SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN TIMES FORGIVENESS - 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A)

Homily for the 24^th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A)

Based on Mt 18:21-35 (Gospel), Sir 27:30-28:7 (First Reading) and Rm 14:7-9 (Second Reading)

From the Series: “Reflections and Teachings of the Desert”

SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN TIMES FORGIVENESS

“Not seven, I tell you, but seventy-seven times” (Mt 18:22)

The Gospel for this  24^th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A) is taken from Mt 18:21-35. The first title is “Forgiveness of injuries,” with the following parallel texts:

1.       Mt 6:12 - And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us.

2.       Si 10:6 - Do not resent^c your neighbor’s every offence, and never act in a fit of passion. Footnote ^c says “Hebr. ‘Do not punish’.”

3.       Lk 17:4 - Brotherly correction^a. And if he wrongs you seventy times a day and seven times comes back to you and says, “I am sorry”, you must forgive him.’ Footnote ^a says “Lk apparently, is thinking of a matter that concerns only two of the community; in Mt the offence is more public. Lk does not mention appealing to the community.”

4.       Col 3:12 - You are God’s chosen race, his saints; he loves you, and you should be clothed in sincere compassion, in kindness and humility, gentleness and patience

Verses 21 and 22 say: Then Peter went up to him and said, ‘Lord. How often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times?  Jesus answered, ‘Not seven, I tell you, but seventy-seven times.^k Footnote  ^k says  “Others render ‘seventy-times-seven times’, cf. 6:9+.”

Parallel text of verse 22 is Gn 4:24 that says: Sevenfold vengeance is taken for Cain, but seventy-sevenfold^j  for Lamech. Footnote   ^j says “This ferocious song, composed in honour of a desert paladin named Lamech, is recorded here as evidence of the increasing ferocity of Cain’s descendants.”

Second title is: “Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor.”

Parallel text is Si 28:4 that says: Showing not pity for a man like himself, can he then plead for his own sins?

Verse 23-32 say: ‘And so the kingdom may be compared to a king who decided to settle his accounts with his servants. When the reckoning began, the brought him a man who owed ten thousand talents;^l but he had no means of paying, so his master gave orders that he should be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, to meet the debt. At this, the servant threw himself down at his master’s feet. ‘Give me time’ he said ‘and I will pay the whole sum’. And the servant’s master felt so sorry for him that he let him go and cancelled the debt. Now, as this servant went out, he happened to meet a fellow servant who owed him one hundred denarii;^m and he seized him by the throat and began to throttle him. ‘Pay what you owe me’ he said.   His fellow servant fell at his feet and implored him, saying, ‘Give me time and I will pay you’. But the other would not agree; on the contrary, he had him thrown into prison till he should pay the debt. His fellow servants were deeply distressed when they saw what had happened, and they went to their master and reported the whole affair to him. Then the master sent for him . “you wicked servant”, he said “I cancelled all that debt of yours when you appealed to me. Footnote  ^l says “About £3,000,000, $9,000,000: the amount is deliberately fantastic”.; and Footnote ^m says “Less than £5, $15.”

Parallel text of verse 23 is Mt 25:19 that says: Now a long time after, the master of those servants came back and went through his accounts with them.

Verses 33 and 34 say: Were you not bound, then, to have pity on your fellow servant just as I had pity on you? And in his anger the master handed him over to the torturers till he should pay all his debt.

Parallel text of verse 33 is 1 Jn  4:11 that says: My dear people, since God has loved us so much, we too should love one another.

Verse 35 says: And that is how my heavenly Father will deal with you unless you each forgive your brother from your heart.

Parallel texts are:

1.       Mt 6:12 - And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us.

2.       Jm 2:13…because there will be judgment without mercy for those who have not been merciful themselves;^e but the merciful need no fear of judgment. Footnote   ^e says “‘Judgment’ (i.e ‘condemnation’) is merciless to anyone who does not show mercy. ‘the merciful… judgement’; lit. ‘mercy triumphs over judgement’. Cf. Mt 18:35.”

The First Reading is taken from  Sir 27:30-28:7.

Verses 30 and Ch. 28:1-3 say: Resentment and anger, these are foul things too, and both are found with the sinner. He who exacts vengeance will experience the vengeance of the Lord, who keeps strict account of sin. Forgive your neighbor the hurt he does you, and when you pray, your sins will be forgiven. Is a man nurses anger against another, can he demand compassion from the Lord?

Parallel text of Chapter 28:2 are:

1.       Mt 5:23-24 - So then, if you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you (v. 23), leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering (v. 24).

2.       Mt 6:12p,14-15 - And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us (v. 12). Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours; (v. 14) but if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failings either (v. 15).

Verses 4 and 5 say: Showing not pity for a man like himself, can he then plead for his own sins? Mere creature of flesh, he cherishes resentment; who will forgive him his sins?

Parallel text for verse 4 is Mt 18:23-35 that says: “Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor. ‘And so the kingdom may be compared to a king who decided to settle his accounts with his servants (v. 23). When the reckoning began, the brought him a man who owed ten thousand talents; (v. 24)^l but he had no means of paying, so his master gave orders that he should be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, to meet the debt (v. 25). At this, the servant threw himself down at his master’s feet. ‘Give e time’ he said ‘and I will pay the whole sum’ (v. 26). And the servant’s master felt so sorry for him that he let him go and cancelled the debt (v. 27). Now, as this servant went out, he happened to meet a fellow servant who owed him one hundred denarii;^m and he seized him by the throat and began to throttle him. ‘Pay what you owe me’ he said  (v. 28). His fellow servant fell at his feet and implored him, saying, ‘Give me time and I will pay you’ (v. 29). But the other would not agree; on the contrary, he had him thrown into prison till he should pay the debt (v. 30). His fellow servants were deeply distressed when they saw what had happened, and they went to their master and reported the whole affair to him (v. 31). Then the master sent for him . “you wicked servant”, he said “I cancelled all that debt of yours when you appealed to me (v. 32). Were you not bound, then, to have pity on your fellow servant just as I had pity on you? (v. 33)” And in his anger the master handed him over to the torturers till he should pay all his debt (v. 34). And that is how my heavenly Father will deal with you unless you each forgive your brother from your heart (v. 35).’” Footnote  ^l says “About £3,000,000, $9,000,000: the amount is deliberately fantastic.”; Footnote

^m says “Less than £5, $15.”

Verse 6 says: Remember the last things, and stop hating, remember dissolution and death, and live by the commandments.

Parallel texts are:

1.       Sir 7:36 - In everything you do,^j remember your end, and you will never sin.^k Footnote ^j says “‘you do’ following Hebr.; Greek lit. ‘your words’.”; and  Footnote ^k says “Ben Sira may have no sure or clear idea of retribution after death but on several occasions he emphasizes the importance of the last moment, cf. 11:26-28. It may also be that the Greek translation has moved further in this direction, for the Hebr. has simply ‘in all your actions consider the end’, i.e. think of the consequences of your acts; the Greek is more explicit and for ‘the end’ reads ‘your last moments’ (ta eschata sou), inviting reflection on ‘the last things’”.

2.       Sir 38:20 – Do not abandon your heart to grief, drive it away, bear your own end to mind.^q Footnote  ^q  says “or ‘bear the future in mind’.”

Verse 7 says: Remember the commandments, and do not bear your neighbor ill-will; remember the covenant of the Most High, and overlook the offence.

