A LEPER CURED- 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Homily for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Based onMk. 1:40-45 (Gospel), Lv. 13:1-2, 44-46 (1^stRdng.), and 1 Co. 10:31 - 11:1 (2^ndRdng.)

From the series “Reflections and Teachings from the Desert”

A LEPER CURED

“A leper came to him and pleaded on his knees: ‘If you want to’ he said ‘you can cure me’-

(Mk. 1:40)

The 6^th Sunday in Ordinary Time could be declared by the United Nations Organization or by the Catholic Church as World Leprosy Dayif there is still no such declaration like this. According to my online research, there were between 2 and 3 million people estimated by the World Health Organization (WHO) beingpermanently disabled because of leprosyduring the year 1995.

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (accessed 28 Sep 2013), reported that: “Leprosy has affected humanity for over 4,000 years,and was recognized in the civilizations of ancient China, Egypt and India. Although the forced quarantine or segregation of patients is unnecessary in places where adequate treatments are available, many leper colonies still remain around the world in countries such as India (where there are still more than 1,000 leper colonies), China, and Japan. Leprosy was once believed to be highly contagious and was treated with mercury—all of which applied to syphilis, which was first described in 1530. It is possible that many early cases thought to be leprosy could actually have been syphilis.The age-old social stigma associated with the advanced form of leprosy lingers in many areas, and remains a major obstacle to self-reporting and early treatment. Effective treatment first appeared in the late 1940s. Resistance has developed to initial treatment. It was not until the introduction of MDT in the early 1980s that the disease could be diagnosed and treated successfully within the community”.

According to Wikipedia, leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is “a chronic infection caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis.”

Leprosy is primarily  “a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract. Skin lesions are the primary external sign.”  According to a Wikipedia report, once left untreated, leprosy can be “progressive, causing permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes. Contrary to some folklore, leprosy does not cause body parts to fall off, although they can become numb, or diseased, as a result of some secondary infections. These occur as a result of the body's defenses being compromised by the primary disease. In turn, secondary infections can result in tissue loss causing fingers and toes to become shortened and deformed, as cartilage is absorbed into the body”.

Leprosy takes its name from the Latin,or Greek, word lepra.The other term, "Hansen's Disease," is named afterGerhard Armauer Hansen, a Norwegian physician.

The Biblical term for leprosy is Tzaraath(Hebrewצרעת[tsaˈʁaʕat], RomanizedTiberian Hebrewṣāraʻaṯ), with its three varied meanings or manifestationsThe Septuagint, a translation of the Hebrew Bible originally used by Greek speaking Jews and Gentile proselytes, translates the term  “tzaraath”with Greek “lepra” (λέπρα), from which the cognate "leprosy" was traditionally used in English Bibles. The classical Greek term “lepra” is primarily used only of skin diseases and not rot and mildew. The JPS Tanakh translates it as a "scaly affection" in Leviticus 13:2.

The Torah identifies three manifestations of tzaraath: first, as an affliction of the human skin, (Leviticus 13:2); second, of garments (Leviticus 13:47); and, third, of houses (Leviticus 14:34). Of these three manifestations of the Biblical tzaraath, what concerns us is the leprosy of the human skin as reported in today’s gospel taken from Mk. 1:40-43, which was cured by Jesus Christ. Thus, we have titled this homily for the 6^th Sunday in Ordinary Time as “A Leper Cured” because of this cure performed by Jesus Christ.

As stated in today’s Second Reading:

‘If a swelling or scab or shiny spot appears on a man’s skin,a case of leprosy of the skin is to be suspected. The man must be taken to Aaron, the priest, or to one of the priests who are his sons’ (Lv. 13:2).This means that the man is leprous: he is unclean. The priest must declare him unclean; he is suffering from leprosy. A man infected with leprosy must wear his clothing torn and his hair disordered; he must shield his upper lips and cry. “Unclean, Unclean” (Lv. 13:44-45).

The manifestation of tzaraath is termed a negah (נגע) "affliction", nega'im (plural: נגעים) and the three varieties of nega'im that relate to human flesh are the following:

1.  patches of the skin (Leviticus 13:1-17)

2. boils and burns (Leviticus 13:18-28)

3.  bald patches or lesions of the scalp or beard, the negah of which is called a נתק (netek)(Leviticus 13:29-44)

For all of the different types of nega'im of human flesh, there is a similar protocol put in place by the Torah for determining whether or not the skin eruption is indeed tzaraath.

