saves those who obey Him:

Hebrews 5:9
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

It was fitting that we should have such a high priest:
holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners,
higher than the heavens.

It is right that God should be our saviour.

He has no need, as did the high priests,
to offer sacrifice day after day,
first for his own sins and then for those of the people;
he did that once for all when he offered himself.

He has no need to make sacrifices for His own sins, but sacrificed Himself for ours.

For the law appoints men subject to weakness to be high priests,
but the word of the oath, which was taken after the law,
appoints a son, who has been made perfect forever.

For the law of Moses appointed weak men to be high priests.  But the oath God swore, to save us, appoints His own Son, God with us.

The main point of what has been said is this:
we have such a high priest,
who has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne
of the Majesty in heaven, a minister of the sanctuary
and of the true tabernacle that the Lord, not man, set up.

The main point I have been making is this.  Our High Priest, Jesus, is far superior to any high priest of the Old Covenant, because He is God and they were men.

Now every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices;
thus the necessity for this one also to have something to offer.
If then he were on earth, he would not be a priest,
since there are those who offer gifts according to the law.
They worship in a copy and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary,
as Moses was warned when he was about to erect the tabernacle.

All high priests offer sacrifice, therefore so does Christ.  But He offers His sacrifice in the heavenly sanctuary, not in a temple made by human hands.

For God says, “See that you make everything
according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”
Now he has obtained so much more excellent a ministry
as he is mediator of a better covenant,
enacted on better promises.

So, you can see that the law of Moses offered only a shadow of that which was to come in the Body of Christ, who had obtained a more excellent ministry and a better covenant with better promises.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 17

R. (8a and 9a)  Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, “Behold I come.”

R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

“In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!”

R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.

R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

May all who seek you
exult and be glad in you,
And may those who love your salvation
say ever, “The LORD be glorified.”

R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

Obedience is very important to God.  No one can count themselves faithful who does not obey the will of God.  And the will of God is clearly expressed in the Ten Commandments.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark
Mk 3:7-12

Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples.
A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea.
Hearing what he was doing,
a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem,
from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan,
and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon.

Crowds were coming to see Jesus from all of Israel.

He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd,
so that they would not crush him.

He instructed the disciples to have a boat ready so that the crowds could not come too close.

He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases
were pressing upon him to touch him.

All who were ill wanted to touch Him in order to be cured.

And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him
and shout, “You are the Son of God.”
He warned them sternly not to make him known.

Even the demons, when they saw Him, would fall down and acknowledge that He is the Son of God. But He warned them to be quiet.

January 23, 2013

USCCB »  Bible »  Daily Readings

« January 22  |  January 24 »

Wednesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 313

Reading 1 from St. Paul's epistle to the Hebrews
Heb 7:1-3, 15-17

Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High,met Abraham as he returned from his defeat of the kingsand blessed him.

Melchizedek's blessing bestowed upon Abraham the High Priestly blessing of the Patriarchs.  This was normally bestowed upon the Semites by their own fathers.  But Abraham's father had become a pagan and therefore could not bestow the blessing upon Abraham.  Melchizedek, who is the first born son of Noah, and thus Abraham's great, great, great grandfather, otherwise known as Shem, bestowed that blessing upon Abraham in the place of his own father.

And Abraham apportioned to him a tenth of everything.
His name first means righteous king,
and he was also “king of Salem,” that is, king of peace.

Apparently, the very name "Melchizedek" means King of Righteousness.  And this King was the King of a city known as Salem.  This  city would later be known as Jeru-salem or City of Peace.

Without father, mother, or ancestry,
without beginning of days or end of life,
thus made to resemble the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.

This verse contrasts the Patriarchal High Priesthood to the Levitical.  The Levites had to prove their ancestry when they went to serve at the Temple.  They had to provide proof of their father and mother, ascertaining that they were of the Levite clan.  Thus they had to prove their ancestry.  They also had to provide proof of age.  And their term as priest had a beginning and an end.  It was not everlasting.  After their service as priest, they were free to go home and tend to their home life.

But the Patriarchal High Priesthood was bestowed to the First Born Son.  Jesus being an only child, was by definition a First Born Son.  Jesus thus brought back the original priesthood which God had instituted.  And the Levitical Priesthood was set aside.