Parallel text of verse is that says:

1.       Lv 19:17-18 - You must not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. You must openly tell him, your neighbor, of his offence; this way you will not take a sin upon yourself (v. 17). You must not exact vengeance, nor must you bear a grudge against the children of your own people. You must love your neighbor as yourself. I am Yahweh (v. 18).

2.       Jm 2:8 - Well, the right thing to do is to keep the supreme law of scripture: you must love your neighbor as yourself…

3.       Ex 23:4-5 - If you come on your enemy’s ox or donkey going astray, you must lead it back to him (v.4). If you see the donkey of a man who hates you fallen under its load, instead of keeping out of his way, go to him to help him (v. 5).

The Second Reading is taken from Rm 14:7-9.

Verses 7 and 8 say: The life and death of each of us has its influence on others; if we live, we live for the Lord, so that alive or dead we belong to the Lord.

Parallel text of verse 7 is Rm 6:10-11 that says: When he died, he died, once and for all, to sin,^e so his life now is life with God (v. 10). And in that way, you too must  consider yourselves to be dead to sin but alive for God in Christ Jesus.^f

Footnote ^e says “Christ was sinless, 2 Cor. 5:21, but having a physical body like our own, Rm. 8:3, he belonged to the order of sin; when he became ‘spiritual’, 1 Co. 15:45-46, he belonged only to the divine order. Similarly, though the Christian remains in the flesh for a time, he already lives in the spirit.”; and Footnote ^f says “Text. Rec and Vulg. ‘Christ Jesus our Lord’

   

Verse 9 says: This explains why Christ both died and came to life, it was so that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living .

Parallel texts  are:

1.       Ac 10:42 - And he has ordered us to proclaim this to his people^o and to tell them that God had appointed him to judge everyone, alive or dead.^p  Footnote ^o says “I.e. the Chosen People, Israel, 10:2; 21:28.”; and  Footnote ^p says “Those still alive at the glorious coming and those who have died before the coming but then rise for judgment. See 1 Th 4:13-5:10. By raising up Jesus, God has solemnly invested him as supreme Judge, Ac 17:31; Jn. 5:22,27; 2 Tm 4:1; 1 P 4:5; to proclaim the resurrection is therefore to invite men to repentance, Ac. 17:30-31.”

2.       …and the reason he died for all was so that living men should live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised to life for them.

BROTHERLY CORRECTION - 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A)

Homily for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A)

Based on Mt 18:15-20 (Gospel), Ez 33:7-9 (First Reading) and Rm 13:8-10 (Second Reading)

From the Series: “Reflections and Teachings of the Desert”

BROTHERLY CORRECTION

“If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone” (Mt 18:15).

The Gospel for this  Ascension Sunday (Cycle A) is taken from Mt 18:15-20 with the title “Brotherly correction.” Parallel text is from Lk 17:3 that says: Watch yourselves! Brotherly correction^a ‘If your brother does something wrong, rep[rove him and, if he is sorry, forgive him. Footnote ^a says “Lk, apparently, is thinking of a matter that concerns only two of the community; in Mt the offence is more public. Lk does not mention appealing to the community.”

Verse 15 says: ‘If your brother does something wrong,^g go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother.  Footnote  ^g says “Many authorities add the specifying phrase ‘to you’, but it is probably to be omitted. The fault in question is grave and notorious; it has not necessarily been committed against the one whose duty it is to correct it. In v. 21 the case if different.”

Parallel text of verse is that says:

1.       Lv 19:17 - You must not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. You must openly tell him, your neighbor, of his offence; this way you will not take a sin upon yourself.

2.       Ga 6:1 - Brothers, if one of you misbehaves the more spiritual of you who set him right should do so in a spirit of gentleness, not forgetting that you may be tempted yourselves.

3.       Tt 3:10 - If a man disputes what you teach, then after a first and second warning, have no more to do with him;^b Footnote   ^b says “Lit. ‘Avoid any heretical man after one or two warnings’; Paul uses a contemporary philosophical term: etymologically a ‘heretic’ is someone who instead of being open to all truth chooses what truths he will believe: groups of people who agree on the same choice are ‘sects’ (offshoots of parent bodies).”

Verse 16 says: If he does not, take one or two others along with you: the evidence of two or three witnesses is required to sustain any charge.

Parallel text of verse is that says:

1.       Dt 19:15 - A single witness cannot suffice to convict a man of a crime or offence of any kind; whatever the misdemeanor, the evidence of two witnesses or three is required to sustain the charge.

2.       2 Co 13:1 - This will be the third time I have come to you.  The evidence of  three, or at least two, witnesses is necessary to sustain the charge.

3.       1 Tm 5:19-20 - Never accept any accusation brought against an elder unless it is supported by two or three witnesses (v.19). If any of them are at fault, reprimand them publicly, as a warning to the rest (v. 20).

Verse 17 says: But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the community;^h and if he refuses to listen to the community, treat him like a pagan or tax collector.ⁱ Footnote  ^h says “The ekklesia, i.e. the qahal or gathering of the brethren.;” Footnote ⁱ  says “i.e. ‘outcast’, ‘excommunicate’.”

Parallel texts are:

1.       Rm 16:17 - I implore you, brothers, be on your guard against anybody who encourages trouble or puts difficulties in the way of the doctrine you have been taught. Avoid them.^h Footnote ^h says “The curt warning is reminiscent of Ga 6:12-17. It probably refers to judaising preachers, cf. Ga 5:7-12 and particularly Ph 3:18-19.”

2.       1 Co 5:11 - What I wrote was that you should not associate with brother Christian who is leading an immoral life, or s usurer, or idolatrous, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or is dishonest; you should not even eat a meal with people like that.

Verse 18 says: ‘I tell you solemnly, whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.^j Footnote  ^j  says  

Parallel text of verse is that says:

1.       Mt 16:19 - I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatsoever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatsoever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.ⁱ Footnote ⁱ  says “ The City of God, like the City of Death, has its gates too; they grant entrance only to those who are worthy of it. Peter has the keys. It is his function, therefore, to open or close to all who would come to the kingdom of heaven through the Church. ‘bind’ and ‘loose’ are technical rabbinic terms; primarily they have a disciplinary reference; one is ‘bound’ (condemned to) o ‘loosed’ (absolved from) excommunication. Their secondary usage is connected with doctrinal or juridical decisions: an opinion is ‘bound’ (forbidden) or ‘loosed’ {allowed). Of the household of God Peter is controller (the keys symbolize this, cf. Is. 22:22). In that capacity, he is to exercise the disciplinary power of admitting or excluding those he thinks fit; he will also, in the administration of the community, make necessary decision in questions of doctrinal belief and of moral conduct. The verdicts he deliver or the pronouncements he makes will be ratified by God i heaven. Catholic exegetes maintain that these enduring promises hold good not only for Peter himself but also for Peter’s successors. This inference, not explicitly drawn in the text, is considered legitimate because Jesus plainly intends to provide for his Church’s future by establishing a regime that will not collapse after Peter’s death. Two other texts, Lk. 22:31f and Jn. 21:15f, on Peter’s primacy emphasize that its operation is to be in the domain of faith; they also indicate that this makes him head not only of the Church after the death of Christ but of the apostolic group then and there.”

2.       Jn 20:23 - For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.

Title 2 is: “Prayer in common”

Verse 19 says: ‘I tell you solemnly once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven.