According to Leviticus 13:2, a diagnosis of tzaraath is not to be performed by anyone but a kohen (Jewish priest).The individual with the eruption must visit a kohen, who is a male possessing direct lineage to Aaron, who was the High Priest and brother of Moses. The kohen, trained in examining lesions and diagnosing tzaraath, will examine the lesion and determine whether or not it meets the specifications of tzaraath. Specifically, he will evaluate the lesion for the criteria mentioned above, except of course for the final criterion of spreading, which can only be diagnosed at a follow-up examination, should one be necessary. If during the initial examination, the characteristics of the lesion meet the criteria for tzaraath, the kohen will declare the individual tamei (טמא, "ritually impure") (Leviticus 13:3, 20, 25, 30).

If the criteria are not met by the lesion during the initial examination by the kohen, the individual is confined in his home for seven days, pending a follow-up examination (Leviticus 13:4, 21, 26, 31) If the criteria for tzaraath are again not met and the lesion has not spread, there is a difference in protocol depending of the type of lesion.

• For patches of the skin, another confinement period of seven days is imposed.

• For boils or burns, the kohen declares it merely a צרבת (tzarevet, "scar") and there are no further examinations (Leviticus 13:23 and 28)

• For bald patches or lesions of the scalp or beard, another confinement period of seven days is imposed. However, prior to this second confinement period, the individual is shaved around the nesek (והתגלחואתהנתקלאיגלח - "he should be shaved but the nesek should not be shaved), leaving a rim of two hairs completely surrounding the bald spot to make any spreading recognizable (especially according to Maimonides, who asserts that these lesions manifest as pure hair loss without any concomitant skin eruption.)

After the second confinement period of seven days, both those with patches on the skin as well as those with bald patches are re-evaluated once more.[16] If the criteria for tzaraath have still not been met, the afflicted individual is declared tahor (טהר, "ritually pure").[16] He or she, does, however, have to wash both his or her body and garments; due to the confinement, he or she is considered impure in some sense.

If the negah was declared ritually pure and later it spread, it must be shown once again to a kohen, who will then declare it tzaraath. There are many other regulations regarding the inspection:

• The kohen must be able to see the entirety of the lesion. Thus, if the skin eruption or bald spot wraps around either the body or body parts, or occurs at the tip of terminal body parts—any place that would preclude the observation of the entire lesion at one time (i.e. wrapping around the torso, scalp or arm, or occurring at the tip of a finger or toe) -- there can be no declaration of tzaraath.

• In a similar vein, a kohen who is blind in one eye or who cannot see well may not perform the inspections.[20] An eligible kohen may inspect anyone, including his relatives, except himself. However, it is not necessary that a kohen perform the inspection; anyone who is proficient in the laws of nega'im may perform the examination. However, only a kohen may declare purity or impurity. A non-kohen examiner may inform an accompanying inexpert kohen of his determination that a negah is or is not tzaraath and the kohen declares "purity" or "impurity".

• Nega'imdo not render impurity on parts of the body that are naturally concealed by other parts of the body according to specific regulations. For skin eruptions on the legs, men are inspected standing as though they are hoeing and women standing as though they are rolling dough. For eruptions on the arms, men raise their arms as though they are picking olives and women raising their arms as though they are weaving or spinning.

• Nega'imdo not render gentiles impure.

• A groom is exempt from visiting the kohen until the eighth day after his wedding for any nega'im on his flesh, garments or house. Similarly, there are no inspections carried out on the days of Passover, Shavuot or Sukkot.

• Even on the days when inspections are performed, they are only allowed for two hours each day: during the fourth and eighth hour of the day (corresponding roughly to 9-10 AM and 2-3 PM).

If, however, the criteria for tzaraath have been met, either during the initial exam or at either of the two follow-ups (when applicable) or even after a previous declaration of purity, the individual is declared tamei (טמא, "ritually impure"). The individual is declared impure even if the lesion did not worsen or spread but remained the same—the skin eruption must become dimmer in appearance for it to be declared pure at the second follow-up examination.

The metzorah: management of tzaraath of human flesh:

The individual who is declared impure with tzaraath is referred to as either a tzorua (צרוע) or a metzorah (מצרה). The metzorah is shunned and must live alone outside the confines of the community (Leviticus 13:46) The metzorah tears his or her garments in mourning like those who are in mourning for a close family member and does not cut his or her hair. The metzorah must also cover his or her face until the upper lip in the fashion of mourners, and he or she calls out "impure, impure" to warn others to keep their distance (Leviticus 13:45).

The metzorah remains confined outside of the community until his tzaraath vanishes—the metzorah is evaluated by a kohen, who leaves the community to examine them. When the kohen observes the resolution of the tzaraath, he begins a procedure that ultimately reverses the impure status of the metzorah (Leviticus 14:4).

The purification process:

"וצוההכהןולקחלמטהרשתיצפריםחיותטהורותועץארזושניתולעתואזב"

"The kohen shall command to take for the person undergoing purification (the metzorah) two live kosher birds, cedarwood, red string and hyssop."