It is even more obvious if another priest is raised up
after the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become so,
not by a law expressed in a commandment concerning physical descent
but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed.
For it is testified:
You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

And that sort of confirms in a very concise manner, what I just tried to explain.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 110:1, 2, 3, 4

R. (4b) You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand
till I make your enemies your footstool.”

R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion:
“Rule in the midst of your enemies.”

R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

“Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor;
before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you.”

R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent:
“You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”

R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

Jesus being the first born of many brothers, is the Priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.  The Catholic ministerial priesthood is His Priesthood.  All Catholic Priests are extensions of Jesus Christ.  That is why it is said they are in "persona Christi".

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark
Mk 3:1-6

Jesus entered the synagogue.
There was a man there who had a withered hand.
They watched Jesus closely
to see if he would cure him on the sabbath
so that they might accuse him.

The Pharisees continued to conspire against Jesus.  Watching His every move in order to catch Him in an error or sin.

He said to the man with the withered hand,
“Come up here before us.”
Then he said to the Pharisees,
“Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?”

Jesus was not afraid of them and asked them outright, "Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath, or not?"

But they remained silent.

The wouldn't answer because they wanted to trap Him.

Looking around at them with anger
and grieved at their hardness of heart,

Jesus was very angry at their lack of sympathy for this man's ailment.

Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”
He stretched it out and his hand was restored.
The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel
with the Herodians against him to put him to death.

So Jesus cured the man before their eyes, on the Sabbath.  And the Jews then went and made allies with Herod's minions, in order to find a charge and put Jesus to death.

January 22, 2013

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« January 21  |  January 23 »

Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time — Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children
Lectionary: 312

Reading 1 from St. Paul's epistle to the Hebrews
Heb 6:10-20

Brothers and sisters:
God is not unjust so as to overlook your work
and the love you have demonstrated for his name
by having served and continuing to serve the holy ones.

St. Paul assures the Christians of Jewish descent, that God does not overlook their good deeds towards the Church.

We earnestly desire each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness
for the fulfillment of hope until the end,

St. Paul wants everyone to patiently continue in doing good until God rewards them with eternal life. That is what we all hope for.

so that you may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who,
through faith and patience, are inheriting the promises.

And he gives us models of faith to follow.  The saints and the holy people in our lives who are doing their best to follow Christ and inherit the promise of salvation:

Romans 8:17
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

When God made the promise to Abraham,
since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself,and said, I will indeed bless you and multiply you.
And so, after patient waiting, Abraham obtained the promise.

Abraham is one of those examples.  And St. Paul offers him as an example of faith which we should follow.

Now, men swear by someone greater than themselves;
for them an oath serves as a guarantee
and puts an end to all argument.

When men swear an oath, they are using God to guarantee their words.

So when God wanted to give the heirs of his promise
an even clearer demonstration of the immutability of his purpose,
he intervened with an oath,
so that by two immutable things,
in which it was impossible for God to lie,

God can go no higher than Himself.  His word is immutable and He is immutable.  Therefore He is simply emphasizing His immutability.

we who have taken refuge might be strongly encouraged
to hold fast to the hope that lies before us.

But we can note this oath of God's and be greatly encouraged that His promise is unfailing.

This we have as an anchor of the soul,
sure and firm, which reaches into the interior behind the veil,
where Jesus has entered on our behalf as forerunner,
becoming high priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.

And this encouragement increases our hope which is our anchor tying our soul to Christ who is in heaven, a High Priest forever because He is the Son of God.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 111:1-2, 4-5, 9 and 10c

R. (5) The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.or:
R. Alleluia.

I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights.

R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.or:
R. Alleluia.

He has won renown for his wondrous deeds;
gracious and merciful is the LORD.
He has given food to those who fear him;
he will forever be mindful of his covenant.

R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.or:
R. Alleluia.

He has sent deliverance to his people;
he has ratified his covenant forever;
holy and awesome is his name.
His praise endures forever.

R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.or:
R. Alleluia.

God's covenant is towards His faithful.  If we are faithful to Him, He will save us.

Deut 30:

19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

20 That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark
Mk 2:23-28

As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath,
his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain.

On a certain Sabbath, the disciples were following Jesus through a field of grain.  Thus they began to make a path through the field and picking some of the grain to eat.