Parallel texts are:

1.       Mt 7:7-8 - Ask, and it will be given to you; search and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you(v.7). For the one who asks, always receives; and the one who searches, always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door  opened to him (v. 8).

2.       Jn 15:7,16 - If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask what you will and you shall get it (v. 7). ^d You did not chose me, no. I chose you; and I commissioned you to go out and bear fruit, fruit that will last; and then the Father will give you anything you ask him in my name (v. 16). Footnote ^d says “Var. ‘and so prove to be my disciples’. In this way the Father is ‘glorified in the Son’, 14:13. Cf. 21:19.”

Verse 20 says: For where two or three meet in my name, I shall be there with him.

Parallel texts are:

1.       Mt 28:20…and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.

2.       1 Co 5:4 - When you are assembled together in the name of the Lord Jesus,^b and I am spiritually present with you, then with the power of the Lord Jesus he is to be handed over to Satan so that his sensual body may be destroyed and his spirit saved o the day of te Lord.^e Footnote ^b says “Var. ‘of our Lord Jesus Christ’.”; and Footnote ^c says “Not just excommunicated, or expelled from the community, v. 13, but consigned to Satan to be punished. The punishment, however, is intended to convert the man: his ‘spirit’, that is his soul, is to be saved. Cf. 11:30-32.”

The First Reading is taken from  Ez 33:7-9.

Verses 7, 8 and 9 say: ‘Son of man, I have appointed you as sentry to the House of Israel. When you hear a word from my mouth, warn them in my name. If I say to a wicked man: Wicked wretch, you are to die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked man to renounce his ways, then he shall die for his sin, but I will hold you responsible for his death. If, however, you do warn a wicked man to renounce his ways and repent, and he does not repent, the he shall die for his sin, but you yourself will have saved your life.

Parallel text is Ez 3:17-19that says: ‘Son of man, I have appointed you as sentry to the House of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from me, warn them in my Name (v. 17). If I say to a wicked man: You are to die, and you do not  warn him to renounce his evil ways and so live, then he shall die for his sin, but I will hold you responsible for his death (v. 18). If, however, you do warn a wicked man and he does not renounce his wickedness and his evil ways, then he shall die for his sin, but you yourself will have saved your life (v. 19).

The Second Reading is taken from Rm 13:8-10.

Verse 8 says: Avoid getting into debt, except the debt of mutual love. If you love your fellow men you have carried out your obligations^c. Footnote  ^c says “Lit. ‘fulfilled the law’-apparently law in general, not only the Mosaic Law.”

Parallel text of verse is that says:

1.       Mt 22:34-40 - But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they got together (v. 34) and, to disconcert him, one of them put a question  (v. 35), “Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?” V. 36) Jesus said, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind (v.37). This is the greatest and the first commandment (v.38). The second resembles it: You must love your neighbor as yourself (v. 39) On these two commandments  hang the whole law and the prophets also (v. 40).

2.       Jn 13:34 - I give you a new commandment:^t love one another; just as I have loved you, you also must love one another. Footnote ^t says “The reference to Christ’s departure, v. 33, (which leads up to the prophecy of Peter’s denial, vv. 36-38) makes this command, vv. 34-35, a solemn legacy from Christ. Though enunciated n the Mosaic Law, this precept of love is ‘new’ because sets the standard so high by telling his followers to love one another as he himself loved them, and because love is to be the distinguishing mark of the ‘new’ era which the death of Jesus inaugurates and proclaims to the world.”

3.       Col 3:14 - Over all these clothes, to keep them together and complete them, put on love.

Verse 9 says: All the commandments: You shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill, you shall not steal,^d you shall not covet, and so on, are summed up in this single command: you shall love your neighbor^e as yourself. Footnote  ^d  says “Add (Vulg.)’you shall not bear false witness’.”; and Footnote ^e says “In Lv the ‘neighbor’ was a fellow countryman, here it is any member of the human family which is made one in Christ, Ga. 3:28; Mt 25:40.”

Parallel text of verse is that says:

1.       Ex 20:13-17  - ‘You shall not kill (v. 13). You shall  not commit adultery (v. 14). You shall not steal (v. 15). You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (v. 16). You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his servant, man or woman, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is his (v. 17).’

2.       Dt 5:17-21 - ^bYou shall not kill (v. 17). You shall not commit adultery (v. 18). You shall not steal (v. 19). You shall not bear dishonest witness against your neighbor (v. 20). You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, you shall not set your heart on his house, his field, his servant - man or woman - his ox, his donkey or anything that is his (v. 21). Footnote ^b says “vv. 17-20 are one verse in the Greek.”

  

Verse 10 says: Love is the one thing that cannot hurt your neighbor; that is why it is the answer to very one of the commandments.^f Footnote  ^f says “Lit. ‘that is why love is the law in all its fullness’.”

Parallel texts are:

1.       Lv 19:18 - You must not exact vengeance, nor must you bear a grudge against the children of your own people. You must love your neighbor as yourself. I am Yahweh.

2.       Ga 5:14 - since the whole Law is summarized in a single command: Love your neighbor as yourself.

3.       1 Co 13:4-7 - Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish, it does not take offence, and it is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people’s sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes.

OBSTACLE IN THE PATH - 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A)

Homily for the 22^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A)

Based on Mt 16:21-27 (Gospel), Jr 20:7-9 (First Reading) and Rm 12:1-2 (Second Reading)

From the Series: “Reflections and Teachings of the Desert”

OBSTACLE IN THE PATH

“Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path” (Mt 16:23)

The Gospel for this  22^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A) is taken from Mt 16:21-27. First title is: “First prophecy of the Passion,” with the following parallel texts:

1.       Mk 8:31-33 - First prophecy of the Passion: And he began to teach them that the Son of Man` was destined to suffer grievously, be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and to be put to death, and after three days to rise again (v. 31); and he said all this quite openly. Then taking him aside, Peter started to remonstrate with him (v. 32). But, turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said to him, ‘Get behind me, Satan! Because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s (v. 33).

2.       Lk 9:22 - First prophecy of the Passion^d “The Son of Man’ he said, is destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and to be put to death and to be raised up on the third day. Footnote ^d  says “This prophecy is to be followed by several others, 9:44; 12:50; 17:25; 18:31-33. Cf. 24:7,25-27. Lk omits Peter’s protest and his rebuke by Jesus, Mk 8:32f.”

Verses 21 and 22 say: From that time^k, Jesus began to make clear to his disciples that he was destined to go to Jerusalem and suffer grievously at the hands of the elders, and chief priests and scribes, to be put to death and to be raised on the third day. Then taking him aside, Peter started to remonstrate with him. ‘Heaven preserve you, Lord;’ he said ‘this must not happen to you’. Footnote  ^k says “Jesus has just elicited from his disciples the first explicit profession of faith in him as Messiah. At this crucial moment he tells them for the first time of his coming Passion: he is not only the glorious Messiah, he is also the suffering servant. Within the next few days this teaching method will be pursued in a similar situation: the glorious transfiguration will be followed by an injunction to silence and a prediction of Passion, 17:1-12. It is Christ’s way of bracing the disciples’ faith for the approaching crisis of death and resurrection.”

Parallel texts of verse 21 are:

1.       Mt 17:12,22-23…however, I tell you that Elijah has come already and they do not recognize him but treated him as they please; the Son of Man will suffer similarly at their hands (v. 12).’ Second prophecy of the Passion: One day when they were together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, ‘The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the power of men (v. 22); and they will put him to death, and on the third day he will be raised to life again.’ And a great sadness came over them (v. 23).