The items used in the purification ritual were specifically included to deliver a message to the metzorah. Although many sins may lead to this punishment, the most predominant sin to cause tzaraath is lashonhara; (an "evil tongue",) to speak derogatorily about others consistently to one's friends is likened to birds, who chatter endlessly (Talmud Arachin 16b). In a similar vein, the one who speaks ill of others is haughty, holding himself or herself high above others and is likened to the tall cedar. To be healed, the metzorah must erase arrogance, making themselves lowly like a worm. This is a play on words—the word tola'as (תולעת) means both "red" and "worm" - as well as hyssop.

Spring water is placed in an earthenware vessel, over which one of the birds is slaughtered and into which the blood is allowed to run. The kohen then dips the remaining bird and other items into the bloodied water and sprinkles the metzorah seven times on the back of the hand. Some say the sprinkling was done onto his or her forehead.[29] The identical procedure was performed for a house struck by tzaraath, with the sprinkling done on the lintel. The slaughtered bird was buried in the presence of the metzorah and the live bird was freed into the open field

The metzorah washes their garments from impurity and shaves off all their hair, save for that located in places similar to those in which nega'im are not subject to impurity (Mishnah Nega'im 2:4) The metzorah then waits for seven days to begin the final steps of his or her purification ceremony (Leviticus 14:8-9). On the seventh day, the metzorah again washes the garments he or she had been wearing from impurity and again shaves off all of his or her hair. (Mishnah Nega'im 14:3) On the eighth day, the metzorah brings three animal sacrifices to the Temple in Jerusalem: a sin offering of a female lamb and a guilt offering and a burnt offering, both of male lambs (Leviticus 14:10).

Blood from the slaughtered guilt offering was placed on the right ear, right thumb and right big toe of the metzorah (Leviticus 14:14) The need for this to be done was cause for some complication, because the metzorah was not allowed into Temple grounds prior to his purification process and the blood of the offering was not allowed out of the Temple grounds. To reconcile this dilemma, the metzorah stuck these body parts through the gateway one at a time to receive the blood. The same was done with the oil from the flour offerings of the metzorah. If the metzorah lost any of these body parts after he was ready for purification, he could never obtain purification (Mishnah Nega'im 14:9).

The Priestly gift:

The remaining portion of the olive oil, called in Hebrew log shemenshelmetzorah, is retained by the Kohen at the completion of his service. This portion is listed as one of the twenty-four kohanic gifts.

Hence, even if Jesus Christ is not a priest in the strict sense, yet today’s gospel reports him as one who can cure leprosy of the human skin.

Today’s Second Reading, taken from 1 Co. 10:31 - 11:1, expresses the feeling that registers to both the leper who was cured and the curer: “Whatever you eat, whatever you drink, whatever you do at all, do it all for the  glory of God.Never do anything offensive to anyone - to Jews or Greeks or to the Church of God; just as I try to be helpful to everyone at all times, not anxious for my own advantage but for the advantage of everybody else, so that they may be saved.Take me for your model as I take Christ.”

The Bachelor Messiah-Prophet - 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Homily for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Based on Mk. 1:21-28 (Gospel), Dt. 18:15-20 (1^stRdng.), and 1 Cor. 7:32-35 (2^ndRdng.)

From the series “Reflections and Teachings from the Desert”

THE BACHELOR MESSIAH-PROPHET

1.    What is a bachelor?

According to Encarta Dictionaries (online), a bachelor is an unmarried man; a man who is not or has never been married.

We have titled this piece “The Bachelor Messiah-Prophet” because of the doctrine contained in the second reading that teaches about perpetual continence: 

“I would like to see you free from all worry. An unmarried man can devote himself to the Lord’s affairs, all he needs worry about is pleasing the Lord; but a married man has to bother about the world’s affairs and devote himself to pleasing his wife. He is torn two ways. In the same was an unmarried woman, like a young girl, can devote herself to the Lord’s affairs, all she needs worry about is being holy I body and spirit. The married woman, on the other hand, has to worry about the world’s affairs and devote herself to pleasing her husband. I say this only to help you, not to put a halter round your necks, but simply to make sure that everything is as it should be, and that you give your undivided attention to the Lord” (1 Cor. 7:32-34).

The Messiah-Prophet in the title refers to Jesus Christ, who is of course a bachelor and the central figure in today’s gospel. The gospel presents Jesus Christ as one who teaches the people with authority, unlike the scribes and Pharisees. According to footnote f of Mt. 7:29, they “always sought support for their teaching in the ‘tradition’ of the ancients” and therefore their teachings lacked force and authority. In contrast, Jesus Christ accompanied his teachings with cures and healings. Hence, the people were astonished at Jesus’ teachings and regarded him as Messiah-Prophet, although he forbade them not to call him as such in public.

