III. IN VARIOUS PUBLIC CIRCUMSTANCES
17. For the Beginning of the Civil Year
902 Reading from the Old Testament
First Option
God said:
"Let there be lights in the dome of the sky,
to separate day from night.
Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years,
and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth."
And so it happened:
God made the two great lights,
the greater one to govern the day,
and the lesser one to govern the night;
and he made the stars.
God set them in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth,
to govern the day and the night,
and to separate the light from the darkness.
God saw how good it was.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gen 1: 14-18
In his plan of creation, on the “Third Day,” God creates the sun and the moon that provide rhythm to the life of the earth. “Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years.” These heavenly bodies light the earth and in turn demonstrate the vastness of God’s creation, shining down as countless stars describe the infinite heavens.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Second Option
The LORD said to Moses:
“Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them:
This is how you shall bless the Israelites.
Say to them:
The LORD bless you and keep you!
The LORD let his face shine upon
you, and be gracious to you!
The LORD look upon you kindly and
give you peace!
So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites,
and I will bless them.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Nm 6:22-27
This passage contains the “Priestly Blessing,” or the “Blessing of Aaron.” It was to be used by priests to bless the people of God. “Let his face shine upon you,” would indicate an act of divine pleasure. As Christians, the final strophe of the blessing: “The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace” is seen as being fulfilled at the birth of the Messiah, Jesus, Son of God and son of Mary. It contains three strophes, each beginning with “the Lord” which some scholars believe prefigures the Trinity. It asks God for the blessings of protection, grace, and peace. This blessing is preserved in the Roman Missal as an optional final blessing at the celebration of the Mass.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
903 Reading from the New Testament
First Option
I tell you, brothers and sisters, the time is running out.
From now on, let those having wives act as not having them,
those weeping as not weeping,
those rejoicing as not rejoicing,
those buying as not owning,
those using the world as not using it fully.
For the world in its present form is passing away.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on 1 Cor 7:29-31
St. Paul is answering questions put to him by the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 7:1-11:1). In this short passage we see the Apostle's vision that the Eschaton is coming soon, that Christ’s second coming is imminent, to take place before their deaths (“For the world in its present form is passing away.”). His advice here has two levels of meaning. Understood from the perspective of the imminent return of Christ, the members of the community are to rejoice in the coming salvation. “The world . . . is passing away: Paul advises Christians to go about the ordinary activities of life in a manner different from those who are totally immersed in them and unaware of their transitoriness.”[1] Understood in a later period, he is echoing Christ’s urgency to reform, not to delay for “…you know neither the day nor the hour.” (Matthew 25:13).
CCC: 1 Cor 7:31 1619
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Second Option
Beloved:
Come now, you who say,
"Today or tomorrow we shall go into such and such a town,
spend a year there doing business, and make a profit"-
you have no idea what your life will be like tomorrow.
You are a puff of smoke that appears briefly and then disappears.
Instead you should say,
"If the Lord wills it, we shall live to do this or that."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jas 4:13-17
St. James points out the need to submit humbly to God’s plan rather than being arrogant in human strength. He exhorts the people to pray for guidance because they know neither the day nor the hour God will call them from this life to the next. The Apostle recalls Jesus' own prayer in the garden as he tells the people to accept God's will (see Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
904 Responsorial Psalm
First Option
R. (2ab) O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you set in place—
What is man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him?
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
You have made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
putting all things under his feet.
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
All sheep and oxen,
yes, and the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea,
and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
Psalm 8 is a song of thanksgiving for the creation event described in Genesis. The song marvels at God’s great work, his creation, and the life he gave us. The singer expresses the humility of a people who, through no merit of their own, God has made little less than angels and given a place of honor. Having done all this, mankind accepts great responsibility for stewardship.
CCC: Ps 8:6 2566, 2809
Second Option
R. (Matthew 5:3) Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is
theirs!
or:
R. (Matthew 6:33a) Seek first the Kingdom of God and his holiness.
Hear this, all you peoples;
hearken, all who dwell in the world,
Of lowly birth or high degree,
rich and poor alike.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
or:
R. Seek first the Kingdom of God and his holiness.
Why should 1 fear in evil days
when my wicked ensnares ring me round?
