III. IN VARIOUS PUBLIC CIRCUMSTANCES
22. For Refugees and Exiles
927 Reading from the Old Testament
First Option
Moses told the people:
"The Lord, your God, is the God of gods,
the Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome,
who has no favorites, accepts no bribes;
who executes justice for the orphan and the widow,
and befriends the alien, feeding and clothing him.
So you too must befriend the alien,
for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt."
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Commentary on Dt 10:17-19
Moses reminds the Tribes of the articles of the Covenant under which they are bound; to love and serve the Lord. He does so because the Lord God is above all that is. The people are reminded to show hospitality to the needy. Specifically mentioned are orphans, widows, and resident aliens. These three classes were considered the most needy and therefore most deserving of compassion (see also Deuteronomy 16:11, 14 and Deuteronomy 24:17, 19).
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Second Option
Moses Spoke to the people, and said:
"You shall not violate teh rights of the alien or of the orphan,
nor take the clothing of a widow as pledge.
For, remember, you were once slaves in Egypt,
and the LORD, your God ransomed you from there;
that is why I command you to observe this rule.
"When you reap the harvest in your filed and overlook a sheaf there,
you shall not go back to get it;
let it be for the alien, the orphan, or the widow,
that the LORD, your God may bless you in all your undertakings.
When you knock down the fruit of your olive trees,
you shall not go over the branches a second time;
let what remains be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow.
When you pick your grapes,
you shall not go over the vineyard a second time;
let what remains be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow.
For remember that you were once slaves in Egypt;
that is why I command you to observe this rule."
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Commentary on Dt 24:17-22
This part of the Deuteronimic Law provides consolation for the depressed classes (aliens, orphans, and widows). These classes would have been at a disadvantage and therefore vulnerable to hardship. Here, the law requires that "gleaning rights" be given to these people so they might find sustenance through the remainder of the harvest. The Lord commands that this benefit be offered that his mercy might be shown to all. This formulation is based upon the "Book of the Covenant" (Exodus 23:6) and is repeated in the concluding curses (Deuteronomy 27:19).[1]
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928 Reading from the New Testament
First Option
Brothers and sisters: Let love be sincere;
hate what is evil,
hold on to what is good;
love one another with mutual affection;
anticipate one another in showing honor.
Do not grow slack in zeal,
be fervent in spirit,
serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope,
endure in affliction,
persevere in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of the holy ones,
exercise hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you,
bless and do not curse them.
Rejoice with those who rejoice,
weep with those who weep.
Have the same regard for one another,
do not be haughty but associate with the lowly;
do not be wise in your own estimation.
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Commentary on Rom 12:9-16
St. Paul gives a litany of instructions to those who wish to remain faithful to Christ’s teachings. He is speaking to a community that is one in faith in Christ. He tells the community that, in their union, the gifts of each must serve the needs of all, and these gifts need to be exercised. In this selection the Evangelist gives a litany of exhortations to live the love of Christ, following his command to love one another sincerely, and to forgive those who persecute them.
CCC: Rom 12:9-13 1971; Rom 12:11 2039; Rom 12:12 1820; Rom 12:14 1669, 2636; Rom 12-15 1454, 1971
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Second Option
Brothers and sisters:
All the ancients died in faith.
They did not receive what had been promised
but saw it and greeted it from afar
and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth,
for those who speak thus show that they are seeking a homeland.
If they had been thinking of the land from which they had come,
they would have had opportunity to return.
But now they desire a better homeland, a heavenly one.
Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God,
for he has prepared a city for them.
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Commentary on Heb 11:13-16
The author begins speaking of "the ancients." He address the issue of those who sought the final salvation through the Messiah but who could only envision what that heavenly kingdom must be like. He then reassures those who would be anxious about the salvation of their ancestors that, because of their faith in God, they would receive an invitation to see and believe (...they would have an opportunity to return). By extension, those who had no spiritual home but seek God in faith will also be invited to the Lord's salvation.
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Third Option
Brothers and sisters:
Let mutual love continue.
Do not neglect hospitality,
for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels.
Be mindful of prisoners as if sharing their imprisonment,
and of the ill-treated as of yourselves,
for you also are in the body.
For here we have no lasting city,
but we seek the one that is to come.
Through him then let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise,
that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have;
God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind.
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Commentary on Heb 13: 1-3, 14-16
Here, in this final section of the Letter to the Hebrews, the final blessing and exhortations are given. The community is reminded of the requirements of their faith, especially hospitality. Here (“…through it some have unknowingly entertained angels”) a clear reference is made to Abraham’s encounter (Genesis 18: 1-5) and Tobit’s meeting with Raphael (Tobit 5:4-9). This exhortation includes a very Pauline reminder that all who share the faith, regardless of their circumstances, are members of the Body of Christ.
