Sunday, September 16, 2012

XXV SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – CYCLE B – SEPTEMBER 23, 2012

In the Gospel of Mark for the XXV Sunday in Ordinary time, Jesus is teaching again his disciples the hard and difficult lesson about loving service for the sake of those who need us.  

The Messiah we meet this week is the Messiah who is solidary with those who suffer, are oppressed, and persecuted by the political dominant system.   

FIRST READING : Wis 2:12.17-20
Ø  In the Septuagint, Greek translation of  the Hebrew Bible,  this book is called Wisdom of Solomon, while in the Latin edition of the Vulgata it is called Wisdom. 
 
Ø  We do not know the author, to introduce him as Solomon is a fiction, based on the Jewish biblical tradition that attributes to Solomon a superior wisdom, considering him the prototype of the wise person. 

Ø  Although we ignore the identity of the author, we may deduce from the book itself that he was a profoundly religious Jew who was living in Alexandria.      

Ø  We perceive in the book the author’s fidelity to his Jewish culture and at the same time his openness to the dialogue with the surrounding culture.    

SUNDAY’S READING
Ø  The impious talk and say that they want to eliminate the just man, because he reproaches them their behavior. He is a reproach for them not by his words but by his life, he is a continuous accusation of their evil action, which are in contradiction with what they have been taught by their elders.  

Ø  They want to see if what the just man says about being son of God is true. If God is his father he will deliver him from their hands.  

Ø  Thus they will mistreat him, torture him, and put him to a shameful death to destroy his trust in God.   

Ø  These words are like an echo of the Reading about the suffering Servant in the book of Isaiah, which we read last Sunday. But the Servant continues to trust in God and he summons his torturers to come forward and confront each other, because the Just man knows that God is with him, even if it seems that he is alone in his suffering.  

Ø  What a beautiful image of faith! What appropriate! it is for our preparation before beginning the Year of Faith which Benedict XVI invites us to celebrate.   

RESPONSORIAL PSALM  – Ps 54  THE LORD UPHOLDS MY LIFE   
The just man prays to God in his suffering: 
§  He asks to be heard and helped 
§  Because:

o   Men without God have risen against him  

o   O God! You are my helper, repay them according to their deeds.

o   O God! I thank you because you are good; you have heard me and have delivered me.  

He began his prayer asking for help, at the end of his prayer he gives thanks to God for the help he has received.   

GOSPEL Mk  9:30-37
«  Last week we began the second part of Mark’s Gospel.  Jesus accepts Peter’s confession about him being the Christ, the Messiah.  After that confession Jesus starts to teach his disciples about discipleship, and what does it mean that He, Jesus, is the Messiah.  To this end he announces to them his death and his resurrection.   

«  Today Jesus teaches his second lesson on discipleship, announcing again his death and resurrection. 

«  They do not understand the meaning of Jesus’ words, but they do not ask, instead they talk among them without reaching the right answer.  

«  Jesus hears them, he knows what they are discussing about. Since he wants to teach them a very important lesson, he first asks them about their conversation on the way, so they will be  part of the teaching Jesus wants to give to them.  

«  They remain silent because they  know that  the Teacher  does not want honors either for him or for them  

«  They were discussing to find our WHO WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT AMONG THEM? 

*      Jesus is going to teach a lesson that will puzzle them again. 

*      This lesson is going to be practical. Jesus calls a child, puts him at the center of the circle of the apostles. To call a child and pay attention to him is already a surprising action. A child in the Jewish world as well as in the rest of the ancient cultures, was nobody, he was not even considered to be a real person.   

*      With kindness but firmly Jesus tells them that in order to be the first one must make himself the last, and the servant of all. 

*      Afterwards putting his arms around the child Jesus tells them that whoever receives someone like this child receives him. Who is the one like the child? The poor, the beggar, the widow, the orphan, the marginalized. These words remind us about the Gospel of Matthew: I was hungry, thirsty; naked… you did it to me.  

*      The last part of this lesson is awesome, who welcomes Jesus, welcomes not Jesus but the Father. 

*      Thank you Lord for this lesson. It will take a while until we can understand and accept it, but we will try.   

SECOND READING  Js 3:16-4,3
*      James continues teaching the Christian values to his community. 

*      Where there is envy there is also disorder and malice, sin. 

o   True wisdom is:  pure, peaceable, gentle

o   Leading to a true friendship with God and with all humankind.    

*      The person who sows peace, harvests justice.  

*      James continues saying that the violence which is found in the community comes from their evil desires. 

*      The conclusion is that they ask but they do not receive, because they ask for the wrong things, and thus with this frustration violence increases.

 
CLARETIAN CORNER

 

On a feast day of St. Peter and St. Paul, after holy communion I went to the gallery, so as to be able to talk alone with my God about the work He has entrusted me and the great difficulties I saw in its execution. I did not dare to tell our Lord that it was impossible for me, because I always had firm, by the grace of God, the certitude of the power of God in his creatures. Venerable María Antonia París, Foundress of the Claretian Missionary Sisters. Autobiography 35a 

Meekness is one sign of a vocation to be an apostolic missionary. When God sent Moses, he gave him the grace and virtue of meekness. Jesus Christ was meekness itself, and because of this virtue He is called the Lamb. The prophets foretold that He would be so mild that He would neither break the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flax;  that he would be persecuted, calumniated, and covered with reproaches and yet remain as one without a tongue and say nothing.  What patience and meekness! Yes, by his labors, his suffering, his silence and death on the Cross, He redeemed us and taught us how we must act to save the souls He has entrusted to us. Saint Anthony Mary Claret, Founder of the Claretian Missionary Sisters.  Autobiography 373.  

BIBLIOGRAPHY
CLARET, Antonio María. Autobiography.
PARIS, María Antonia. Autobiography.  
RAVASI, GIANFRANCO. Según las Escrituras – Año B. Traducido por Justiniano Beltrán. Bogotá 2005.
SAGRADA BIBLIA. Versión oficial de la Conferencia Episcopal Española.
SCHÖKEL, Luis Alonso. LA BIBLIA DE NUESTRO PUEBLO. Misioneros Claretianos. China 2008.

 

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