2.       Mt 20:17-19 - Third prophecy of the Passion. Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, and on the way he took the Twelve to one side and said to them (v. 17), ‘Now we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man is about to be handed over to the chief priests and scribes. They will condemn him to death (v. 18) and will hand him over to the pagans to be mocked and scourged and crucified; and on the third day he will rise again (v. 19).

3.       Lk 2:38+ - She came by just at that moment began  to praise God; and she spoke of the child to all who looked forward the deliverance of Jerusalem.^k Footnote ^k says “The messianic deliverance of the Chosen People, 1:68; 24:21, primarily affected their capital city; cf Is 40:5; 52:9 (and see 2 S 5:9+). FrLk, Jerusalem is God’s chosen centre from which will spread his salvation: 9:31,51,53; 13:22,33; 17:11; 18:31; 19:11; 24:47-49,52; Ac 1:8+.”

4.       Lk 13:33 - But for today and tomorrow and the next day I must go on, since it would not be right for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem.ⁱ Footnote ⁱ  says “Meaning apparently ‘My work will soon be over, but not yet. I have not finished my work of exorcising and healing: this I shal contrive to do on my way to Jerusalem where my destiny lies’, cf. 2:38+. Similarly, in Jn 7:30; 8:20 (cf. 8:59; 10:39; 11:54) the enemies of Jesus have no power over him so long as ‘his hour has not yet come’.”

5.       Ac 10:40…yet three days afterwards God raised him to life^m and allowed him to be seen…Footnote  ^m says  “Lit. ‘raised him on the third day’; stereotype formula of the Christian preaching and faith. It appears as early as 1 Co. 15:4 (a first stage of the creed) with the addition ‘according to the scriptures’. The formula echoes Jon 2:1 (cf. Mt 12:40): see also Ho 6:2. It recurs in Mt 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; 27:64; Lk 9:22; 18:33; 24:7,46.”

Verse 23 says: But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle^l in my path, because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s.” Footnote  ^l says “By blocking the Messiah’s appointed way, Peter becomes an ‘obstacle’ (primary sense of the Greek skandalon) to Christ and becomes, though unwittingly, the tool of Satan, cf. 4:1-10.”

Parallel text of verse is that says:

1.       Mt 4:10 - Then Jesus replied, “Be off, Satan! For scripture says: ‘You must worship the Lord your God, and serve him alone.’

2.       Mk 4:13 - Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables?^c Footnote  ^c says “The apostles’ incomprehension of Christ’s works and words is a favorite theme of Mk. 6:52; 7:18; 8:17-18,21,33; 9:10,32; 10:38. With the exception of certain parallel places (Mt. 15;16; 16:9,23; 20:22; Lk 9:45) and of Lk 18:34; 24:25,45. Mt and Lk often pass such remarks over in silence, or even emend them; compare Mt 14:33 with Mk 6:51-52, and see Mt 13:51, Cf. Jn 14:26+.”

Second Title is “Condition of following Christ.”

1.       Mk 8:34-9:1 - He called the people and his disciples to him and said, “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross, and follow me(v.34). For anyone who wants  to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it (v.35). What gain, then, for a man to win the whole world and ruin his life? (v. 36). And indeed what could a man offer in exchange for his life? (v. 37) For if anyone in this adulterous and sinful generation is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels (v. 38).” And he said to them, ‘I tell you solemnly, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power’ (Ch. 9, v. 1).

2.       Lk 9:23-27 - Then to all he said, ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross every day and follow me (v. 23). For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake, that man will save it (v. 24). What gain, then, is it for a man to have won the whole world and to have lost or ruined his very self? (v. 25). For if anyone is ashamed of me and of my words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in his own glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels (v. 26). ‘I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God’ (v. 27).

Verses 24, 25 and 26 say: Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it, but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it^m. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? Footnote ^m says “Paradox. This dictum and those immediately following oscillate between two senses of human ‘life’; its present stage and its future. The Greek psyche, here equivalent to the Hebrew nephesh, contains all three senses of ‘life’, soul’, ‘person’.”

 

Parallel texts of verse 24 are:

1.       Mt. 10:38-39 - Anyone who does not take up his cross and follow in my footsteps is not worthy of me (v.38).  Whoever finds his life will lose it; anyone who loses his life for my sake will find itⁿ (v. 39). Footnote ⁿ says “In Mt this dictum is given in a more archaic form than in Mk or Lk: ‘find’ covers the idea of ‘winning’ ‘securing for oneself’, cf. Gn 26:12; Ho 12:9; Pr 3:13; 21:21. See Mt. 16:25.”

2.       Lk. 14:24 - ‘…because, I tell you, not one of those who were invited shall have a taste of my banquet”.’

3.       Lk 17:33 - Anyone who tries to preserve his life will lose it, and anyone  who loses it will keep it safe.

4.       Jn 12:25-26 - Anyone who loves his life loses it; and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for the eternal life.

5.       Mt 10:39 - Whoever finds his life will lose it; anyone who loses his life for my sake will find itⁿ. Footnote ⁿ says “In Mt this dictum is given in a more archaic form than in Mk or Lk: ‘find’ covers the idea of ‘winning’ ‘securing for oneself’, cf. Gn 26:12; Ho 12:9; Pr 3:13; 21:21. See Mt. 16:25.”

6.       Mt 24:30,34 - And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven;^o then too all the peoples of the earth will beat their breasts; and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.^p (v. 30). I tell you solemnly, before this generation has passed away all these things will have taken place^t (v. 34). Footnote ^t – says This statement refers to the destruction of Jerusalem and not to the end of the world. In the course of his preaching Jesus probably made the distinction between these two things clearer, cf. 24:1+ and 16:28+.

7.       Mt 26:64  - ‘The words are your own,’ answered Jesus. ‘Moreover, I tell you that from this time onward you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven^u. Footnote  ^u  says “‘The Power’ is equivalent to ‘Yahweh’. At the critical moment Jesus abandons his policy of the ‘messianic secret’, cf. Mk 1:34+, and unequivocally acknowledges - as he had already acknowledged to his intimates, Mt 16:16 - that he is the Messiah. But he goes further and reveals himself, not as the human Messiah of traditional expectation but as the Lord of Ps 110, cf. Mt 22:41f, and the mysterious personage of heavenly origin whom Daniel had seen in vision, cf Mt 8:20+. Henceforth the Jews will not see him except in his glory which will be manifested first in the victory of the resurrection and subsequently in the victory of the Church. Cf 23:39 and 24:30.”

Verse 27 says: For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct.ⁿ  Footnote  ⁿ says “‘his behavior’; var. ‘his works’.”

Parallel texts are:

1.       Mt 25:31 - When the Son of Man comes in glory,^e escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory (v. 31). Footnote ^e  says “The perspective changes: it is now a question of Christ’s last coming at the end of the world.”

2.       Jb 34:11…that he requites a man for what he does,^c treating each one as his way of life deserves. Footnote ^c  says Classical formulation of the doctrine of retribution. In the NT, this is usually referred to the Last Day.

3.       Ps 62:12…for you, Lord, to be loving; and for yourself repay man as his works deserve.^e Footnote ^e  says “Doctrine of individual retribution taught by the prophets (especially Ezekiel, 14:12+), the wisdom writers and the psalmists, 37:1+.”

