III. IN VARIOUS PUBLIC CIRCUMSTANCES
20. After the Harvest
917 Reading from the Old Testament
First Option
Moses spoke to the people, and said:
"The LORD, your God, is bringing you into a good country,
a land with streams of water,
with springs and fountains welling up in the hills and valleys,
a land of wheat and barley,
of vines and fig trees and pomegranates,
of olive trees and of honey,
a land where you can eat bread without stint
and where you will lack nothing,
a land whose stones contain iron
and in whose hills you can mine copper.
But when you have eaten your fill, you must bless the LORD, your God,
for the good country he has given you.
Be careful not to forget the LORD, your God,
by neglecting his commandments and decrees and statutes
which I enjoin on you today:
lest, when you have eaten your fill,
and have built fine houses and lived in them,
and have increased your herds and flocks,
your silver and gold, and all your property,
you then become haughty of heart and unmindful of the LORD, your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
that place of slavery;
who guided you through the vast and terrible desert
with its saraph serpents and scorpions,
its parched and waterless ground;
who brought forth water for you from the flinty rock
and fed you in the desert with manna,
a food unknown to your fathers,
that he might afflict you and test you,
but also make you prosperous in the end.
Otherwise, you might say to yourselves,
'It is my own power and the strength of my own hand
that has obtained for me this wealth.'
Remember then, it is the LORD, your God,
who gives you the power to acquire wealth,
by fulfilling, as he has now done,
the covenant that he swore to your fathers."
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Commentary on Dt 8:7-18
This reading is taken from the second address of Moses to the Hebrews. The prophet describes the land promised to the Hebrews by God in some detail. He tells them that the will want for nothing; not water, fertile land for crops, or minerals for fabrication. He exhorts them not to forget who provided this bounty for them and to give thanks to God, blessing him for all he has provided. He also reminds them to keep all of God's commandments; recounting God's mercy in bringing them out of slavery in Egypt and saving them from the trials in the desert as they sojourned (Numbers 21:4ff) and feeding them with Manna in that desolate land (Exodus 16:3-22; Numbers 11:6-9). The passage concludes with a warning, that to for get God is responsible for their bounty and to think that it was through their own efforts all these good things came about is the height of arrogance and a violation of God's covenant with them.
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Second Option
Fear not, O land!
exult and rejoice!
for the LORD has done great things.
Fear not, beasts of the field!
for the pastures of the plain are green;
The tree bears its fruit,
the fig tree and the vine give their yield.
O children of Zion, exult
and rejoice in the LORD, your God!
He has given you the teacher of justice:
he has made the rain come down for you,
the early and the late rain as before.
The threshing floors shall be full of grain
and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
You shall eat and be filled,
and shall praise the name of the LORD, your God,
Because he has dealt wondrously with you;
my people shall nevermore be put to shame.
And you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel;
I am the LORD, your God, and there is no other;
my people shall nevermore be put to shame.
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Commentary on Jl 2:21-24, 26-27
The land has suffered a great plague of locusts and Joel has called the people of Israel to repentance. In this passage we see the renewed hope of the people. God has shown once more his great mercy and has provided an abundant harvest. In doing so, the people find the Lord's salvation as he walks among the living, showering his gifts upon them. The people now point to their bounty, thanking God and showing others how blessed they are to have such a savior.
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918 Reading from the New Testament
First Option
Brothers and sisters:
I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth.
Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything,
but only God, who causes the growth.
He who plants and he who waters are one,
and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor.
For we are God's coworkers;
you are God's field, God's building.
According to the grace of God given to me,
like a wise master builder I laid a foundation,
and another is building upon it.
But each one must be careful how he builds upon it.
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Commentary on 1 Cor 3:6-10
St. Paul address the growth of the faith community of Corinth. He arrived and began the process. Apollos is a leader of that congregation who came after St. Paul had left. Both come from the same master as servants (diakonoi); Paul is sent to establish the church, Apollos to develop it. It is obvious from this reading that divisions and rivalries had occurred as some favored St. Paul and others Apollos. St. Paul names them one, being sent by the same God and calls for unity because it is God who brings salvation.
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Second Option
Beloved:
Religion with contentment is a great gain.
For we brought nothing into the world,
Just as we shall not be able to take anything out of it.
If we have food and clothing, we shall be content with that.
Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and into a trap
and into many foolish and harmful desires,
which plunge them into ruin and destruction.
For the love of money is the root of all evils,
and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith
and have pierced themselves with many pains.
But you, man of God, avoid all this.
Instead, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith,
love, patience, and gentleness.
Tell the rich in the present age not to be proud
and not to rely on so uncertain a thing as wealth
but rather on God, who richly provides us with all things
for our enjoyment.
Tell them to do good, to be rich in good works,
to be generous, ready to share,
thus accumulating as treasure a good foundation for the future,
so as to win the life that is true life.