According to footnote i of Mk. 1:34, “Jesus forbids the news that he is the Messiah to be spread by the devils, 1:25,34; 3:12, by those he cured, 1:44; 5:43; 7:36; 8:26, even by the apostles, 8:30; 9:9. The silence is not to be broken till after his death, Mt. 10:27+. Since the prevailing idea of the Messiah was nationalistic and warlike, in sharp contrast with his own ideal, Jesus had to be very careful, at least on Israelite soil, cf. 5:19, to avoid giving a false and dangerous impression of his mission, cf. Jn. 6:15; Mt. 13:13+. This policy of silence (‘the messianic secret’) is not an invention of Mk’s, as some have claimed, but is in fact Christ’s own, though Mark has given it a special emphasis. With the exception of Mt. 9:30, Mt. and Lk. record the injunction to silence only in passages which are parallel with Mk, frequently omitting it even in these cases.”

2.    What is a Messiah?

Encarta dictionaries define a messiah as “a savior or liberator; somebody regarded as or claiming to be a savior or liberator of a country, people, or the world.”

According to Wikipedia (online), a messiah is a “savior or liberator of a group of people.”  Wikipedia elaborates this straight definition of a messiah by saying that:

“in the Hebrew Bible, a messiah (or mashiach) is a king or High Priest traditionally anointed with holy anointing oil. The Jewish messiah is a leader anointed by God, physically descended from the Davidic line, who will rule the united tribes of Israel and herald the Messianic Age of global peace also known as the World to Come”.

The translation of the Hebrew word Mašíaḥ as Χριστός (Khristós) in the Greek Septuagint became the accepted Christian designation and title of Jesus of Nazareth. Christians believe that prophecies in the Hebrew Bible (especially Isaiah) refer to a spiritual savior and believe Jesus to be that Messiah (Christ).”

Etymologically, “Messiah (Hebrew: מָשִׁיחַ, Modern Mashiaẖ, Tiberian Māšîăḥ; in modern                Jewish   texts in English spelled Mashiach; Aramaic: משיחא, Greek: Μεσσίας, Syriac: ܡܫܺܝܚܳܐ, Məšîḥā, Arabic: المسيح‎, al-Masīḥ, Latin: Messias) literally means "anointed [one]". In Hebrew, the Messiah is often referred to as מלךהמשיח (Meleḵ ha-Mašīaḥ in the Tiberian vocalization, pronounced [ˈmeleχhamaˈʃiaħ], literally meaning "the Anointed King."

The Greek Septuagint version of the Old Testament renders all thirty-nine instances of the Hebrew word for "anointed" (Mašíaḥ) as Χριστός (Khristós). The New Testament records the Greek transliteration Μεσσίας, Messias twice in John (Jn. 1:41; 4:25).

Masīḥ (pronounced [mæˈsiːħ]) is the Arabic word for messiah. In modern Arabic, it is used as one of the many titles of Jesus. Masīḥ is used by Arab Christians as well as Muslims, and is written as Yasūʿ al-Masih (يسوعالمسيح ) by Christian Arabs or ʿĪsā al-Masīḥ (عيسىالمسيح) by Muslims. The word Masīḥ literally means "anointed one" and in Islam, ʿĪsā al-Masīḥ is believed to have been anointed from birth by Allah with the specific task of being a prophet and a king. The Israelites, to whom Isa was sent, had a traditional practice of anointing their kings with oil. An Imam Bukhari hadith describes Jesus as having wet hair that looked as if water was dripping from it, possibly meaning he was naturally anointed. Muslims believe that this is just one of the many signs that prove that Jesus is the Messiah.

In Judaism, the literal translation of the Hebrew word moshiach (messiah) is “anointed,” which refers to a ritual of consecrating someone or something by putting holy oil upon it (1 Sam.           10:1-2). It is used throughout the Hebrew Bible in reference to a wide variety of individuals and objects; for example, a Jewish king (1 Kings 1:39), Jewish priests (Lev. 4:3), and prophets (Is. 61:1), the Jewish Temple and its utensils (Ex. 40:9-11), unleavened bread (Num. 6:15) and a non-Jewish king (Cyrus king of Persia - Is. 45:1).

In Jewish eschatology, the term came to refer to a future Jewish king from the Davidic   line, who will be "anointed" with holy anointing oil, to be king of God's kingdom, and rule the Jewish people during the Messianic Age. In Judaism, the Messiah is not considered to be God or a divine Son of God. Belief in the eventual coming of a future messiah is a fundamental part of Judaism, and is one of Maimonides' 13 Principles of Faith.