At this the Pharisees said to him,
“Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”

The Pharisees objected accusing them of committing the sin of working on the Sabbath.

He said to them,
“Have you never read what David did
when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry?
How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest
and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat,
and shared it with his companions?”
Then he said to them,
“The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.
That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”

This is a misdirection.  The key words here are "that only the priests could lawfully eat".  Jesus is not comparing the Apostles to David and his men.  He is comparing the Apostles to the priests.  This is made clear in another recounting of the same story:
Matthew 12:5-7
King James Version (KJV)
5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?  6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

The Apostles are Christ's new priesthood and are free to eat anything on the Sabbath.

The Catholic Church is described by St. Paul in Scripture

Lutero asks:What church is Paul referring to? Does he make any reference to the church at Rome? 

He describes the Catholic Church.

First, he describes a Church which is infallible (1 Tim 3:15; Eph 3:10).
Then he describes a Church which is united (Eph 4:5).
He also describes the doctrines of the Catholic Church which are distinctive from other churches:
Purgatory (1 Cor 3:15).
Eucharist (1 Cor 11:23-27).
Communion of Saints (Rom 12:12-20).
The Mass and the necessity to attend (Heb 10:25-31).
The Sacrament of Confession (Heb 13:17).
The Sacrament of Holy Orders (1 Tim 4:14).
The Sacrament of Baptism (Titus 3:5).
Justification and salvation by faith and works (Rom 2:1-13).
Etc. etc.

Sincerely,

De Maria

January 21, 2013

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« January 20  |  January 22 »

Memorial of Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr

Read more about St. Agnes.

Lectionary: 311

Reading 1 from St. Paul's letter to the Hebrews
Heb 5:1-10

Brothers and sisters:
Every high priest is taken from among men
and made their representative before God,
to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.

St. Paul is here referring to the Levitical priesthood of the Mosaic Law.

He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring,
for he himself is beset by weakness
and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself
as well as for the people.

Since the Levitical high priest is a regular joe, like the rest of the us, he is able to identify with our fallen human nature and offer sacrifices for his sins as well as ours.

No one takes this honor upon himself
but only when called by God,
just as Aaron was.

This honor is bestowed by God.  No one can call himself the high priest of God unless God pronounces him so, as He did of Aaron.

In the same way,
it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest,
but rather the one who said to him:
You are my Son:this day I have begotten you;just as he says in another place,
You are a priest foreveraccording to the order of Melchizedek.

Even Jesus did not pronounce Himself high priest, but God the Father pronounced Him so when He revealed that Jesus is His only begotten Son and equated His priesthood with that of Melchizedek, in a metaphorical sense.

Now, many are confused by this comparison and I've heard people say that Melchizedek is Jesus Christ.  But that is not true.  According to Scott Hahn and Jeff Cavins, Melchizedek might be,  Noah's son, Shem.

However, Melchizedek foreshadows Jesus Christ because his high priesthood is that of the First Born Son.  Originally, in the Patriarchal period, the high priesthood was passed down from father to first born son.  That is why we have the big tussle between Jacob and Esau.  Esau was the first born, but he sold his inheritance to his brother, Jacob, for a cup of soup.  In selling his inheritance of the high priesthood of God so cheaply, he slapped God in the face.

In the days when he was in the Flesh,
he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears
to the one who was able to save him from death,
and he was heard because of his reverence.

Jesus, in His Passion, suffered and prayed.  And His prayers were heard because of His love.

Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered;
and when he was made perfect,

This is another hard one for me to understand.  Jesus learned obedience from what He suffered?  He was made perfect because He ascended to the Father and to His rightful place.  But in what sense He learned obedience, escapes me.

I went back to the lexicon on this one, which I rarely do, because I firmly believe that the translators have a much better grasp on the language than someone who looks up a word here and there in a foreign language dictionary.  And that is what a lexicon amounts to.  A dictionary.

And the word for "learned" has as one of its meanings, "practiced".  Therefore, I would substitute there, the word "practiced" obedience in suffering.

And in "made perfect", there is a definition which says, "accomplished" or "completed".  And I like that better.  "...He practiced obedience in suffering and when He accomplished His mission..."

I think this fits better and it is confirmed also in this verse by St. Paul:

Philippians 2:8
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.

