XXIX SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
OCTOBER 16, 2011
The first Reading taken from the book of the Second Isaiah, and the Gospel of Matthew invite us to reflect about the relation between the governance of the peoples with all its duties, rights and consequences, and with our life of faith and relationship with God.
In the second reading we will begin the First letter of St. Paul to the community of Thessalonica.
FIRST READING – Is 45: 1, 4-6
The book of the Deutero-Isaiah or Second Isaiah is the second part of the Book of Isaiah and it goes from chapter 40 to chapter 55. In some Bibles the title of this part is Book of Consolation, since the prophet does his ministry during the Babylonian exile, and he needs to console the people and build up their faith. This prophet is also a theologian and a poet, he writes long poems to convey his message.
« Today’s Reading speaks of Cyrus.
o Cyrus the Great of Persia (today’s Iran) built a huge Empire conquering all the known empires of his time. Empires from the Middle East, Southern Asia and Eastern part of Europe.
o Cyrus lived in the VI century B.C. He implemented a kind of centralized government with satraps or governors responsible of the different conquered regions. He promoted the human rights, politics and military strategies.
o He left a legacy to his own country Persia, and among the Jews he is remembered as a messiah, as the anointed by God, who with his Restoration Edict, gave to the exiled Jews in Babylon the authorization to go back to their country and rebuild it.
« God speaks to Cyrus by means of the prophet
o He is the anointed one whose hand God has grasped
o The sentences that followed are intended to make Cyrus understand that his greatness is not his own doing, but it has been given to him by God. The gifts he has have also been given by God to accomplish a very special mission for the People of God, Israel, his chosen people
o I have called you by your name. This sentence reminds us of the words we read in the first chapter of the book of Jeremiah “before you were conceived I knew you…”
o I have given you a title although you knew me not
o I am the Lord there is no other
o I am he who gives you strength and power although you do not know me.
o And all of this so that from the rising of the sun to its setting men may know that there is none besides me.
o I am the Lord there is no other
o There is something very beautiful in these words of God. He makes us understand that, even if we do not know him, or do not realize that it is He who gives us what we have, we are called to be his collaborators in his work
§ And the work, we are called to do, is that all, men and women alike, through our actions make God be known.
§ God calls us, he has the initiative, as we have seen in the gospels of the last three Sundays.
§ Cyrus responds to what he feels in his heart in regards to the Jews
· We do not know whether it is out of respect for them
· We do not know if this was his own idea or of some of his counselors
· We do not know if it was for the sake of the Jews or this was a political strategy.
· We do not know any and we probably will never know, but we know that Israel considered him a liberator sent by God, some one remembered with gratitude and love
· What does the Lord suggest me to do in favor of my brother or sister? What is my response?
· Let the peace that come from knowing that we are called by the Lord to be his co-workers in creation and in salvation, fill us completely.
·
RESPONSORIAL PSALM 96:1,3,4-5,7-8,9-10
Ø Psalm 96 is a hymn, a song to the kingship of God
Ø It is a joyful song in honor of Yahweh, King.
Ø God is praised for his Salvation made of successive concrete historical salvations.
Ø God is the only God, he is the creator and the savior.
Ø If God is like the psalmist describes him, it is not surprising to see the joy and overwhelming enthusiasm that invades the psalmist.
Ø The good news that the author proclaims and invites us to announce is: that when God reigns everything goes well. This psalm confirms what we just read from the prophet Isaiah in the first reading.
GIVE THE LORD GLORY AND HONOR
Sing to the Lord a new song;
Sing to the Lord, all you lands.
Tell his glory among the nations;
Among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
GIVE THE LORD GLORY AND HONOR
For great is the Lord and highly to be praised;
Awesome is he, beyond all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are things of nought
But the Lord made the heavens.
GIVE THE LORD GLORY AND HONOR
Give to the Lord, you families of nations,
Give to the Lord, glory and praise;
Give to the Lord the glory due his name!
Bring gifts, and enter his courts.
GIVE THE LORD GLORY AND HONOR
Worship the Lord in holy attire
Tremble before him, all the earth;
Say among the nations: The Lord is king,
He governs the peoples with equity.
GIVE THE LORD GLORY AND HONOR
SECOND READING – 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5
We begin the Reading of the letter of Paul to the community of Thessalonica.