In Christianity, the Greek translation of Messiah is khristos (χριστος), anglicized as Christ, and Christians commonly refer to Jesus as either the "Christ" or the "Messiah." Christians believe the Messianic prophecies were fulfilled in the mission, death, and resurrection of Jesus, as Savior and Redeemer, and that Jesus will return to fulfill the rest of Messianic prophecy, as Lord and King.”

Today’s gospel talks about Jesus as the Messiah. One proof of his being a Messiah, according to the people who heard him, was that he taught them “with authority.”    The gospel accounts it this way:

“They went as far as Capernaum, and soon as the Sabbath came he went to the synagogue and began to teach. And his disciples made a deep impression on them because, unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority. In their synagogue just then there was a man possessed by unclean spirit, and it shouted. ‘What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.’” (Mk. 1:21-24)

Verse 22 has a parallel with Mt. 7:28 which says: “Jesus had now finished what he wanted to say, and his teaching made a deep impression on the people because he taught them with authority, and not like their own scribes.”   The footnote for this verse has already been cited above.

Footnote g of verse 24 states that:  “ God is the ‘Holy One’ par excellence, and all that belongs to him is holy, Lv. 17:1+; this is pre-eminently true of Jesus who is God’s Son and his chosen Messiah, 1:10f, the appointed head of ‘the nation of saints’, Dn. 7:18+, i.e. of the company of the elect, the Christian community, Ac. 9:13+. Cf. Lk. 1:35; 4:34; Jn. 6:69; Ac. 3:14+; 4:27,30: Rv. 3:7.”      

Regarding the title “Jesus of Nazareth” that the unclean spirit gave him, footnote j of Mt. 2:23 states that: “Nazoraios: this is the form used by Mt, Jn. and Ac. (translated Nazarene throughout this version). Nazarenos (‘of Nazareth’ in this version) is used by Mk. Lk. uses both forms. These two synonyms were current transcriptions of an Aramaic adjective (nasraya) itself derived from the name of the town “Nazareth’ (Nasrath). Applied to Jesus, whose origin it indicated (26:69,71), and later to his followers (Ac. 24:5), the term became common in the semitic world for the disciples of Jesus; the name ‘Christian’ (Ac. 11:26) prevailed in the Graeco-Roman world. It is not clear which prophetic oracles Mt. alludes to; possibly to the nazir of Jg. 13:5,7.”            

                Mt. 2:23 says: “There he settled in a town called Nazareth. In this way the words spoken through the prophets were to be fulfilled: He will be called a Nazarene.”

3.    What is a prophet?

In Encarta dictionaries (online), a prophet is “somebody who interpret divine will; somebody who claims to interpret or transmit the commands of a deity.”

Let us quote what Wikipedia (online) elaborately says about prophets:

“in religion, a prophet is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and to speak for them, serving as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people. The message that the prophet conveys is called a prophecy.”

The English word prophet comes from the Greek word προφήτης (profétés) meaning advocate. In the late 20th century the appellation of prophet has been used to refer to individuals particularly successful at analysis in the field of economics, such as in the derogatory prophet of greed. Alternatively, social commentators who suggest escalating crisis are often called prophets of doom.

In Hebrew, the word נָבִיא (navi), "spokesperson", traditionally translates as "prophet".[5] The second subdivision of the Hebrew Bible, TaNaKh (for "Torah, Nevi'im, Ketuvim"), is devoted to the Hebrew prophets. The meaning of navi is perhaps described in Deuteronomy 18:18,[6] where God said, "...and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him." Thus, the navi was thought to be the "mouth" of God. The root nun-bet-alef ("navi") is based on the two-letter root nun-bet which denotes hollowness or openness; to receive transcendental wisdom, one must make oneself "open". Cf. Rashbam's comment to Genesis 20:7.

In addition to writing and speaking messages from God, Hebrew prophets often acted out prophetic parables. For example, in order to contrast the people’s disobedience with the obedience of the Rechabites, God has Jeremiah invite the Rechabites to drink wine, in disobedience to their ancestor’s command. The Rechabites refuse, wherefore God commends them. Other prophetic parables acted out by Jeremiah include burying a linen belt so that it gets ruined to illustrate how God intends to ruin Judah's pride. Likewise, Jeremiah buys a clay jar and smashes it in the Valley of Ben Hinnom in front of elders and priests to illustrate that God will smash the nation of Judah and the city of Judah beyond repair. God instructs Jeremiah to make a yoke from wood and leather straps and to put it on his own neck to demonstrate how God will put the nation under the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. In a similar way, the prophet Isaiah had to walk stripped and barefoot for three years to illustrate the coming captivity, and the prophet Ezekiel had to lie on his side for 390 days and eat measured food to illustrate the coming siege.