4.       Jr 17:10 - I, Yahweh, search to the heart, I probe the loins,  to give each man what his conduct and his actions deserve.

5.       Zc 14:5 - And the Vale of Hinnom will be filled up from Goah to Jasol;^c it will be blocked as it wase^d by the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Yahweh your God will come, and all the holy ones with him.^e  Footnote ^c says “Text corr.”; Footnote ^d says  “‘It will be blocked as it was’ Greek; ‘you will flee as you fled’ Hebr.”; and Footnote ^e says  “‘your (thy) God’ corr; ‘my God’ Hebr. ‘with him’ Greek; ‘with thee’ Hebr.”

6.       2 Th 1:7…and reward you, who are suffering now, with the same peace as he will give us,^a when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven with the angels of his power. Footnote  ^a says “Paul often compares his own situation with that of the churches he is writing to, cf. 1 Th 2:3; 1 Co 4:8; Ph 1:30, etc.”

The First Reading is taken from Jr 20:7-9.

Verses 7 and 8 say: You have seduced me, Yahweh, and I have left my self be seduced; you have overpowered me: you were the stronger.^d  I am a daily laughing stock, everybody’s butt. Each time I speak the word, I have to howl and proclaim: ‘Violence and ruin!’ The word of Yahweh has meant for me insult, derision, all day long. Footnote ^d says “The images of seduction and struggle illustrate the power of Yahweh over his prophet.”

Parallel texts of verse 7 are:

1.       Jr 15:10 - Woe is me, my mother, for you have borne me to be a man of strife and of dissension for all the land. I neither lend nor borrow, yet all of them curse me.

2.       Am 3:8 - The Lion roars: who can help feeling afraid? The Lord Yahweh speaks: who can refuse to prophesy?

3.       Lm 3:14- I have become the laughing-stock of my whole nation, their butt all day long.

Verse 9 says: I used to say, ‘I will not think about him, I will not speak in his name anymore’.  Then there seemed to be a fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones. The effort to restrain it wearied me, I could  not bear it.^e Footnote  ^e says “‘bear it’ following Greek.”

Parallel text of verse is that says:

1.       Jr 23:29 - Does not my word burn like fire-it is Yahweh who speaks-is it not like a hammer^l shattering a rock? Footnote ^I  says “Text corr.”

2.       Jb 32:19-20 - I have a feeling in my heart like new wine seeking a vent, and bursting a brand-new wineskin (v. 19).ⁱ Nothing will bring relief but speech, I will op[en my mouth and give my answer (v. 20).

3.       Ac 4:20 - We cannot promise to stop proclaiming what we have seen and heard.

The Second Reading is taken from Rm 12:1-2.

Verse 1 says: Thinks of God’s mercy, my brothers, and worship him, I beg you, in a way that is worthy of thinking beings,^a by offering your living bodies as a holy sacrifice, truly pleasing to God.  Footnote  ^a says “Or ‘in a spiritual way’, as opposed to the ritual sacrifices of Jews or pagans, cf. Ho 6:6. Cf. Rm 1:9.”

Parallel text of verse is that says:

1.       1 Th 4:1 - Finally, brothers, we urge you and appeal to you in the Lord Jesus^a to make more and more progress in the kind of life that you are meant to live: the life that God wants, as you learnt from us, and as you are already living it.^b Footnote  ^a  says “Paul speaks ‘in’ (v. 1) ‘by’ or ‘in the name of Christ, cf 4:15; 2 Th 3:6,12. His doctrine on moral behavior which is based on the earliest Christian teaching invests ordinary day-to-day life with a new depth: it has the seal of Christ on it, Col 3:18+.”; and Footnote ^b  says “Om. ‘and as you are already living it’.

2.       Rm 1:9 - The God I worship^f spiritually^g by preaching the good News of his Son knows that I never fail to mention you in my prayers. Footnote  ^f says “Lit. ‘I offer worship offered to God, cf. 15:16, like the Christian life itself, since both depend on charity, 12:1; Ph 2:17; 3:3; 4:18, Ac  13:2; 2 Tim 1:3; 4:6; Heb 9:14; 12:28; 13:15; 1 P 2:5.”; and Footnote ^g  says “By spirit (pneuma) Paul sometimes means the highest element in a human being, Rm 1:9; 8:16; 1 Co 2:11; 16:18; 2 Co 2:13; 7:13; Ga 6:18; Ph 4:23; Phm 25; 2 Tm 4:22; cf. Mt 5:3; 27:50; Mk 2:8; 8:12; Lk 1:47,80; 8:55; 23:46; Jn 4:23f; 11:33; 13:21; 19:30; Ac 7:59; 17:16; 18:25; 19:21. This  he distinguishes from the flesh, the lower element (1 Co 5:5; 2 Co 7:1; col. 2:5; cf. Mt 26:41p; 1 P 4:6; Rm 7:5), from the body (1 Co 5:3f; 7:34; cfJm 2:26; Rm 7:24), and from the psyche also (1 Th 5:23+; cf. Heb 4:12; Jude 19); it bears some relationship to nous (Rm 7:25; Ep 4:23) Cf also ‘dispositions of the spirit’ in 1 Co 4:2); 2 Co 12:18; Ga 6:1; Ph 1:27. By choosing this traditional term (Cf. Is. 11:2+) instead of the nous of the Greek  philosophers, the NT can suggest a deep affinity between the human spirit and the Spirit of God that stimulates and guides it, Rm 5:5+; Ac 1:8+. There are many texts where it is hard to tell whether it is the natural or supernatural spirit that is referred to, the personal or the indwelling spirit- cf. e.g. Rm 12:11; 2 Co 6:6; Ep 43:23; 6:18; Ph 3:3 var. Col 1:8, Jude 19, etc.”

Verse 2 says: Do not model yourselves on the behavior of the world around you, but let your behavior change, modeled by your new mind. This is the only way to discover the will of God and know what is good, what it is that God wants, what is the perfect thing to do.

Parallel text of verse is that says:

