The teaching in the first reading and the Gospel
is about love and fidelity in marriage.
The teaching in the Second reading is about
Jesus High Priest of the New Covenant.
FIRST READING : Gn 2:18-24
THE BOOK OF GENESIS
« Genesis
is the name of the Greek translation, in Hebrew this book is called Beresit
= In the beginning.
« It
is the about the origins. It has two parts well defined: the first is about the
origins of the universe, and of the human race; the second is about the origins
of the people of Israel.
« The
book has narrations and genealogies of the forefathers of Israel.
« Chapters
1 to 11 have mythical traits, like it is found in the literature of the surroundings
countries.
« Myths
are part of the system of belief of a given culture or a community, which
considers them to be true. Very often myths try to explain the origins either
of the culture or of the world.
« In
Genesis the sacred authors borough the myths of the surrounding peoples,
modified them according to the faith in the true God. Through the first 11 chapters of Genesis
Israel wants to communicate a message of faith: God is the creator who creates
through his Word.
« In
these 11 chapters we find different characters: Adam as the first man created
by God. Noah the just man. Adam represents the human race created by God.
Noah represents the human race saved by God, he is like a new Adam, since the
flood is the story of a new beginning.
SUNDAY READING
§ God
is introduced to us talking to himself and realizing that man cannot be
alone.
§ Afterwards
the text explains how God molded with clay all the animals, man gave name to
all of them, but he could not share his life with either one.
§
God
creates the woman from the man.
§
Adam is in awe in front of the beauty of that
creature that goes beyond his expectations and he exclaims: This is bone of my
bones and flesh of my flesh! That is she is like me.
§ The first human couple has appeared in
history. The human couple united in love and positively surprised on
looking at each other, this is the first matrimony.
§ The
sacred text continues saying that this is why the man will leave his family of
origin and will unite himself to the woman, and thus they will become one
flesh.
§ This
union is born from love, and the strength of the commitment which comes from
this human covenant goes beyond the bonds of blood that we have with the family
we were born in. The text says: man will abandon his father and mother…
RESPONSORIAL PSALM - Ps. 128 HAPPY THE MAN WHO FEARS THE LORD.
ü The happiness of the man who fears the Lord is
his wife, his children and his work.
ü The blessing of this man is to have been
blessed by the Lord in Zion, and to see the prosperity of the holy city
Jerusalem all the days of his life.
GOSPEL Mk 10:2-16
« This
Sunday the liturgy allows the priest to read the short version of the Gospel. This
commentary will be based on the short reading which is about marriage and
divorce.
« Jesus
leaves Galilee and goes to Jerusalem, where, according to his words he will
suffer, die and raise again.
« The Pharisees
want to know the opinion of Jesus on Dt 24:1 about divorce.
« The interpreters
of this passage said that a man could give a document of divorce to his wife
for any reason.
« Jesus
asks them what did Moses say, and explains to them that divorce was granted to
them because their hearts were stubborn and they did not understand the mind of
the Creator on this matter.
« He
reminds them about the text in Genesis on marriage. We have already discussed
this in the first reading.
« If
it is true that the Word has to be adapted to the cultures, times and circumstances,
there are some truths which are fundamental and cannot be changed, like:
The equal dignity of man and woman.
Love, foundation of any conjugal union.
Jesus insists on the fidelity to this love
covenant.
Marriage is a covenant in love which implies equality
of rights, dignity and duties, and excludes any
relationship based on dominion of one over the other.
SECOND READING 2:8-11
THE LETTER TO THE
HEBREWS
Ø The
letter to the Hebrews is not really a letter, its literary genre is not that of
a letter, it is an exhortation as we read in 13:22 of this letter
Ø It
is one of the most important theological writings of the New Testament.
It has the doctrine on Christ as the High Priest of the New
Covenant. The sacrificial value of his death receives in this book its
definitive formulation.
Ø It
does not seem to be written by Paul, although for a long period of time it has been called Letter of Paul to…
Ø The
style is not Paul’s, however the themes are very close to Paul’s Christology.
Ø Some
authors believe that the author could be Apollo, whom we know from other books
of the New Testament.
Ø In the
liturgy the question about the
authorship of this book has been solved calling it “Letter to the Hebrews” without mentioning the author whom we do not
know.
SUNDAY READING
ü One
of the messages of this text is the solidarity between Jesus and all men and
women.
ü His
death has brought salvation to all.
ü Because
the Creator wants that all his children participate in his glory, in his joy,
and in his happiness forever.
ü The
author goes on saying that it was fitting that he, for whom and through whom
all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the leader of
their salvation perfect through suffering.
ü This
sentence makes us thing about the value of pain and suffering which we try to
avoid because we do not understand the meaning of it.
ü The
sanctifier and the sanctified have the same human condition, thus he is not
ashamed to call us “his brothers and his sisters.”
ü The
beauty of this text goes beyond our ability to grasp the meaning of the Word God is saying to us.
CLARETIAN CORNER
Once, I was somehow worried thinking how to maintain a house with so
many people since, at the same time, nine young ladies had come to receive the holy habit, so poor that they
did not bring me not even one peseta, and with so miserable clothes that some –
most of them – could not change. On the other hand I knew very soon that among
them, only two were industrious, all the others were fond of rest and comfort.
This fact, more than their poverty, was the cause of my distress, because I like
them poor but diligent.
Venerable
María Antonia París, Foundress of the Claretian Missionary Sisters. Aut. 88.
The Apostles, who were taught by the Divine Master
Himself, all had the virtue of meekness, practiced it them selves, and taught
others, especially priests, to practice it. Thus St. James says to any of us
who thinks he is wise and understanding enough to teach others, "Let him
show this in practice through a humility filled with good sense. Should you
instead nurse bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, at least
refrain from arrogant and false claims against the truth. Wisdom like this does
not come from above. It is earthbound, a kind of animal, even devilish, cunning.
Saint Anthony Mary Claret, Founder of the Claretian Missionary Sisters. Autobiography
375.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
CLARET,
Antonio María. Autobiografía.
PARIS,
María Antonia. Autobiografía en Escritos.
PAGOLA, José A. Following in the Footsteps of Jesus – Meditations on the Gospel for
Year B.
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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