They trust in their wealth;
the abundance of their riches is their boast.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
or:
R. Seek first the Kingdom of God and his holiness.
Yet in no way can a man redeem himself,
or pay his own ransom to God;
Too high is the price to redeem one's life; he would never have enough
to remain alive always and not see destruction.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
or:
R. Seek first the Kingdom of God and his holiness.
For he can see that wise men die,
and likewise the senseless and the stupid pass away,
leaving to others their wealth.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
or:
R. Seek first the Kingdom of God and his holiness.
Fear not when a man grows rich,
when the wealth of his house becomes great,
For when he dies, he shall take none of it;
his wealth shall not follow him down.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
or:
R. Seek first the Kingdom of God and his holiness.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 49:2-3, 6-7, 8-10, 11, 17-18
Psalm 49 is a “Wisdom Psalm”. The psalmist address all the faithful, rich and poor alike. Those who trust in God will be saved; those who trust in their own strength and wealth will fall to ruin. The spirit of God is eternal but physical wealth parishes with the body.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Third Option
R. (see 17b) Lord, give success to the work of our hands.
Before the mountains were begotten
and the earth and the world were brought forth,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
R. Lord, give success to the work of our hands.
You turn man back to dust,
saying, "Return, O children of men."
For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night.
R. Lord, give success to the work of our hands.
You make an end of them in their sleep;
the next morning they are like the changing grass,
Which at dawn springs up anew,
but by evening wilts and fades.
R. Lord, give success to the work of our hands.
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants.
R. Lord, give success to the work of our hands.
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all of our days.
Let your work be seen by your servants
and your glory by their children.
R. Lord, give success to the work of our hands.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 90:2, 3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 16
The psalm in its entirety is a communal lament. The strophes in this selection reflect on the mortality of humanity and the brevity of human life. (It is also an example of the human understanding that God’s immortal view of time is not like ours.) The recollection of God’s creative impulse recalls the Genesis event while final strophe brings us back rejoicing for God’s great mercy. The response from v. 17 reminds us that all we accomplish is for the greater glory of God and that without his aid we accomplish nothing of value.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
906 Gospel
First Option
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?'
or "What are we to drink?' or 'What are we to wear?'
All these things the pagans seek.
Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given you besides.
Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.
Sufficient for a day is its own evil."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mt 6:31-34
Jesus continues his Sermon on the Mount, being very clear about what must be placed first in the life of his disciples. The Lord does not deny that people need the physical things of the world (i.e. food, clothing, and water) but tells them that if they have faith in God and pursue the things of God’s Kingdom, the heavenly Father will provide for them. He goes further to say that, if they are constantly focused on material goods, they will not extend their lives even a little.
CCC: Mt 6:25-34 2547, 2830; Mt 6:26-34 322; Mt 6:31-33 305; Mt 6:32 270; Mt 6:33 1942, 2604, 2608, 2632; Mt 6:34 2659, 2836
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Second Option
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master's return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.
Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his bouse be broken into.
You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect,
the Son of Man will come.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 12:35-40
The selection presented from St. Luke’s Gospel is one of a series that relates specifically to the Lord’s exhortation about the end times, the eschaton. Here he reminds his disciples that they must be constantly focused on God’s work (servants of the master – the one God). We see also in this brief reading an echo of the Last Supper as the master reclines at table. However, in the broader context, the lesson relates more to faithfulness.
The idea of placing constant faithfulness first (most importantly present) is given as the moral of the Lord’s parable. Peter questions whether the parable is meant for everyone or just for the disciples he is addressing. The Lord then clarifies that any who would inherit the Kingdom of God must be constantly faithful to the Lord’s precepts. He goes on to conclude that no one may know the day or the hour that they will be called to account. Finally he tells the disciples, who have been given much in their association with the Christ, that to those which much is given, even more is expected, essentially telling them that they must be examples to everyone, even each other.
CCC: Lk 12:35-40 2849
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] See NAB footnote on 1 Cor 7:29-31
No comments:
Post a Comment