The prophetic assignment is not always portrayed as positive in the Hebrew Bible, and prophets were often the target of persecution and opposition. God’s personal prediction to Jeremiah, "Attack you they will, overcome you they can't," was fulfilled many times in the biblical narrative as Jeremiah warned of destruction of those who continued to refuse repentance and accept more moderate consequences. In return for his adherence to God’s discipline and speaking God’s words, Jeremiah was attacked by his own brothers, beaten and put into the stocks by a priest and false prophet, imprisoned by the king, threatened with death, thrown into a cistern by Judah’s officials, and opposed by a false prophet. Likewise, Isaiah was told by his hearers who rejected his message, "Leave the way! Get off the path! Let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel!" The life of Moses being threatened by Pharaoh is another example.

According to I Samuel 9:9, the old name for navi is ro'eh, רֹאֶה, which literally means "Seer". That could document an ancient shift, from viewing prophets as seers for hire to viewing them as moral teachers. Allen (1971) comments that in the First Temple Era, there were essentially seer-priests, who formed a guild, divined, performed rituals and sacrifices, and were scribes, and then there were canonical prophets, who did none of these (and were against divination) and had instead a message to deliver.[citation needed] The seer-priests were usually attached to a local shrine or temple, such as Shiloh, and initiated others as priests in that priesthood: it was a mystical craft-guild with apprentices and recruitment. Canonical prophets were not organised this way. The similar term ben-navi ("son of the prophet") means "member of a seer-priest guild".

In Christianity a prophet (or seer) is one inspired by God through the Holy Spirit to deliver a message for a specific purpose. God's calling as a prophet is not to elevate an individual for their own glory, but for the glory of God and to turn people to him. Some Christian denominations would limit that and exclude those who receive a personal message not intended for the body of believers, but in the Bible on a number of occasions prophets were called to deliver personal messages. The reception of a message is termed revelation and the delivery of the message is termed prophecy.

James Jordan argues that the office of prophet involves more than delivering the direct revelations of God. He writes, "The full meaning of prophet is council member, a member of God's Divine Council . . . Moses, who is an exemplary prophet of the Old Covenant (Numbers 12:6-8) . . . not only received information from the Counsel and passed its decisions onto the people . . . he also actively argued before the Council when he felt it necessary, even 'changing God's mind' on occasion (Exodus 32:7-14, 30-35; Numbers 14:13-19)."  In this way, Christ is executing a prophetic office when he intercedes for Christians and ordinary Christians are executing a prophetic office when they reason with God on the behalf of others in prayer, just as Moses interceded and persuaded God on behalf of Israel as part of his prophetic function.

The term prophet is applied to those who receive public or private revelation. Public Revelation, in Catholicism, is part of the Deposit of faith, the revelation of which was completed by Jesus; whereas Private Revelation does not add to the Deposit. The term "deposit of faith" refers to the entirety of Jesus Christ's revelation, and is passed to successive generations in two different forms, sacred scripture (the Bible) and sacred tradition.

Anyone who claims to speak God's words or teach in his name and is not a prophet the Bible terms a false prophet. One test given in the Old Testament in Deuteronomy contains a warning of those who prophecy events which do not come to pass and said they should be put to death. Elsewhere a false prophet may be someone who is purposely trying to deceive, is delusional, under the influence of Satan or is speaking from his own spirit.

Today’s First reading taken from Dt. 18:15-20 talks about the institution of the office of prophecy by the great Moses.

In part, this reading says: “Yahweh your God will raise up for you a prophet like myself, from among yourselves, from your own brothers; to him you must listen (v. 15)… I will raise up a prophet like yourself for them from their own brothers; I will put my words into his mouth and he shall tell them all I command him… The man who does not listen to my words that he speaks in my name, shall be held answerable to me for it. But the prophet who presumes to say in my name a thing I have not commanded him to say, or who speak in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die” (vv. 18-20).

Footnote c of Dt. 18:18 states that: “Institution of the prophetic (as 17:14-20 is of the royal) office. It is ascribed by Moses to Yahweh at the time of the manifestation at Horeb, cd. Ex. 20:19-21 and Dt. 5:23-28. In N.T., St. Peter, Ac. 3:22-26, and St. Stephen, Ac. 7:37, refer to this text. The Jewish expectation of a Messiah-Prophet, a second Moses, is based on this passage. St. John’s gospel emphasizes the parallels between Jesus and Moses, cf. Jn. 1:17+.

Acts 7:27 says: “It was Moses who told the sons of Israel, “God will raise up a prophet like myself for you from among your own brothers.” Footnote 1 for this text states that: “A messianic text already cited, 3:22. One other than Moses-the Messiah-is to play a similar part, Mt. 16:14+; Jn. 1:21+.”

In John 1:21, this verse could be found with its footnotes: ‘Well then,’ they asked ‘are you Elijah?^t ‘I am not’ he said. ‘Are you the Prophet?’^u He answered ‘No’.