In so doing, He became the source of salvation for all who obey and imitate Him:

1 Peter 2:21
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

Responsorial Psalm
PS 110:1, 2, 3, 4

R.(4b) You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand
till I make your enemies your footstool.”

R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion:
“Rule in the midst of your enemies.”

R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

“Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor;
before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you.”

R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent:
“You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”

R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

Melchizedek is a very interesting fellow and worth investigating. I first heard about the Melchizedek/Shem connection in Jeff Cavins Bible Study. But that is just one thing out of hundreds that are revealed by Catholic Bible Scholars such as Jeff Cavins and Scott Hahn. It is worth investing in their books and cd's.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark
Mk 2:18-22

The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were accustomed to fast.
People came to Jesus and objected,
“Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast,
but your disciples do not fast?”

The Pharisees objected to Jesus that His disciples did not fast from food as did the disciples of St. John the Baptist and those of the Pharisees.

Jesus answered them,
“Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?
As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.

Jesus answered that they can't fast while they are celebrating His presence.

But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast on that day.

But, He says, there will come a time when they will fast.

No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak.
If he does, its fullness pulls away,
the new from the old, and the tear gets worse.
Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins.
Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins,
and both the wine and the skins are ruined.
Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.”

St. Mark left out something of this teaching, which I think, brings it to perspective:

Luke 5:39
No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.

In other words, Jesus is telling the Jews that they are rebelling against Him.  They don't like His Teachings because they consider them new.  The prefer the old wine of the Old Testament.

January 20, 2013

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« January 19  |  January 21 »

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 66

Reading 1 from the Holy Book of Isaiah
Is 62:1-5

For Zion’s sake I will not be silent,
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
until her vindication shines forth like the dawn
and her victory like a burning torch.

God will not be still until Israel is redeemed.

Nations shall behold your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;
you shall be called by a new name
pronounced by the mouth of the LORD.

And all people will see the glory of Israel when the Lord redeems His People.  And Israel will be called by a new name.

I believe this is a prophecy of the New Israel, the Catholic Church.

You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD,
a royal diadem held by your God.
No more shall people call you “Forsaken, “
or your land “Desolate, “
but you shall be called “My Delight, “
and your land “Espoused.”

The Church is the Bride of Christ also known as the Heavenly Jerusalem:

Revelation 21:2
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

For the LORD delights in you
and makes your land his spouse.
As a young man marries a virgin,
your Builder shall marry you;
and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride
so shall your God rejoice in you.

Ephesians 5:31-33
King James Version (KJV)
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.  32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10

R. (3) Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.

R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.

R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Give to the LORD, you families of nations,
give to the LORD glory and praise;
give to the LORD the glory due his name!

R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Worship the LORD in holy attire.
Tremble before him, all the earth;
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He governs the peoples with equity.

R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Praise God always.

Second Reading from the 1st Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians
1 Cor 12:4-11

Brothers and sisters:
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; 
The Spirit gives us many and varied Spiritual gifts.


there are different forms of service but the same Lord;
There are different ranks within the Church: Apostles, Prophets, Teachers,

Lay Priests and Ministerial Priests




there are different workings but the same God
Works of corporal mercy, works of spiritual mercy


who produces all of them in everyone.
All good works are from God:
Philippians 2:11-13
King James Version (KJV)
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory 
of God the Father.  12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.  13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and todo of his good pleasure.


To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit
is given for some benefit.
I think this means "to each individual who has been baptized".  Baptism and at every Sacrament, we receive the gifts of the Spirit but some of us are never aware of them.

To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom;
to another, the expression of knowledge according to the
same Spirit;
to another, faith by the same Spirit;
to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit;
to another, mighty deeds;
to another, prophecy;
to another, discernment of spirits;
to another, varieties of tongues;
to another, interpretation of tongues.
But one and the same Spirit produces all of these,
distributing them individually to each person as he wishes.
These Spiritual gifts are not the same as the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit 
which we learn in the Catechism #1831.  Wisdom, understanding, counsel, 

fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.  Those come from Isaiah 11:

Isaiah 11:2
King James Version (KJV)
2 And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of 

the fear of the Lord;

But maybe we can correlate them.

