ü In the first reading God, by the voice of the prophet
Isaiah, speaks to a steward from the king’s palace. This man, according from
what Isaiah says to him, was unfaithful to his call. God tells him that he will
be removed from his position.
ü In the Gospel Jesus promises to give to Peter the keys
of the Kingdom, in some way He is saying that He will take them from the people
of the election and give them to the new people.
ü Paul speaks of the wisdom of God, and says that
everything is oriented toward Him
FIRST READING Is 22:19-23
Ø Who was Shebna?
o
A high functionary of the palace of Hezekiah; a steward or
treasurer (Is 22:15). Isaiah reproaches him because he has built into the rock a tomb for
himself, and tells him that he will die in a foreign land (ls. 22:15-19). He reproaches him because he
has done that when his people was in danger.
Ø And what do we
know about Hezekiah?
He was King when the Syrian army invaded Judah. This event has been recorded not only in the Bible, but also in a clay prism on which Sennacherib reported the same event. This prism is kept in the Oriental Museum of Chicago.
He was King when the Syrian army invaded Judah. This event has been recorded not only in the Bible, but also in a clay prism on which Sennacherib reported the same event. This prism is kept in the Oriental Museum of Chicago.
The inscription on the prism says: The fear to my
majesty terrorized Hezekiah who sent to me as a tribute: 800 pieces of silver,
ivory and all sorts of gifts including some women from his palace. This
confirms the biblical account found in 2
Reyes 18:13-15:
Ø
Isaiah gives to
this steward a message from God. This man had forgotten that he was only a
steward of goods that did not belong to him.
.
Ø
In a kingdom the
goods belong not only to the King but to the whole people as well
Ø
This man had
forgotten this and had used part of these goods to build for himself a tomb so
that his name would be remembered.
Ø
It is true that
his name is remembered in history, but not to praise him, but to learn from him
the need to be honest, simple and humble
Ø
None of us in
entitle to use our position for our own convenience. Jesus never did it.
Ø
This positions or
ministries are to give us the opportunity to do good and to serve.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM : Ps 138: 1-2a
2bc-3 6. 8bc
LORD YOUR LOVE IS ETERNAL; DO NOT
FORSAKE THE WORK OF YOUR HANDS
I will give thanks
to you O Lord, with all my heart
For you have heard
the words of my mouth
In the presence of
the angels I will sing your praise
I will worship at
your holy temple.
I will give thanks
to your name
Because of your
kindness and your truth
When I called you
answered me
You built up
strength within me.
The Lord is
exalted yet the lowly he sees
And the proud he
knows from afar
Your kindness, O
Lord, endures forever;
Forsake not the
work of your hands.
ü This psalm is a song of praise to God who never abandons the work of
his hand.
ü But brings it to
perfection,
ü God has to be praised by all and for all.
ü What a wonderful thought to acknowledge that creation
which does not have a voice, praises God by simply being!
ü We need to learn to listen to these voices that sing
always and everywhere the praises of the Creator for his wonderful Works.
GOSPEL Mt 15:21-28
v
Jesus comes to
the region of Caesarea of Philippi.
o
When they got
there Jesus asked his disciples a question. It seems that he wants to know what
people think of him.
o
Knowing Jesus we
realize that this is not what he wants, that this question has another goal.
o
Jesus is too free
about himself to be preoccupied by the opinion of others.
o
As we continue
reading this story we realize that the question leads the apostles to listen to
the voice of the Father, who has the real answer about Jesus.
v
Peter answers the question, Peter, the
vehement Peter, has been able to listen in the depth of his heart the silent
and at the same time loud voice of the Father.
v
You are the
Christ, the Son of the living God.
v
Very good answer
Peter, but certainly it is not yours it is the Father’s.
v
And Jesus
promises to Peter to make him the rock upon which his church will be built. The
church that is the community of the faithful summoned by the love of the Triune
God.
v
He will also give
to Peter the “keys” that is to say the stewardship of this Kingdom.
v
Whatever you bind
will be bound, and whatever you unbind will be unbound, in a word I give you my
possessions my treasure to be administered by you in behalf of your brothers
and sisters, who are also my brothers and sisters.
v
The gospel
message ends with one of those enigmatic prohibitions of Jesus.
v
Some explain this
as telling them, do not say this now but wait until after my resurrection
because people are not ready now.
v
This gospel
passage is used many times to ask us about who Jesus is?
v
But this Sunday
the emphasis is not on the person of Jesus, but of Peter upon which the Lord
Jesus will build his church day by day with the cooperation of the Holy Spirit
and ours as well.
SECOND
READING Rom 11:33-36
This Reading is a
song of praise full of wonder to the wisdom of God.
Paul
acknowledges, probably because he has experienced it in his own life, that the
mind of God is unsearchable and his judgments are inscrutable, they are beyond
our understanding.
And Paul asks himself
o
Who knows the
mind of God?
o
Who gives him counsel?
o
Who has given the Lord anything, that he may be repaid?
o
All has been made
by Him and for Him.
o
To Him the glory
for ever. Yes, the glory only to Him.
The fight in imminent danger of death lasted 29
days. Looking for a port of refuge against so difficult and fatal incidents in
which it seemed we were going to perish at any moment, especially in the port
of Sta. Cruz de Tenerife where we first cast anchor, planning to disembark,
considering ourselves already saved. But, after 24 hours of casting anchor, a
violent storm suddenly arose that threw us out of the port with a tremendous risk
of the ship being shattered against the rocks. In this port, our Lord taught me
experientially his fatherly care towards his creatures.
I had made many acts of abandonment and self- offering in the
arms of the Divine providence in the midst of so many perils, being certain and
most sure that God is never short of
means to help his children in their necessities even in that immense space of
waters where we had no other refuge than the violent waves . This faith so alive,
that God has put in my soul made me rest in the midst of so many fights. And in
this way God willed to show that the one who puts all his hope In his infinite
power would never be confounded. Venerable María Antonia París, Foundress of the Claretian
Missionary Sisters, Autobiography 151-152.
On my return to Santiago, the capital city of the
diocese, I began a mission that lasted until March 25, when a general Communion
service was held. There was an unbelievably large crowd, both for the sermons
and for the general Communion service. While I was giving one mission in the
cathedral, Father Vilaró was giving another in the church of St. Francis, the
next largest church in the city after the cathedral, and on the Sunday
following the Feast of the Annunciation I went to give Communion in the church
of St. Francis.
I also conducted the Spiritual Exercises for the entire
clergy: canons, pastors, beneficiaries, etc. This was my yearly practice as
long as I was on the island. For the greater convenience of all concerned,
however, I also had them held in the principal cities of the diocese. Saint Anthony Mary Claret, Founder
of the Claretian Missionary Sisters, Autobiography 511-512.
CLARET, Antonio María Claret, Autobiografía.
PAGOLA, José A. El camino abierto
por Jesús. PPC 2012
PARIS, María Antonia, Autobiografía
STOCK, Klemens. La Liturgia de la Palabra. Ciclo A (Mateo) 2007
.
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