1.       Rm 8:14-18,26-27 - Everyone moved^h by the spirit is a son of God (v. 14). The spirit you received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again; it is the spirit of sons, and it makes us cry out ‘Abba, Father!’ⁱ (v. 15). The Spirit himself and our spirit bear united witness that we are children of God (v. 16). And if we are children, we are heirs as well: heirs of God and coheirs with Christ, sharing his sufferings so as to share his glory (v. 17). I think that what we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory, as yet unrevealed, which is waiting for us (v. 18). The Spirit too comes to help us in our weakness. For when we cannot choose words in order to pray properly, the Spirit himself expresses our plea in a way that could never be put into words (v. 26). And God who knows everything in our hearts knows perfectly well what he means, and that the pleas of the saints expressed by the Spirit are according to the mind of God^o (v. 27). Footnote ^h  says “‘led’ seems inadequate: the Holy Spirit is much more than one who inwardly admonishes, he is the principle of a life truly divine, cf. Ga. 2:20.”; Footnote ⁱ  says “The prayer of Christ in Gethsemane, Mk 14:36.”; and Footnote ^o  says “ Paul insists on the necessity of constant prayer (Rm. 12:12, Ep 6:18, Ph. 4:6, Col. 4:2, 1 Th. 8:17+, 1 Tm. 2:8, 5:5, cf. 1 Co. 7:5) taught by Jesus himself (Mt. 6:5+, 14:23+) and practiced by the early Christians (Ac. 2:42+). Paul is always praying for the faithful, 1 Co. 1:16, Ph. 1:4, Col. 1:3,9, 1 Th. 1:2, 3:10, 2 Th. 1:11, Phm. 4) and asks them to do the same for him (Rm. 15:30, 2 Co. 1:11, Ep. 6:19, PH. 1:19, Col. 4:3, 1 Th. 5:25, 1 TH. 3:1, Phm. 22, Heb. 13:18), and for each other (2 Cor. 9:14, Ep. 6:18, on prayer for sinners and the sick, cf. 1 Jn. 5:16, Jm. 5:13-16. These prayers must ask for growth in holiness but also for the removal of all external (1 Th. 2:18 and 3:10; Rm. 1:10) and internal (2 Co. 12:8-9), obstacles to it; we have to pray too, for the orderly conduct of the country’s business (1 Tm. 2:1-2). Paul lays special stress on prayers of thanksgiving (Ep. 5:4; Ph. 4:6, Col. 2:4, 4:2, 1 Th. 5:18, , 1 Tm. 2:1) for every gift of God (Ep. 5:20, Col. 3:17) and particularly for the food God gives us (Rm. 14:6, 1 Co.10:31, 1 Tm. 4:3-5); he begins all his own letters with a prayer of thanks (Rm. 1:8, etc.) and he wants the spirit of gratitude to pervade all the Christian’s dealing with each other (1 Co. 14:17, 2 Co. 1:11, 4:15, 9:11-22). In liturgical gatherings prayers of thanksgiving and praise must predominate (1 Co.11:14) and these sentiments must inspire the hymns that the Christians compose for these occasions (Ep. 5:19, Col. 3:16). It is the Holy Spirit who inspires the prayer of the Christians and Paul prefers to emphasize this rather than repeat the traditional Wisdom themes, namely the necessary conditions for prayer and its efficaciousness (cf. Jm. 1:5-8, 4:2-3, 5:16-18, 1 Jn. 3”22, 5:14-16) which Paul guarantees by the presence of the spirit of Christ within the Christian, enabling him to pray as a son to his father (Rm. 8:15, 26-27); Ga. 4:6, cf. 6:18; Jude 20), while Christ himself intercedes at the right hand of God (Rm. 8:34, cf. Heb. 7:25, 1 Jn. 2:1). The Father’s response is therefore most generous (Ep. 3:10). Hence Christians are called ‘those who invoke the name of Jesus Christ’ (1 Co. 1:2, cf. Rm. 10:9-13, 2 Tm. 2:22, Jm. 2:7, Ac. 9:14,21, 22:16). On the attitude to be adapted when praying, cf. 1 Co. 11:14-16, 1 Tm. 2:8”.

2.       Ep 4:23 - Your mind must be renewed by a spiritual revolution…

ROCK OF CEPHAS - 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A)

Homily for the 21^st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A)

Based on Mt 16:13-20(Gospel), Is 22:15,19-23(First Reading) and Rm 11:33-36 (Second Reading)

From the Series: “Reflections and Teachings of the Desert”

ROCK OF CEPHAS

“‘You are Simon son of John; you are to be called Cephas’ meaning Rock” (Jn 1:42)

The Gospel for this 21^stSunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A) is taken from Mt 16:13-20. The first title is

“Peter’s profession of faith; his pre-eminence.” Parallel texts for this title are:

1.       Mk 8:27-30 - Jesus and his disciples left for the villages round Caesarea Philippi. On the way he put this question to his disciples, “Who do people say I am?” (v. 27).And they told him, ‘John the Baptist,’  they said ‘others Elijah’, others again, one of the prophets (v. 28).’  “But you,’ he asked,‘ who do you say I am?” Peter spoke up and said to him, “You are the Christ (v. 29).” Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him (v. 30).

2.       Lk 9:18-30 - Peter’s profession of faith^c. Now one day when he was praying alone in the  presence of his disciples he put this question to them, “Who do the crowds say I am?” (v. 18) And they answered, “John the Baptist; others Elijah; and others say one of the ancient prophets come back to life’ (v. 19). ‘But you,’ he said them, “who do you say I am?” It was Peter who spoke up, ‘The Christ of God’ he said (v. 20). But he gave them strict orders not to tell anyone anything about this (v. 21).  First prophecy of the Passion^d. “The Son of Man’ he said, is destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and to be put to death and to be raised up on the third day (v. 22). Then to all he said, ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross every day and follow me (v.23); For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake, that man will save it (v. 24). What gain, then, is it for a man to have won the whole world and to have lost or ruined his very self (v. 25)? For if anyone is ashamed of me and of my words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his own glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels (v. 26). ‘I tell you truly, there some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God’ (v. 27). The Transfiguration^e Now about eight days after this had been said, he took with him Peter and John and James and went up the mountain to pray (v. 28). As he prayed, the aspect of his face changed and his clothing became brilliant as lightning (v. 29). Suddenly there were two men there talking to him; they were Moses and Elijah (v. 30). Footnote ^c says “Lk has left out a whole section of Mk (6:45-8:26).”;Footnote^d says “This prophecy is to b followed by several others, 9:44; 12:50; 17:25; 18:31-33. Cf. 24:7,25-27. Lk omits Peter’s protest and his rebuke by Jesus, Mk 8:32f.”; and Footnote ^e says “One of the narratives in which Lk most widely differs from Mk, It is clear that Lk. had his own source of information (John?).”

Verses 13 and 14 say: When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is? And they said, “Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.

Parallel texts of verse 14 are:

1.       Mt 8:20 - Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man^h has nowhere to lay his head.’ Footnote ^h says “With the exception of Ac 7:56, Rv 1:13; 14:14; this title appears only in the  gospels. There is no doubt that Jesus used it of himself, and indeed preferred it to others. At times he uses it to express his lowly state, 8:20; 11:19; 20:28, especially the humiliation of the Passion, 17:22, etc. At others times it is used to proclaim the definitive triumph of his resurrection, 17:9, of his return in glory, 24:30; of his coming in judgment, 25:31. That this title, Aramaic in flavor, could bring together these seemingly  opposed qualities is clear from the following considerations. The phrase originally meant ‘man’, Ezk. 2:1+, and by reason of its unusual and indirect form it underlined the lowliness of man’s state. But the title suggested glory, too. It was used in Dn 7:13+, and later in the Jewish apocalyptic Book of Enoch, to indicate the transcendent figure, heavenly in origin, who was to receive from God’s hand the eschatological kingdom (the kingdom ‘at the end of times’). In this way therefore the title both veiled and hinted at (cf. Mk. 1:34+; Mt. 13:13+) the sort of Messiah Jesus was. Moreover, the explicit avowal in the presence of the Sanhedrin, 26:64+, should have removed all ambiguity.”

2.       Mt 14:2 - and said to his court, “This is John the Baptist himself; he has been risen from the dead, that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.’

Verse 16 says: Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ’ he said ‘the Son of the living God.’^d Footnote  ^d says “In Mt Peter acknowledges not only that Jesus is the Messiah but also that he is the Son of God: this second title is not found in Mk and Lk. Cf. also 14:33 with Mk 6:51f. Cf Mt 4:3+.”