The passage concludes reminding the Christian that living in Christ is an exodus (see also Hebrews 4:1-11). One leaves behind the secular world; looking forward to God's heavenly kingdom. Finally, a distinction is drawn between Old Testament sacrifices for sin or atonement. Christians are exhorted to exercise their spiritual priesthood; offering sacrifices acceptable to God, prayer, good works, and alms giving (cf. Romans 12:1; Hebrews 12:28). [2]
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929 Responsorial Psalm
1.
R. (1b) Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
He scourges and then has mercy;
he casts down to the depths of the nether world,
and he brings up from the great abyss.
No one can escape his hand.
R. Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
So now consider what he has done for you,
and praise him with full voice.
Bless the Lord of righteousness,
and exalt the King of ages.
R. Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
In the land of my exile I praise him
and show his power and majesty to a sinful nation.
R. Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
Bless the Lord, all you his chosen ones,
and may all of you praise his majesty.
Celebrate days of gladness, and give him praise.
R. Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
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Commentary on Tb 13:2, 6efgh, 7, 8
This psalm and response are taken from the Book of Tobit. It is the response to the Archangel Raphael’s instruction to give thanks to God for his blessings. It is a hymn of praise and thanksgiving to God for his help and salvation. It recalls the Diaspora and the Restoration of Israel. Echoing the prayer of Ezra (Ezra 9:6), it recalls that it was through God’s mercy that these things were accomplished rather than the merit of a sinful people.
CCC: Tb 13:2 269
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2.
R. (1) Give thanks to the Lord; his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He changed rivers into desert,
water springs into thirsty ground,
Fruitful land into salt marshes,
because of the wickedness of its inhabitants.
R. Give thanks to the Lord; his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He changed the desert into pools of water,
waterless lands into water spring.
And there he settled the hungry,
and they built a city to dwell in.
R. Give thanks to the Lord; his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Lifted up the needy out of misery
and made the families numerous like flocks.
The upright see this and rejoice,
and all wickedness closes its mouth.
R. Give thanks to the Lord; his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 107:33-34, 35-36, 41-42
Psalm 107 is a hymn of praise sung by those rescued from nature’s fury. Here the psalmist begins with the Old Testament notion that natural disasters were a punishment on the wicked. Then he sings of the gift of God's creation as he provides for those who hunger and thirst, his faithful ones. He gives the people the bounty of the land to sustain them and the the animals he has created to feed them. His mercy is boundless as he lifts his people from misery. His goodness is celebrated by those who believe in him.
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3.
R. (see 2) Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
I lift up my eyes toward the mountains;
whence shall help come to me?
My help is from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
May he not suffer your foot to slip;
may he slumber not who guards you:
Indeed he neither slumbers nor sleeps,
the guardian of Israel.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The Lord is your guardian; the Lord is your shade;
he is beside you at your right hand.
The sun shall not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The Lord will guard you from all evil;
he will guard your life.
The Lord will guard your coming and your going,
both now and forever.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
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Commentary on Ps 121:1bc-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
Psalm 121 is a hymn of blessing given prior to a long and difficult journey. These strophes explain that God is faithful, and will protect the traveler from harm – God is always with us (“…he is beside you at your right hand. The sun shall not harm you by day, nor the moon by night”). The imagery in the opening strophes reminds us of Moses in Exodus 17:8-13 as he stood upon a high place so that the Israelites could see that God was with them. In this song of blessing we are reminded of God’s continuing guidance and the salvation he provides us through His Son.
CCC: Ps 121:2 1605
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931 Gospel
First Option
When the magi had departed, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,
“Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt,
and stay there until I tell you.
Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.”
Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night
and departed for Egypt.
He stayed there until the death of Herod,
that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled,
Out of Egypt I called my son.
When Herod had died, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream
to Joseph in Egypt and said,
“Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel,
for those who sought the child’s life are dead.”
He rose, took the child and his mother,
and went to the land of Israel.
But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea
in place of his father Herod,
he was afraid to go back there.
And because he had been warned in a dream,
he departed for the region of Galilee.
He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth,
so that what had been spoken through the prophets
might be fulfilled,
He shall be called a Nazorean
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Commentary on Mt 2:13-15, 19-23
The story of the Holy Family fleeing to Egypt is provided in St. Matthew’s Gospel. Angelic messengers are sent to keep Jesus from harm, and guide St. Joseph, the father of Jesus. (Verses 16-18 which are omitted in this reading tell the story of the slaughter of the Holy Innocents in Bethlehem whose feast we celebrate on December 28.) The actions that follow accomplish the task of saving Jesus from Herod. It is also reminiscent of Moses’ flight from Egypt and subsequent return which triggered the salvation event – the Exodus.
The account also mentions that all that happens is in accordance with what has been prophetically revealed. The first reference, indicating that the Messiah was to be called out of Egypt, is a reference to Hosea 11:1. The second reference is less clear as there is no specific Old Testament biblical reference to Nazareth. It is possibly a confusion with the term “neser.” The Old Testament texts are Isaiah 11:1, where the Davidic king of the future is called "a bud" (neser) that shall blossom from the roots of Jesse, and Judges 13:5, 7 where Samson, the future deliverer of Israel from the Philistines, is called one who shall be consecrated (a nazir) to God.