Expression of wisdom-wisdom

Expression of knowledge-knowledge

Faith-piety, fear of the Lord

Healing-understanding

Mighty deeds-fortitude

Prophecy-counsel

Varieties of Tongues-wisdom, knowledge

Interpretation of Tongues-understanding, counsel

The only pairing I have trouble with is healing and understanding.  I know 

that frequently, understanding someone's problems brings about healing of 

emotional distress.  Perhaps understanding also brings about the healing of

physical ailments?  

Gospel
Jn 2:1-11

There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee,
and the mother of Jesus was there.

Mary attended a wedding in Cana along with her Son.

Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.
When the wine ran short,
the mother of Jesus said to him,
“They have no wine.”

During the celebration, they ran out of wine.  And Mary mentioned this to Jesus.

And Jesus said to her,
“Woman, how does your concern affect me?

Many take Jesus' response as one of hesitance to obey His mother.  But I read it as feigned surprise.  Jesus is chiding His mother.  As though to say, "Don't you want to wait a couple more years?"  That's why His next words are:

My hour has not yet come.”

In other words, "why don't you wait until I'm crucified to give me permission to begin my ministry?"

Jesus has been anxious to begin His ministry since the time He slipped off to the Temple as a child.  He can't believe His ears that His mother is giving Him permission to perform His first public miracle.

His mother said to the servers,“Do whatever he tells you.”

I envision Mary, with an understanding smile waving at the servers and giving them the direction to do whatever Jesus wants.

This is also a veiled direction to us, to do the will of her Son, to whom she always points.

Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings,
each holding twenty to thirty gallons.
Jesus told the them,
“Fill the jars with water.”

In those days, Jewish homes kept several big jars for ceremonial washings.  Apparently, the feet of guests were frequently washed with this water.  Jesus told the servers to fill them with water.

So they filled them to the brim.
Then he told them,
“Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.”

Jesus then instructed them to take some of the water out of the jars and take it to the Wedding Planner, the person in charge of the ceremonies.

So they took it.
And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine,
without knowing where it came from
— although the servers who had drawn the water knew —,
the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him,
“Everyone serves good wine first,
and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one;
but you have kept the good wine until now.”

When the Wedding Planner tasted the wine, he assumed that the bridegroom had saved the best wine for last.  Not realizing that Jesus had made wine from the water.

Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee
and so revealed his glory,
and his disciples began to believe in him.

And this was the first of Christ's miracles to begin His ministry.

January 19, 2013

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« January 18  |  January 20 »

Saturday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 310

Reading 1 from St. Paul's epistle to the Hebrews
Heb 4:12-16

The word of God is living and effective,
sharper than any two-edged sword,
penetrating even between soul and spirit,
joints and marrow,
and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.

The Word of God is contained in two media.  In the Sacred Scriptures.  And in the Sacred Traditions of the Catholic Church.

No creature is concealed from him,
but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him
to whom we must render an account.

God sees everything and everyone is exposed to His eyes.

Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God,
let us hold fast to our confession.
For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but one who has similarly been tested in every way,
yet without sin.
So let us confidently approach the throne of grace
to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.

Have you ever said, "He is God.  He doesn't know how we feel!"  Jesus Christ is God made flesh.  Because He is God and man.  He has felt everything we felt and suffered more.  He understands our weaknesses.  

Responsorial Psalm
PS 19:8, 9, 10, 15

R.(see John 6:63c) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart
find favor before you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

The Commandments are written in our hearts.  God also wrote them with His finger on a stone.  The metaphor is poignant.  Our hearts are made of stone.

The Commandments are the foundation of all morality.  Any transgression of the Commandments is sin.  Therefore it is important for us to know the Commandments so as to know the will of God.  

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark
Mk 2:13-17

Jesus went out along the sea.
All the crowd came to him and he taught them.
As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus,
sitting at the customs post.
Jesus said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followed Jesus.

St. Matthew, the Evangelist, is Levi the son of Alphaeus.  He dropped everything and followed Jesus.

While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples;
for there were many who followed him.
Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with sinners
and tax collectors and said to his disciples,
“Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus heard this and said to them,
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

The Pharisees were opposed to Jesus befriending sinners.  But Jesus said to them that it sinners who need healing.  The righteous have their reward.