Footnote u of this verse states that: “From Dt. 18;15,18 (see note) the Jews argued that the expected Messiah would be another Moses (the prophet par excellence, cf. Nb. 12:7+) who would repeat on a grand scale the prodigies of the Exodus. Cf. Jn. 3:14; 6:14, 30-31, 68; 7:40,52; 13:1+; Ac. 3:22-23; 7:20-44; Heb. 3:1-11. See also Mt.  16:14+”.

In Mt. 16:14, this verse says: And they said, ‘Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets’.^c  

Footnote c of this verse states that: “Jesus claimed the title ‘prophet’ for himself only indirectly and obscurely, Mt. 13:57p; Lk. 13:33, but the public hailed him as such, Mt. 16:14p; 21:11,46; Mk. 6:15p; Lk. 7:16,39; 24:19; Jn. 4:19; 9:17. The title had messianic significance because the Jews confidently expected a revival of the spirit of prophecy (extinct since Malachi) as a sign of the messianic era. It was to revive either in the person of Elijah, Mt. 17:10-11p; or in the form of a general outpouring of the Spirit, Ac. 2:17-18,33. Many (false) prophets did actually arise in Christ’s time. Mt. 24:11p., etc. John the Baptist was himself a prophet, Mt. 11:9p; 14:5; 21:26p; Lk. 1:76, precisely because he was the Precursor who had come ‘in the spirit of Elijah’, Mt. 11:10p,14; 17:12p. Nevertheless he denied (Jn. 1:21+) that he was ‘the prophet’ foretold by Moses, Dt. 18:15. This prophet, the early Christians believed, was Jesus and no other, Ac. 3:22-26; Jn. 6:14; 7:40. From Pentecost onwards, however, prophecy became a familiar charismatic phenomenon in the early church, Ac. 11:27+; for this reason the title prophet as applied to Christ soon dropped out and was replaced by other more suited to his unique function and person.”

So, it is very clear from the above cited texts and footnotes that indeed Jesus Christ had been recognized as a Messiah-Prophet by the people of his time. Now, let us see why he is called a bachelor Messiah-Prophet.

This Sunday’s Second Reading:

The Second reading taken from 1 Co. 7:32-35 contains the opinion of Apostle Paul regarding the advantage of practicing perpetual continence for the sake of the kingdom of God.

The second reading, consisting of four verses, says in whole:

“I would like to see you free from all worry. An unmarried man can devote himself to the Lord’s affairs, all he need worry about is pleasing the Lord; but a married man has to bother about the world’s affairs and devote himself to pleasing his wife. He is torn two ways. In the same was an unmarried woman, like a young girl, can devote herself to the Lord’s affairs, all she needs worry about is being holy I body and spirit. The married woman, on the other hand, has to worry about the world’s affairs and devote herself to pleasing her husband. I say this only to help you, not to put a halter round your necks, but simply to make sure that everything is as it should be, and that you give your undivided attention to the Lord.”

Of course, Apostle Paul’s opinion regarding remaining celibate for the members of the Church has its basis in the direct teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ  found in Mt. 19:12 which says: “There are eunuchs born that way from their mother’s womb, there are eunuchs made so by men and there are eunuchs who have made themselves that way for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.”

Footnote e of this verse states that: “Christ invites to perpetual continence those who would consecrate themselves entirely to the kingdom of God.”

Of course, there is one other scriptural citation that could be found in the NT gospels in support for the reason why one should practice perpetual continence or celibacy. This one reason could be found in the incidence narrated in Lk. 10:38-42 which tries to compare the situation between Martha and Mary in relation to serving Jesus. Christ.

In particular, verse 40 of this citation states that: “Now Martha who was distracted with all the serving said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me.’” Jesus Christ’s reply to Martha’s pleading is : “Martha, Martha, you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken (away) from her”.

This reply of Jesus Christ clearly spell out the more important work of man, which is to listen to the word of God, rather than being concerned so much with the material concerns of life.

SERVANTS OF THE GOSPEL - 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Homily for the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Based on Mk. 1:29-39 (Gospel), Jb. 7:1-4, 6-7 (1^stRdng.), and 1 Cor. 9:16-19, 20-23 (2^ndRdng.)