This letter is the first written document of the New Testament. It was composed around the year 50 A.C. The fragment we are going to read this Sunday has two parts: First Part
Paul, Sylvanus and Timothy greet the community of Thessalonica Which belongs to God the Father, and to Jesus Christ May peace be with all of you Second Part
They give thanks to God for all of them, and they also pray for them And they remember how this community prove its faith through actions of love, constancy and hope in the Lord Jesus Christ Paul remembers and reminds them how they were chosen Because they did not receive the preaching of Paul as mere human words, but as what they are: power and strength As they put it into practice with the strength of the Spirit. GOSPEL OF MATTHEW 22:15-21
ü In the Gospel of Matthew we are approaching the time of Jesus’ Passion.
ü The evangelist Matthew presents to us more and more the controversies between Jesus and the leaders of his people.
ü In the last three Sundays we have heard the parables of Jesus addressed to the religious leaders of Israel
ü Today, Matthew begins a series of four controversies on different themes, which were occasions of discussion and division among the Jews. The controversies are with the Pharisees, Herodians, Saducees, who were the diverse members of the religious and political parties.
ü Today’s discussion is about taxes
o We know that this is a theme, that no matter what faith do we profess, or we do not profess, is always cause of division and discussion because we do not like, and we do not want to pay taxes.
o The Pharisees get together with the Herodians to go against Jesus.
o These two groups did not get along well, because it is impossible that a Pharisee could see with good eyes the Herodians who were allies of Rome and consider that Israel has to pay taxes to a pagan powe, and this, only because they want to take advantage of all the benefits of being united to Rome.
o But today they get together because they have a common “enemy” whom they want to destroy, Jesus.
o Teacher we know you are sincere and you do not allow yourself to be influenced by anyone. This seems to be a praise, but with these words they want to trip Jesus up. They have put it very difficult for Jesus because the two parties have opposite opinions, no matter what Jesus says he will be in trouble.
o They ask Jesus the great question, is it lawful to pay tax to the emperor or not? The Roman empire was for the Jews the sum of corruption, evil and pagan believes.
o Jesus answers them: hypocrites! Why do you want to trip me up? We admire Jesus, he knows very well that the tension is increasingly building up in the relationships between himself and the leadership of his own people. Jesus knows very well that their real intention is to have a reason to eliminate him.
o Jesus asks them to show to him the coin with which they pay the tribute to Caesar, and he asks them whose head is engraved on the coin.
§ The readiness in handing to him the coin, shows that it was in circulation, and that they used it very comfortably for their transactions.
§ The head was Caesar’ which means that the coin belonged to him. The logical consequence is to give back the coin to its owner.
o One of the commentaries I have read say that Jesus is not promoting here two parallel societies opposed between themselves, when he says give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s.
o Jesus does not make any judgment about the payment of taxes, this is a normal consequence to be a citizen, with the taxes we contribute to pay the expenses of the nation. If the taxes are just or unjust this will have to be dealt with from our faith in God Creator and from our respect for the dignity of every human being.
o And Jesus does with them what he always does in the conversations with people, he leads them to a higher level
§ If it is right to give back to Caesar’ his own coin
§ We also need to live in such a way that we acknowledge what the first reading repeats I am the Lord there is no other
§ We pay taxes and we take care of all our responsibilities as citizens from this perspective.
§ Only when the laws are unjust and thus harm the human beings our brothers and sisters, we do not have to obey and we have to oppose these laws.
PRAYER
May the Virgin Mary ,proclaimed Mother of the Church by Paul VI and honored by Christians as Mirror of Justice and Queen of Peace, protect us and obtain for us, through her heavenly intercession, the strength, hope and joy necessary to continue to dedicate ourselves with generosity to the task of bringing about the “development of the whole man and of all men”(Benedict XVI, Encyclical “Love in Truth, 2009)
| Claretian Corner | We landed on this city of Santiago de Cuba on May 26 of the same year 1852. We were greatly welcomed by the whole city, but God our Lord who in everything, makes me taste what is both sweet and bitter, did not give me the pleasure to meet there the Archbishop who was the only person I knew in this world. (María Antonia París. Foundress of the Claretian Missionary Sisters, Autobiography 161). On reaching the Gulf of Damas, I began conducting a mission on deck. Everyone on board attended it, passengers and crew, from the captain to cabin boy, and everyone went to confession and received Communion at a general Communion service. We were on friendly terms with the crew, and on every voyage they would make to Cuba they used to come and visit us. We landed on February 6, 1851, in good spirits, and were received with demonstrations of joy and good will. On the day following our arrival, we made our official entry into the capital city, in accordance with the established local custom .(Aut. St. Anthony Mary Claret, Founder of the Claretian Missionary Sisters, Aut. 509) |
No comments:
Post a Comment