XXII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – CYCLE B 2018

The theme for the  XXII Sunday in Ordinary time is the law given by our God and Father, the law of life and liberty, which requires from us to abide it in freedom, which is the only way to live in the law of love.   

The three readings speak to us about this same theme. It is not enough to hear and to know intellectually, we need to care for the needs of our sisters and brothers.  

THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY

Ø  In the Hebrew Scriptures this book is called “These are the words” and in the Greek translation it has been given the name of Deuteronomy: deuterons [second] nomos [law]  

Ø  We find this book after the Book of Numbers and it is the fifth book of the Pentateuch (5 books) which is the name we give to the 5 first books of the Bible, and our Jewish brothers call it the Torah or the Law.  

Ø  “These words” are the words of Moses to the people before the entrance into the promised land, words written in different literary styles, especially in legal vocabulary.  

Ø  The book is organized in 4 speeches pronounced by Moses, who is introduced to us as leader, prophet and legislator.   

Ø  The biblical tradition likes to have important characters say the teachings the author wants to convey in his work, these characters are not necessarily the authors of these teachings. This is the case of the Book of Deuteronomy.     

Ø  The reformation found in the Book of Deuteronomy 

o   Centralization of worship which brings the   

o   Centralization of justice and  of

o   Other religious and social measures.      

FIRST READING : Dt 4:1-2.6-8

«  In the previous chapters, Moses makes a synthesis of the history of the people.  

«  In truth it is not Moses who makes either the synthesis or the speech, but the different authors of the book. 

«  Israel is asked to listen to the commandments and decrees which Moses teaches them in the name of God

«  On fulfilling the precepts and decrees, they will be able to enter and live in the land that God promised their fathers.   

«  Israel cannot take from or add to the law that Moses has taught them in the name of God.    

o   Nothing can be taken from the Law because God is the LAW, which He has given them for their wellbeing, only God knows what is good for us.  

o   Nothing can be added to the law, because whatever we add is the fruit of our pride, which inclines us to be willing “to be like gods.”   

o   The Law is God’s and not ours. We cannot make it either easier or more difficult.  

«  Our wisdom and prudence is found in acting according to the precepts of God.   

«  The author of this part of the book makes a question: what people what nation is there that has gods so close to it as the Lord, our God, is to us?

Yes, anyone who follows the law, which God has put in the heart of every human being, realizes that he or she is very close to God who guides and protects him or her.   

Responsorial Psalm Ps 15:2-3, 3-4, 4-5

  The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
Whoever walks blamelessly and does justice;
who thinks the truth in his heart
and slanders not with his tongue.
The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord
Who harms not his fellow man,
nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;
by whom the reprobate is despised,
while he honors those who fear the LORD.
The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord
Who lends not his money at usury
and accepts no bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
shall never be disturbed.
The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord

      The psalmist asks himself LORD WHO CAN ABIDE IN YOUR TENT?  That is, who can be near you abiding in your home, living with you?    

And he answers to his question mentioning a list of behaviors who respond to what God has prescribed in his Law.   This means that those who abide in God and God in them are those who live their lives according to the will of God revealed in the Law.     

GOSPEL OF MARK  7:1-8.14-15.21-23

ü  In this reading, we witness a discussion between the Teachers of the Law and Jesus. 

ü  The Teachers of the law are scandalized, angry, worried because the disciples eat without having previously washed their hand. In truth, they are questioning the behavior of Jesus, but they only mention his disciples.   

ü  Jesus answers with vehemence quoting Isaiah 29:13.   

ü  Jesus attacks the worship that man/woman have invented ignoring what God has said.   

ü  We may discover this same passion against the worship invented to falsely quiet down our hearts, not worshiping our Father in Is 1:10-20.   

ü  We follow very carefully the liturgical laws, which we have invented ourselves; but at the same time, we forget about the fraternal love, in justice and respect for our brothers and sisters who suffer, are exploited, and humiliated.  

ü  We recite prayers, which is a good thing to do, but at the same time we do not question the many discriminations that we have inside our heart, the pride and self-contentment when we judge ourselves better than the rest, because we are in the church, how we ignore those whom we do not like or who are difficult for us.   