From the series “Reflections and Teachings from the Desert”

SERVANTS OF THE GOSPEL

In the last part of today’s gospel we find this incident presented: “Simon and his companions set out in search of him, and when they found him they said, ‘Everybody is looking for you!’ He answered, ‘Let us go elsewhere to the neighboring country towns, so that I can preach there too, because that is why I came’.” (Mk. 1:36-38)

The statement of Jesus Christ that “Let us go elsewhere to the neighboring country towns, so that I can preach there too, because that is why I came”, finds a very beautiful expression in Apostle Paul’s assertions as stated in today’s Second reading, which read in toto as:

“Not that I do boast of preaching the gospel, since it is a duty which has been laid on me; I should be punished if I did not preach it. If I had chosen this work myself, I might have been paid for it, but as I have not, it is a responsibility which has been put into my hands, do you know what my reward is? It is this: in my preaching, to be able to offer the Good News free, and not insist on the rights which the gospel gives me. So though I am not a slave of any man I have made myself the slave of everyone so as to win as many as I could.  For the weak I made myself weak, I made myself all things to all men in order to save some at any cost; and I still do this, for the sake of the gospel, to have a share in its blessings.” (1 Cor. 9:16-19, 20-23)

The above assertion, that Apostle Paul had been preaching the gospel for free and that he had not been paid for it because he regarded it as a duty and a responsibility laid on him, is indeed the very realization of what Jesus Christ had said in today’s gospel “Let us go elsewhere… so that I can preach there too because that is why I came.”

To preach the gospel for free and to preach it as a duty and a responsibility even without an official designation are the two main characteristics of a good servant of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and that is what I am doing right now.

These exemplary characteristics stated above had been shown first by Jesus Crist as expressed in today’s gospel, when he cured Simon Peter’s mother-in-law from a fever, and when he cured many other sick people when they were brought to him that very same instance when he was at the house of Simon’s mother-in-law. He did all these for free, that is without asking for a fee, and he did it as a duty and responsibility after his disciples had told him about the condition of Simon Peter’s mother-in-law and asked him to do something about it (Mk. 1:30; Lk. 4:38).

                Apostle Paul had also shown these exemplary characteristics during his ministry as a preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In 2 Cor. 11:7, he clearly taught about preaching the gospel for free when he said that: “Or was I wrong, lowering myself so as to lift you high, by preaching the gospel of God to you and taking no fee for it?”

In todays’ second reading this is what the Apostle Paul exactly said: “Do you know what my reward is? It is this: in my preaching, to be able to offer the Good News free, and not insist on the rights which the gospel gives me” (1 Cor. 9:18). Apostle Paul is not seeking for a reward in preaching the gospel for free because his attitude about it is that it had been laid on him as a duty and a responsibility which he had freely accepted from God and from Jesus Christ, the servant of God par excellence.

As regards preaching of the gospel for free and doing it as a duty and a responsibility, the main motive that drives Jesus Christ, Apostle Paul and many others like me, to do it is the attitude that they regard themselves as being a slave or a servant, like the Servant of Yahweh (Is. 53; as stated in footnote g of Mt. 20:26). Footnote f of Ac. 26:16-18 stated that, “Paul’s missionary vocation is described here in O.T. terms used about two great prophetic figures, Jeremiah and the Servant of Yahweh”.

This attitude of being a slave is expressed by Job in today’s First reading when it is stated that: “Is not man’s life on earth nothing more than pressed service, his time no better than hired drudgery? Like the slave, sighing for the shade, or the workmen with no thought but his wages, months of delusion I have assigned to me, nothing for my own but nights of grief” (Job 7:1-3).

Footnote a of Job 7:1 clarifies the meaning of service as “referring to military service, cf. 14:14, which involves both fighting and forced labor. Greek translates ‘trial’; Vulgate militia, warfare or war service.” Likewise, the word “drudgery” in Jb. 7:1 is clarified in footnote b by saying that: “The hired laborer, paid by the day, Dt. 24:15; Mt. 20:8, works for another from morning to night, as the slave does, Lv. 25:39-40.”

This statement of Job regarding life as merely a pressed labor like that one lived by a slave, or a house servant, finds its parallel support in the following places:

In Jb. 14:14: “For once a man is dead can he come back to life?- day after day of my service I would wait for my relief to come.”

In Si. 40:1: “Much hardship has been made for every man, a heavy yoke lies on the sons of Adam from the day they come out of their mother’s womb, till the day they return to the mother of them all.”

In  Qo. 2:23: “What of all his laborious days, his cares of office, his restless nights? This, too, is vanity.”

It is very clear from these statements why Apostle Paul was also able to accept the preaching of the gospel as one like it is a duty and responsibility that someone had been pressed on him like a slave’s. In 1 Co. 9:19-23, we find this attitude as a slave in Apostle Paul’s statements that: “So though I am not a slave of any man I have made myself the slave of everyone so as to win as many as I could.  For the weak I made myself weak, I made myself all things to all men in order to save some at any cost; and I still do this, for the sake of the gospel, to have a share in its blessings.”  This is all because:  “We who are strong have a duty to put up with the qualms of the weak without thinking of ourselves” (Rm. 15:1).