XXII
SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – CYCLE C - 2019
The
theme of our celebration is humility, which is the same as truth and wisdom. We
will listen to the words of Ben Sirach
in the first reading, and of Jesus, our teacher, in the Gospel.
THE
BOOK OF SIRACH OR ECCLESIASTICUS
·
It is a wisdom
book which is part of the deuterocanonical
books, the books of the second list. These are the books that the people of Israel
do not recognize as revealed by God, they were written in foreign lands in
Greek, not in Hebrew. Our brothers and sisters from other Christian traditions
do not acknowledge them either as part of the canonical books.
·
For us in the
Christian of Catholic tradition this book (Ecclesiasticus) is counted among the
revealed books.
·
It is part of the
wisdom literature, so common in the Middle East.
·
Contrary to what
was believed the original book, was written not in Greek but in Hebrew by a man
known as Simon son of Jesus, who was the grand- father of the man who
translated the book into the Greek language. (see foreword of the Catholic Study Bible)
·
In chapter 51, the
author Simon son of Jesus says that he has looked for wisdom with passion and
this is the wisdom he shares with the reader.
FIRST READING Sir 3:17-18, 20-, 28-29
The
author addresses someone as "my son" It can be his real son or it may
also be the way an elder person speaks to a younger one.
v
He gives the
following counsels:
ü
Humility, the reward of conducting oneself with humility will be
the love of those who know him or her, they will love him more than they love
those who make gifts.
ü
If you are
greater, humble yourself the more.
ü
Avoid what is beyond
your possibilities
ü
a listening
ear gives joy to the wise.
this listening is not of anything, not of gossips, not
of novelties...
in Scripture a listening ear means to be attentive to
what God is saying to us through the
events of life, through other persons and through creation, it has the same
meaning as obedience.
The joy comes to us when we listen to God and obey
him, even when we experience suffering because of that obedience, there is an
inner peace.
ü
The reading ends
with the sentence " water quenches the fire, alms atone for sin."
RESPONSORIAL PSAL - Ps 68:4-5, 6-7, 10-11
GOD
IN YOUR GOODNESS, YOU HAVE MADE A HOME FOR THE POOR.
The just rejoice and exult before God;
they are glad and rejoice
Sing to God, chant praise to his name;
whose name is the Lord.
GOD
IN YOUR GOODNESS, YOU HAVE MADE A HOME FOR THE POOR.
The father of orphans and the defender of widows
is God in his holy dwelling.
God gives a home to the forsaken;
he leads forth prisoners to prosperity.
GOD
IN YOUR GOODNESS, YOU HAVE MADE A HOME FOR THE POOR.
A bountiful rain you showered down, O God,
upon your inheritance
you restored the land when it languished;
your flock settled in it;
in your goodness, O God, you provided it for the
needy.
GOD
IN YOUR GOODNESS, YOU HAVE MADE A HOME FOR THE POOR.
GOSPEL - LUKE 14:1,7-14
Ø
Like the past Sundays, we hear Jesus teaching what
is the Kingdom and how are we supposed to behave in the kingdom, which has
already begun on earth.
Ø
Luke tells us
that Jesus recommended humility, as a way to behave in relationship with
others.
Ø
The first reading
invited us to live a simple life without ambitions or looking for what goes
beyond our capacities.
Ø
Humility
according to St. Therese of Avila, is the same as truth.
Ø
The root of this
word
o
is the Latin word
humus which means dust of the earth.
o
We have been made
from the same matter as the rest of creation.
o
It is the
transforming love of God who has transformed our mud into light,
o
into divine life
which he has given to us, and which he is willing to continue giving to all and
everyone.
Ø
Let us listen to
the teaching of Jesus, what he tells us as he sees the guest at the wedding
looking for the first seats, those who are closer to the married couple.
Ø Jesus says to us:
·
If you go to a
wedding banquet do not sit at the place of honor
·
Why? Very simple,
if these sits have been assigned to other people by the owner of the house, he
will ask you to move back and give your sit to the person for whom it has been
reserved.
·
You will feel
shame and will have to stand up and go to a lower place.
·
However, if you
sit at the last place, then you will have the chance to move to a higher place.
·
If we think
higher of us than what we really are, we will suffer a lot of humiliations, but
if we recognize who we are, simple and lowly persons created and loved by God, then the Lord will honor us.
·
After that
parable Jesus says some words that always make us wonder, because we do not fully
understand what do they mean.
· Do not invite those who can repay you... relatives,
friends, important persons... What is wrong about inviting them to a dinner in our
home? Does
not friendship grow through those celebrations?
·
Yes, but Jesus
does not say that, he is simply saying that we should not take advantage of
other people, inviting them to get something from them.
·
The list of
guests he mentions is the image of those who cannot pay us back: lame, poor,
blind...
·
Blessed are you
because they cannot repay you, it is the heavenly Father who will repay you on
the last day, the day of the retribution because you have served your brothers
and sisters in need.
SECOND READING : Heb 12:18-19,22-24a
This passage of the letter to the Hebrews, offers to
us the contrast between the theophanies of the Old Covenant, and those of the
New Covenant.
In the Old Covenant the theophanies to the patriarchs,
during the exodus, to the prophets are always described by means of terrifying
natural phenomena. It is a way to explain to us that God is THE OTHER,
transcendent, whom we cannot approach or touch.
The description of the presence of God among us in the
New Covenant are through the person of a simple man, Jesus, the carpenter of
Nazareth, known as the son of Joseph and of Mary, who lived a life like the life of any Israelite of his
time with simplicity and fidelity.
This man so simple is the Second Person of the Trinity
who comes to us under kind and attractive signs.
This man is the mediator of the New Covenant which is
so different from the Old one in its manifestations.
So, that is what happened a few
days after my profession: he was told that he had to be the angel of the
Apocalypse. He himself told me this (full of admiration and astonishment) the
day he came to say goodbye for the visit – I think it was November 1 1855, and
I made my profession on August 27 of the same year. Venerable María Antonia
Paris, Foundress of the Claretian Missionary Sisters. Autobiography 80
During these same years of
my childhood and youth, I had a very warm devotion toward the Blessed Virgin
Mary. I only wish that I had the same devotion now. To use Rodriguez's
comparison, I am
like those old servants in great houses who hardly do anything and, like old
pots and pans, are kept in the household more out of pity and charity than for
any great usefulness. That is how I am in the service of the Queen of heaven
and earth: she puts up with me out of pure charity. To show that this is the
plain truth, without the least exaggeration, I am going to relate what I used
to do in honor of Mary Most Holy. St. Anthony Mary Claret, Founder of the
Claretian Missionary Sisters. Autobiography 43.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
CLARET, Anthony Mary , Autobiography.
PARIS, María Antonia, Autobiography
RAVASI, Gianfranco, Según las
Escrituras, Año C.
SCHÖKEL, Luis
Alonso, Commentary to the Biblia de
nuestro Pueblo
PAGOLA, José A. Following in the Footsteps of Jesus. Meditations on the Gospels for Year C.
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