ü  But Jesus invites us day after day to be like Him, to act like Him who gave his life for his friends and also for his enemies, for all. Jesus loves all of us, those I like and those I do not like.        

ü  To live as Jesus invites us to, we need to allow him to free us in order to be free, only then we will be able to live according to the commandments.    

 

LETTER FROM JAMES

§  The seven letters which are not from Paul: James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1,2,3 John and Judas, are called Catholic Letters since the second century.    

§  Apparently, there is no specific reason to call them with this name apart from considering them universal letters addressed to the Church.   

§  In the New Testament we find several characters called James:   

o   James the son of Zebedee and brother of John   (Mk 1:17; 3,17; Hch 1:22)

o   James the son of Alpheus   (Mk 3:18; Hch 1:13

o   James the brother of the Lord    (Gal 1:19; 2:9)

  

SECOND READING Jas 1:17-18;21-27

o   James reminds all those who have been baptized, that everything  that we have, has  been given by God, the giver of all that is good.   

o   God has chosen us as the first fruits of his creatures.  

o   He invites us also to accept with docility, that is with pleasure and thanksgiving, the word that the same God has sowed in us.  Word, which is the Gospel of Jesus.   

o   The Word is not only to be heard, it is to be put into action, this means according to love (to visit the orphans, the widows in their tribulations…) We may do a list of all those who wait for our love, in our society, in our faith community, in our family, at our work. 

o   God does not need our plans, our programs, our courses, etc. we are the ones who need them. God needs that I love every human being and this will lead me to do good to everyone, according to what every person needs from me.   

CLARETIAN CORNER    

Beginning with the day of my profession    (August 27 1855)  I say to Your Most Illustrious Lordship   [Caixal] that when His Illustrious Excellency  [Claret] put the crown  I felt a weight so extraordinary on my head that it make bend, and naturally the crown weighed very little since it was formed by very fine flowers.  As I wondered about the great weight, Our Lord told me “This is my daughter, the burden that you carry of the Reformation of my Church; and His Divine Majesty called me three times “my spouse” with great love making me understand that the Eternal Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit loved me much: And Our Lord said to me “My daughter: from now on I want to be in the midst of your heart as on my own throne:” and he rewarded with so much grace to have been waiting for so many years this sacred betrothal that His Majesty  wanted  to celebrate it for eight days in a row keeping the sacramental species from one communion to another, grace which had my soul as it were away from me  and it seemed that it had its resting place and dwelling in the center of the Sacred Heart of my God and Lord.  I say  «in the center of my God’s Heart»,  because it did not seem to me that God was in my heart, but I saw as if myself, body and soul, was within the Sacred Heart of my God and Lord.  Venerable  María Antonia París, Foundress. Report to Caixal 9.     

His Holiness grants faculty to  His Most Illustrious Excellency who through his discretion and conscience may admit to the Religious Profession the supplicant Virgins, on the twenty seventh  day of August of the present year 1855,  infra Missam (within the Mass), that His Most Illustrious Excellency celebrated having been especially authorized; being forty one years old she made the solemn perpetual vows of Poverty, Obedience, Cloister and Chastity.  And she received the veil of the Order of St. Benedict, adopted as the most appropriate for this Institute, being present the already mentioned Presbyters Rev.  José Manuel Díaz Hevia and Rv.Paladio Curríus. And being the truth, and for the record, the new and first Professed Sister of the Institute signs, with the His Most Illustrious Excellency Archbishop already mentioned.

Anthony Mary Claret, Archbishop of Cuba.     María Antonia de San Pedro   (from the Act of the Profession of María Antonia) 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

ALVAREZ, GOMEZ. History of the Religious of Mary Immaculate Claretian Missionary Sisters, ch6 

DESCLÉES DE BROUWER. Biblia de Jerusalén, nueva edición totalmente renovada

PARIS, María Antonia. “Report to Caixa”  

RAVASSI, Gianfranco. Según las Escrituras. Año B. Bogotá Colombia 2005

SAGRADA BIBLIA, versión oficial de la Conferencia Episcopal Española. Madrid 2011

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