Parallel text of verse is that says:

1.       Jn 6:69…and we believe; we know that you are the Holy One of God’^s. Footnote ^s says “i.e. the Messiah, God’s chosen envoy, consecrated and united in him uniquely, cf. 10:36; 17:19. Var. ‘you are the Christ, the Son of God’ or ‘the Son of the living God’, cf. Mt 16:16.”

2.       Mt 4:3+ - and the tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God,^c tell these stones to turn into loaves’.Footnote^c  says “The biblical title ‘Son of God’ does not necessarily mean natural sonship but may imply a sonship which is merely adoptive, i.e., which as a result of God’s deliberate choice sets up a very intimate relationship between God and his creature. In this sense the title is given to angels (Jb. 1:6), to the Chosen People (Ex. 4:22, Ws. 18:13), to individual Israelites (Dt. 14:1, Ho. 2:1, cf. Mt. 5:9,48, etc.), to their leaders (Ps. 82:6). Were therefore it is attributed to the royal Messiah (1 Ch. 17:13, Ps. 2:7, 89:26) it does not necessarily imply that he is more than man; nor need we suppose that it has any deeper significance when used by Satan (Mt. 4:3,6) or by the possessed (Mk. 3:11, 5:7, Lk. 4:41), still less when used by the centurion (Mk. 15:39, cf. Lk. 23:47). By itself the sentence at baptism (Mt. 3:17) and at the transfiguration (17:5) suggests no more than the divine predilection for the Messiah-servant, and all probability the High priest’s question (26:63) concerns messiahship only. Nevertheless the title ‘Son of God’ can bear a further, more profound meaning of sonship in the full sense of the word. Jesus clearly insinuated this meaning when he spoke of himself as ‘the Son’ (2:37), ranked above the angels (24:36), having God for his ‘Father’ in a way others had not (Jn. 20:17 and cf. ‘my Father’ in Mt. 7:21, etc.), enjoying with the Father an altogether singular relationship of knowledge and love (Mt. 11:27). These assertions, coupled with others that speak of the Messiah’s divine rank (22:42-46), of the heavenly origin of the ‘son of  man’ (8:20+), assertions finally confirmed by the triumph of the resurrection, have endowed the expression ‘son of God’ with the strictly divine significance which will later be found, e.g. in Paul (Rm. 9:5+). During the lifetime of Christ, it is true his disciples had no clear conception of his divinity – the texts of Mt. 14:33 and 16:16 which add the title ‘Son of God’ to the more primitive text of Mk reflect, in all probability, a later stage in the faith’s development. But it is equally true that Jesus expressed with his own lips and with as much clarity as his audience could support, his own consciousness of being Son of the Father in the fullest sense. On these historical utterances the faith of the disciples rested, a faith that reached its perfection after the resurrection with the help of the Holy Spirit.”

3.       Mt 14:33 - The men on the boat bowed down before him and said, ‘Truly, you are the Son of God’.

Verse 17 says: Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood^e that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven.

Footnote ^e says “The expression indicates man, emphasizing his material, limited nature as opposed to that of the spirit world, Si 14:18; Rm 7:5+; 1 Co 15:50; Ga 1:16; Ep 6:12;  Heb 2:14; cf. Jn 1:13.”

Parallel texts are:

1.       Rm 7:5 - Before our conversions our sinful passions, quite unsubdued by the Law, fertilized our bodies to make them give birth to death.

2.       Ep 6:12 - For it is not against human enemies that we have^d  to struggle, but against Sovereignties and the Powers who originate the darkness in the world, the spiritual army of evil in the heavens.^e  Footnote^d says “Var. ‘you have’.”; and Footnote^e says “These are the spirits who were thought to move the stars and, consequently, the universe. They lived in ‘the heavens’, 1:20f; 3:10; 3:10; Ph 2:10, or in ‘the air’, 2:2, i.e. the space between the surface of the earth and the heaven where God lives. Some of them are among the ‘elemental principles of the world’, Ga 4:3. They disobeyed God and want to enslave the human race to themselves in sin 2:2. We used to be their slaves but Christ came to free us, 1:21; Col 1:13; 2:15,20, and if Christians are armed with the power of Christ, they will be able to fight them.”

3.       Heb 2:14 - Since all the children share the same blood and flesh, he too shared equally in it, so that by his death he could take away all the power of the devil, ^h who had power over death. Footnote ^h says “Sin and death are related because both derive from Satan whose reign is the opposite of the reign of Christ.”

Verse 18 says: So I now say to you, you are Peter^f and upon this rock I will build my Church.^g And the gates of the underworld^h can never hold out against it. Footnote  ^fsays “Neither the Greek word petros nor even, as it seems, its Aramaic equivalent kephas (rock) was used as a person’s name before Jesus conferred it on the apostles’ leader to symbolize the part he was to play in the foundation of the Church. This change of name had possibly been made earlier, cf. Jn. 1:42; Mk. 3:16; Lk. 6:14.”; Footnote ^g says “The Hebr. qahal which the Greek renders ekklesia means ‘an assembly called together’; it is used frequently in the OT to indicate the community of the Chosen People, especially the community of the desert period, cf. Ac. 7:38. Certain Jewish groups (among them the Essenes of Qumran) regarded themselves as the chosen remnant of Israel (Is. 4:3+), which was to survive in the latter days. These had also used the term that Jesus now adopts to indicate the messianic community, the community of the ‘new alliance’ sealed with his blood, Mt. 26:28+; Ep. 5:25. By using the term ‘assembly’ side by side with that of the kingdom of heaven, Mt. 4:17+, Jesus shows that this eschatological community (community of the end times) is to have its beginning here on earth in the form of an organized society whose leader he now appoints, Cf. Ac. 5:11+; 1 Co. 1:2+.”; and Footnote ^h says “Greek: Hades: Hebrew: Sheol, the dwelling place of the Dead, cf. Nb. 16:33 +. Here its personified ‘gates’ suggest the powers of evil which first lead man into the death which is sin and then imprison him once for all in eternal death. The Church’s task will be to rescue the elect from death’s dominion, from the death of the body and above all from eternal death, so that it may lead them into the kingdom of heaven, cf. Col 1:13; 1 Co 15:26: Rv. 6:8; 20:13. In this the church follows its Master who died, descended into the underworld, cf. 1 P. 3:19+, and rose again. Ac. 2:27,31.”

Parallel texts are:

1.       Is 28:16 - That is why the Lord Yahweh says this: See how I lay in Zion a stone of witness, a precious cornerstone,  a foundation stone: The believer shall not stumble.

2.       Jn 1:42 - and he took Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked hard at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John; you are to be called Cephas’ meaning Rock.

Verse  19 says: I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatsoever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatsoever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.ⁱ

Footnote  ^I says “The City of God, like the City of Death, has its gates too; they grant entrance only to those who are worthy of it. Peter has the keys. It is his function, therefore, to open or close to all who would come to the kingdom of heaven through the Church. ‘bind’ and ‘loose’ are technical rabbinic terms; primarily they have a disciplinary reference; one is ‘bound’ (condemned to) o ‘loosed’ (absolved from) excommunication. Their secondary usage is connected with doctrinal or juridical decisions: an opinion is ‘bound’ (forbidden) or ‘loosed’ {allowed). Of the household of God Peter is controller (the keys symbolize this, cf. Is. 22:22). In that capacity, he is to exercise the disciplinary power of admitting or excluding those he thinks fit; he will also, in the administration of the community, make necessary decision in questions of doctrinal belief and of moral conduct. The verdicts he deliver or the pronouncements he makes will be ratified by God in heaven. Catholic exegetes maintain that these enduring promises hold good not only for Peter himself but also for Peter’s successors. This inference, not explicitly drawn in the text, is considered legitimate because Jesus plainly intends to provide for his Church’s future by establishing a regime that will not collapse after Peter’s death. Two other texts, Lk 22:31f and Jn. 21:15f, on Peter’s primacy emphasize that its operation is to be in the domain of faith; they also indicate that this makes him head not only of the Church after the death of Christ but of the apostolic group then and there.”

