XIV SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – CYCLE A – 2017

Ø  The themes of the Liturgy for the  last two Sundays   have been about the following, how the disciple is supposed to be and what it means to follow the Teacher.   

o   On the XII Sunday we heard Jeremiah complaining with God because God did not tell him the consequences of following him,   his friends and fellow citizens, whom he loved dearly, turned their back against him.   

o   On the XIII Sunday our Teacher spoke to us about the need to do good for love of God,  love of the Lord and love for human kind.   

Ø  The readings today will teach something else to us: humility and meekness. Let us listen to and reflect in our the heart. 

FIRST READING – Zec 9:9-10

Who was the prophet Zecchariah?  

v His name means “The Lord remembers” or “May the Lord remember.”    

v It seems that he belonged to a priestly family,  he had a great interest in the temple.   

v His work has two parts:  the first is of a prophet called Zechariah it goes from c.1 to c. 8  and chapters 9-14 were written in another time and the author has been called Second Zechariah.       

v The prophet of the first part is considered to be the pioneer of the apocalyptic visions, in his visions we discover fantastic elements ( red horses, women with wings…) and the presence and action of a divine messenger.   

v The time of his mission was October 520 B.C. to December 518 B.C.   

v His message like the message of all the prophets is very much related to the political situation of his people.   

v Zechariah agrees with the reconstruction of the temple and of the monarchy, but acknowledges the ethical requirements of faith.   

v Maybe we can say that he wants a reconstruction of what in the past had helped the people, and it seems that he does not see the needs under the light of the future.   

v The second Zechariah cc. 9-14 was written by another prophet as we have said above, this prophet wrote between the years 330 B.C. to 300 B.C.

v Although there are many authors who think that this part was written in the time of the Persian domination  on the  V century before the missions of Nehemiah and Ezra, before the reconstruction.  

Message  of the reading for this Sunday     

ü  Daughter Zion, the city of Jerusalem, is invited to rejoice, why? Her king comes humble and meek.   

ü  These qualities are reflected on what he is riding, an ass not a horse, which was considered to be the symbol of power, dominion, and human pride.    

ü  This humble and meek king will destroy; eliminate war, violence from the midst of his people.  This is symbolized inn the elimination of war chariots and, the bows and arrows. 

ü  He will proclaim peace not only for his people, but for the entire human race.   

 RESPONSORIAL PSALM- Ps 144: 1-2. 8-9. 10-11. 13cd-14

R.   I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
 The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
 Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
 The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.

     The psalmist will praise and bless God day after day.    

     Because God is compassionate, merciful, generous, faithful,  slow to anger, his love is for all his creatures, he gives support and relieves those who are burdened.   

     What a wonderful litany of who God is.   

     The psalmist invites everyone to praise and bless God.      

GOSPEL Mt 11:25-30

§  These verses reveal to us the messianic prayer of Jesus before the surprising revelation of God to the dispossessed of this world.

§  Salvation does not depend on the knowledge we may have of the biblical texts and of the other articles of our faith, but on the capability to discover the path of God in history and the availability to accept his call.   

§  Together with the transfiguration, this is one of the highest  points of the Gospel.    

§  We can discover in this text an exultant joy,  fruit of his experience of God as Father.   

§  Jesus invites all the  broken hearted, the overwhelmed by suffering all those excluded by the social and religious mechanisms of our society; and he offers them to carry another yoke, another  load: the yoke of freedom which requires humility and meekness

SECOND READING  Rom 8:9. 11-13

o   Paul reminds the community of Rome that they are in the spirit not in the flesh, that is to say, that they live for God if they have opened up to the Spirit of God who lives in them.  

o   Because if we have the Spirit of Jesus, of God, we belong to him.     

o   And the One who raised Jesus from the dead, will also raise us up.  

o   Paul invites again to live according to the spirit, and not according to the demands of the flesh.    

o   This entails to live a truly  human and honest life,  and not a life of sin that dehumanizes  us.   

CLARETIAN CORNER

Most Reverend  Antonio María Claret y Clará

The grace of the Holy Spirit be with Y.E. (your excellency). Amen. My most dear Father; the anxiety of all the members of this community to know of your  arrival to the secure port, does not allow me to wait longer before writing to you, hoping that by the grace of God you have already arrived to your destination.    

I wish and ask the Lord every day for the health of Y.E. May the Lord grant that if it is for his glory,  the change of climate you will experience,  may not affect your health, and may Our Lord give you the grace to counteract the great beast which is roaring.    

I am eagerly awaiting your determination to move to the House of Formation, which is so much  needed, as you know, and everyday I see more clearly that we should not  lose any more time.   María Antonia París letter to  Saint  Anthony Mary Claret,   Santiago de Cuba,   Junio 2  1857.