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Commentary on 1 Tm 6:6-11, 17-19
In this selection, St. Paul continues his attack on false teachers. He is specifically critical of those who accept money for doing work in ministry and seeking self-promotion. He uses the proverb "For the love of money is the root of all evils." This saying was well known even in St. Timothy's time, even by the pagans. (see also 1 John 2:15-17)
St. Paul address Timothy on this topic as "man of God," as a consequence of his ordination. This title has historical significance in that it was also used in the Old Testament referring to Moses (Deuteronomy 33:1), Samuel (1 Samuel 9:6-7), Elijah and Elisha (1 Kings 17:18; 2 Kings 4:7, 27, 42).
The passage concludes with and exhortation on the right way to use wealth. "Material things, which God gives in abundance (cf. Matthew 25:14), are not bad in themselves, nor is it forbidden to enjoy them (v.17); but they need to be used with a sense of social responsibility, with detachment, because true wealth is that which never perishes (cf. Luke 12:33)."[1]
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919 Responsorial Psalm
1.
R. (7) The earth has yielded its fruit, the Lord our God has blessed us.
or:
R. (4) O God, let all the nations praise you!
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
R. The earth has yielded its fruit, the Lord our God has blessed us.
or:
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
R. The earth has yielded its fruit, the Lord our God has blessed us.
or:
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
The earth has yielded its fruits;
God, our God, has blessed us.
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
R. The earth has yielded its fruit, the Lord our God has blessed us.
or:
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
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Commentary on Ps 67:2-3, 5, 7-8
This psalm is a song of thanksgiving. These strophes request a blessing, that through the Lord’s graciousness the nation might be an example of faith others will follow. Psalm 67 recalls the gift of creation in its thankfulness for the harvest, the fruits of God’s bounty. The land given to the people was a divine gift that provided sustenance and home.
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2.
R. (3a) The Lord has done great things for us.
Then they said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed.
R. The Lord has done great things for us.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those who sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done great things for us.
Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.
R. The Lord has done great things for us.
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Commentary on Ps 126:2b-3, 4-5, 6-7
Psalm 126 is a lament. In this short psalm the singer rejoices at the return of Israel following the Diaspora, the conquering of Israel and its enslavement. In this hymn, the people remember the greatness of God as he restores their nation and brings the people back to their own land ("Although they go forth weeping, carrying the seed to be sown, they shall come back rejoicing, carrying their sheaves."). The sense is one of being overflowing with thanksgiving.
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921 Gospel
First Option
Jesus said to the crowd,
“Take care to guard against all greed,
for though one may be rich,
one’s life does not consist of possessions.”
Then he told them a parable.
“There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest.
He asked himself, ‘What shall I do,
for I do not have space to store my harvest?’
And he said, ‘This is what I shall do:
I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones.
There I shall store all my grain and other goods
and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you,
you have so many good things stored up for many years,
rest, eat, drink, be merry!”’
But God said to him,
‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you;
and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’
Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself
but is not rich in what matters to God.”
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Commentary on Lk 12:15-21
Jesus uses the parable of the Rich Landowner to emphasize the need to focus on the spiritual gifts not just on material goods. He tells the one who wishes to have Jesus arbitrate a dispute with that person’s brother to take care against greed.
The parable has elements of other stories used by Jesus in which the unpredictability of the end of life is emphasized. Speaking to the crowd, the Lord tells them to focus on those spiritual attributes without delay. St. Athanasius used these words: “A person who lives as if he were to die every day- given that our life is uncertain by definition- will not sin, for good fear extinguishes most of the disorder of our appetites; whereas he who thinks he has a long life ahead of him will easily let himself be dominated by pleasures (Adversus Antigonum).”[2]
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Second Option
As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,
he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him.
They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying,
“Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”
And when he saw them, he said,
“Go show yourselves to the priests.”
As they were going they were cleansed.
And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.
He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply,
“Ten were cleansed, were they not?
Where are the other nine?
Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?”
Then he said to him, “Stand up and go;
your faith has saved you.”
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Commentary on Lk 17:11-19
The story of the Samaritan leper, found only in St. Luke’s Gospel, reiterates Jesus’ ability to remove sins. Here the Lord cures ten lepers, outcasts, who are viewed by the community as being under God’s punishment. The Gospel is an indictment of the Hebrews who did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus’ comment: “Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” is a clear indication that this lack of faith will have consequences. This is especially true when he follows this statement with: “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.” This would seem to imply that those who refuse to accept Jesus’ status as the Christ would not receive God's salvation.
“This incident recounting the thankfulness of the cleansed Samaritan leper is narrated only in Luke's gospel and provides an instance of Jesus holding up a non-Jew as an example to his Jewish contemporaries (cf. Luke 10:33 where a similar purpose is achieved in the story of the good Samaritan). Moreover, it is the faith in Jesus manifested by the foreigner that has brought him salvation (Luke 17:19; cf. the similar relationship between faith and salvation in Luke 7:50; 8:48, 50).”[3]
CCC: Lk 17:14 586; Lk 17:19-31 2463
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[1] The Navarre Bible: “Letters of St. Paul”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, pp.585
[2] The Navarre Bible, Gospels and Acts, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, pp.437.
[3] See NAB footnote for Luke 17: 11-19
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