Parallel text of verse is that says:

1.       Mt 18:18 - ‘I tell you solemnly, whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.^j Footnote ^j says “i.e. ‘outcast’, ‘excommunicate’.”

2.       Is 22:22 - I place the key of the House of David on his shoulder; should he open, no one shall close, should he close, no one shall open.

3.       Lk 22:32 - but I have prayed for you, Simon, that your own faith may not fail,  and once you have recovered, you in your turn must strengthen your brothers.

4.       Jn 20:23 - For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.

5.       Rv 3:7 - Write to the angel of the church of Philadelphia and say, “Here is the message of the holy and faithful one who has the key of David, so that when he opens, nobody can close, and when he closes, nobody can open:

Verse 20 says: Then he gave his disciples strict orders not to tell anyone that he was the Christ^j. Footnote  ^j says “Vulg. ‘Jesus Christ’.”

Parallel text is Mk 1:34that says: And he cured many who were suffering from diseases of one kind or another; he also cast out many devils, but he would not allow them to speak, because they knew who he was.ⁱ Footnote ⁱ says “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.”

The First Reading is taken from Is 22:15,19-23.

Verses 15, 19 to 21 say: Thus says the Lord Yahweh Sabaoth: Now go to the steward, to Shebna, the master of the palace...I dismiss you from your office, I^k remove you from your post, and the same day I shall on my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah. I invest him with your robe, gird him with your sash, entrust him with your authority; and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Footnote  ^k says ‘I’ versions’ ‘he’ Hebr.”

Parallel text of verse 15 are:

1.       Is 36:3,11,22 - The master of the palace, Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebna the secretary and the herald Joah son of Asaph went out to meet him (v. 3). Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to the cupbearer-in-chief, ‘Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it; do not speak to us in the Judaean language within earshot of the people on the ramparts’ (v. 11). The master of the palace, Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebna the secretary and the herald Joah son of Asaph, with their garments torn, went to Hezekiah and reported what the cupbearer-in-chief had said.

2.       2 K 18:18,26,37 - He summoned the king. The master of the palace, Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebna the secretary and the herald Joah son of Asaph went out to him.

Verse 22 says: I place the key of the House of David on his shoulder; should he open, no one shall close, should he close, no one shall open. I drive him like a peg into a firm place; he will become a throne of glory for his father’s house.^l  Footnote  ^l says Probably for sacrifices or banquets to celebrate a victory of Hezekiah or the inauguration of the fortifications.

Parallel text of verse is that says:

1.       Mt 16:19 - I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatsoever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatsoever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.ⁱ Footnote  ⁱ says “The City of God, like the City of Death, has its gates too; they grant entrance only to those who are worthy of it. Peter has the keys. It is his function, therefore, to open or close to all who would come to the kingdom of heaven through the Church. ‘bind’ and ‘loose’ are technical rabbinic terms; primarily they have a disciplinary reference; one is ‘bound’ (condemned to) o ‘loosed’ (absolved from) excommunication. Their secondary usage is connected with doctrinal or juridical decisions: an opinion is ‘bound’ (forbidden) or ‘loosed’ {allowed). Of the household of God Peter is controller (the keys symbolize this, cf. Is. 22:22). In that capacity, he is to exercise the disciplinary power of admitting or excluding those he thinks fit; he will also, in the administration of the community, make necessary decision in questions of doctrinal belief and of moral conduct. The verdicts he deliver or the pronouncements he makes will be ratified by God i heaven. Catholic exegetes maintain that these enduring promises hold good not only for Peter himself but also for Peter’s successors. This inference, not explicitly drawn in the text, is considered legitimate because Jesus plainly intends to provide for his Church’s future by establishing a regime that will not collapse after Peter’s death. Two other texts, Lk. 22:31f and Jn. 21:15f, on Peter’s primacy emphasize that its operation is to be in the domain of faith; they also indicate that this makes him head not only of the Church after the death of Christ but of the apostolic group then and there.”

2.       Rv 3:7 - Write to the angel of the church of Philadelphia and say, “Here is the message of the holy and faithful one who has the key of David, so that when he opens, nobody can close, and when he closes, nobody can open…

3.       Jb 12:14 - What he destroys, none can rebuild; whom he imprisons, none can release.

The Second Reading is taken from Rm 11:33-36.

Verse 33 says: How rich are the depths of God-how deep his wisdom and knowledge-and how impossible to penetrate his motives or understand his methods!

Parallel text of verse is that says:

1.       Jdt 8:14 - If you cannot sound the depths of the hearts of man or unravel the arguments of his mind, how can you fathom the God who made all things, or sound his mind or unravel his purposes? No, brothers, do not provoke the anger of the Lord our God.

2.       Jb 11:6…were he to show you the secrets of wisdom which puts all cleverness to shame-you would know it is for sin he calls you to account .^b Footnote ^b says ‘he calls you to account’ corr.; ‘God makes you forget’ Hebr.

3.       Ps 139:6,17-18 - Such knowledge is beyond my understanding, a height to which my mind cannot attain (v. 6). …occured.^j God, how hard it is to grasp your thoughts! How impossible to count them! (v. 17) I could no more count them than I could the sand, and suppose I could,^k you would still be with me (v. 18).^l Footnote  ^j says “Lit. ‘appeared’ conj.”; Footnote ^k says “Lit. ‘when I reach the end’ 3 MSS; ‘when I awake’ Hebr.”; and Footnote ^l says “Either ‘I should still be conscious of God’s presence’; or ‘I should still be faced with the mystery of God’.”

Verse 34 says: Who can ever know the mind of the Lord? Who could ever be his counselor?”

Parallel texts are:

1.       Is 40:13 - Who could have advised the spirit of Yahweh, what counselor could have instructed him?

2.       1 Co 2:11 - After all, the depths of a man can only be known by his own spirit, not by any other man, and in the same way the depths of God can only be known by the Spirit of God.

Verse 35 says: Who could give him anything or lend him anything?

Parallel text is Jb 41:3 that says: Who can attack him with impunity? No one beneath all heaven.

Verse 36 says: All that exists comes from him; all is by him and for him. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Parallel text of verse is that says:

1.       1 Co 8:6 - Still for us there is one God, the Father, from all things come and for whom we exist; and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, though whom all things come through whom we exist.

2.       Col 1:16-17…for him were created all things in heaven and on earth: everything visible and everything invisible, Thrones, Dominations, Sovereignties, Powers - all things were created through him and for him (v. 16). Before anything was created, he existed, and he hold all things in unity.

3.       Heb 2:10 - As it was his purpose to bring a great many of his sons into glory, it was appropriate that God, for whom everything exists and through whom everything exist, in bringing many children to glory, should perfect, through suffering, the leader who would take them to their salvation.^f Footnote  ^f  says “By dying and fulfilling the will of God, Christ becomes the one perfect savior, responsible for the entry of human beings into the glory of God.”