Jesus also said it in another way, here:

John 9:41
Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

January 18, 2013

USCCB »  Bible »  Daily Readings

« January 17  |  January 19 »

Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 309

Reading 1 from St. Paul's epistle to the Hebrews
Heb 4:1-5, 11

Let us be on our guard
while the promise of entering into his rest remains,
that none of you seem to have failed.
For in fact we have received the Good News just as our ancestors did.
But the word that they heard did not profit them,
for they were not united in faith with those who listened.

Interesting.  It is a warning to fallen away Catholics and to non-Catholics.  We have all heard the good news.  But they have not been united in faith with the Catholic Church (i.e. those who listened).

For we who believed enter into that rest,
just as he has said:
As I swore in my wrath,
“They shall not enter into my rest,”
and yet his works were accomplished
at the foundation of the world.

Another interesting point.  This is a reference to the Creation.  God rested on the Seventh Day.  The Sabbath.  How, then, do we enter into His rest?

Genesis 2:2
And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

I don't know.  I surmise that we enter into His rest by becoming members of His Body, the Church, when we are Baptized.

I know, I know.  That doesn't make sense.  For that to make sense, we have to add a little bit more of Scripture.

First, God did not rest period.  In other words, God rested from "the work He made".  But God did not stop working.  Jesus said:

John 5:16-17
King James Version (KJV)
16 And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

I don't really know what it means that "God rested from the work He made" because, if we look around, the world is still being created.  And Scripture tells us that God works through us.  And Jesus confirms above, that God continues to work, to this day.

Second,  I think though, there is a difference.  God is working to this day through the mechanisms He put in place at the creation.  He sustains everything but all things are continuing on according to the laws which He established.  So, in that sense, God is resting.

Third, we enter into His rest when we begin to obey the Law which He put into our hearts which He later wrote with His finger upon stone.  We enter into His rest when we begin to obey His Word.

Fourth, and His Word is Jesus Christ.  The Body of Christ is the Church.  And we enter the Church in Baptism.

That's the best I can do.

For he has spoken somewhere about the seventh day in this manner,
And God rested on the seventh day from all his works;and again, in the previously mentioned place,
They shall not enter into my rest.
Therefore, let us strive to enter into that rest,
so that no one may fall after the same example of disobedience.

Do you see the key here?  Disobedience.  Or to put it positively, obedience.  If we obey God, we enter into His rest.  God rests when we do the works which He commanded.

Now you see why St. Peter said:

2 Peter 3:15-17
King James Version (KJV)
15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

Responsorial Psalm
PS 78:3 and 4bc, 6c-7, 8

R.(see 7b) Do not forget the works of the Lord!

What we have heard and know,
and what our fathers have declared to us,
we will declare to the generation to come
The glorious deeds of the LORD and his strength.

R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!

That they too may rise and declare to their sons
that they should put their hope in God,
And not forget the deeds of God
but keep his commands.

R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!

And not be like their fathers,
a generation wayward and rebellious,
A generation that kept not its heart steadfast
nor its spirit faithful toward God.

R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!

The sense in which this is written, the Jewish sense, is that we should not forget that God worked tremendous miracles in the Creation of the world, Noah's flood and in the Exodus of the Jews.  But there is a Christian sense also.  The Sacraments are the mighty works of God.  Do not forget them.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark
Mk 2:1-12

When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days,
it became known that he was at home.
Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them,
not even around the door,
and he preached the word to them.

In Capernaum, so many were gathered around Jesus that there was no longer room.

They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd,
they opened up the roof above him.

But four men carried a paralytic to Him and though they couldn't get around the crowd, they made a hole in the roof.

After they had broken through,
they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him,
“Child, your sins are forgiven.”

When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Your sins are forgiven."

Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves,
“Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming.
Who but God alone can forgive sins?”

The Scribes immediately charged Him with blasphemy.

Jesus immediately knew in his mind what
they were thinking to themselves,
so he said, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say to the paralytic,
‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk’?
But that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth”
–he said to the paralytic,
“I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.”
He rose, picked up his mat at once,
and went away in the sight of everyone.

But Jesus challenged them.  What is easier for man?  To say, "your sins are forgiven or rise and walk?
For man it is impossible to say "rise and walk" to a paralytic.  But Jesus is God.  And so, when He said to the paralytic, "rise and walk", he did so.  And that is the proof that his sins were forgiven.

Nothing is impossible for God.

They were all astounded
and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”

Everyone was astonished at what they had just seen.