“What a mystery that God, in order to protect his Son, the uncreated Wisdom, now has to do so through the mediation of men! Have we sufficiently reflected on the fact that, after the Incarnation, the Father and the Spirit relate to the Son in a new way; that is, no longer to the Word as divine only, but also and necessarily to the Word as incarnate Man?” [4]
“What a mystery that God, in order to protect his Son, the uncreated Wisdom, now has to do so through the mediation of men! Have we sufficiently reflected on the fact that, after the Incarnation, the Father and the Spirit relate to the Son in a new way; that is, no longer to the Word as divine only, but also and necessarily to the Word as incarnate Man?” [4]
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Second Option
Jesus said to his disciples:
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.’
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
And the king will say to them in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Then he will say to those on his left,
‘Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’
Then they will answer and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?’
He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.’
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life."
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Commentary on Mt 25:31-46
"This passage has a unique position within the eschatological discourse because, in addition to being a prophetic narrative like the rest of the discourse, its style suddenly becomes that of a full-fledged apocalyptic poem." [6]
In this reading, Jesus is telling his disciples and us what will be judged at the end times, the Eschaton. The Lord’s vision echo’s Daniel’s “night visions” (Daniel 7:13-14 “One like a son of man…He received dominion, splendor, and kingship.”) but the tone is more immediate. The reading gives us a vision of what will be asked and how judgment will be passed. This image is used as a teaching tool, to focus those who wish to follow Jesus on loving those who are in need of help: the hungry, the stranger, the naked, the ill, the imprisoned. Unlike Daniel’s vision, Jesus speaks with an immediacy that makes his coming kingship a historical reality, set in the future. There is no ambiguity. Not “One like a son of man,” but “When the Son of Man comes in his glory.” In this intimate setting, speaking quietly with his friends, Jesus tells them what will come, a path already set out, inevitable. [5]
This reading provides yet one more example of how Christ intends the Great Commandment to be lived. Loving God and loving neighbor would be judged by; “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” We note that while the general theme is broadly applied to all people, there is special emphasis placed upon the poor and marginalized. The concluding answer expands upon the Hebrew definition in Leviticus (Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18) as St. Matthew defines "neighbor" in a more inclusive sense.
CCC: Mt 25:31-46 544, 1033, 1373, 2447, 2831; Mt 25:31-36 2443; Mt 25:31 331, 671, 679, 1038; Mt 25:32 1038; Mt 25:36 1503; Mt 25:40 678, 1397, 1825, 1932, 2449; Mt 25:41 1034; Mt 25:45 598, 1825, 2463; Mt 25:46 1038
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Third Option
There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said,
“Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law?
How do you read it?”
He said in reply,
“You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your being,
with all your strength,
and with all your mind,
and your neighbor as yourself.”
He replied to him, “You have answered correctly;
do this and you will live.”
But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus,
“And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus replied,
“A man fell victim to robbers
as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.
They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.
A priest happened to be going down that road,
but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
Likewise a Levite came to the place,
and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him
was moved with compassion at the sight.
He approached the victim,
poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them.
Then he lifted him up on his own animal,
took him to an inn, and cared for him.
The next day he took out two silver coins
and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction,
‘Take care of him.
If you spend more than what I have given you,
I shall repay you on my way back.’
Which of these three, in your opinion,
was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?”
He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.”
Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
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Commentary on Lk 10:25-37
In this passage from St. Luke’s Gospel, we find Jesus being challenged by a person referred to as a “scholar.” It seems clear that this man has a good idea of how Jesus is likely to respond to his initial question about what he must do to inherit eternal life. As soon as the man tells Jesus what the law says, the scholar asks for still more clarification asking: “And who is my neighbor?”
"In this passage, Jesus praises and accepts the summary of the Law given by the Jewish scribe. This reply, taken from Deuteronomy (6:4ff), was a prayer which the Jews used to say frequently. Our Lord gives the very same reply when He is asked which is the principal commandment of the Law and concludes His answer by saying, "On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:40; cf. also Romans 13:8-9; Galatians 5:14).
"There is a hierarchy and order in these two commandments constituting the double precept of charity: before everything and above everything comes loving God in Himself. In the second place, and as a consequence of the first commandment, comes loving one's neighbor, for God explicitly requires us to do so (1 John 4:21; cf. notes on Matthew 22:34-40 and 22:37-38)." [3]
The illustration Jesus uses in answering him does clarify the answer, and at the same time, uses a cultural tension to heighten the lesson. First a priest of the Jewish temple passes the victim of robbery (one who is most scrupulous in observing the letter of the Law); next a member of the priestly class, a Levite, does the same. The one who helps the victim (presumably a Jew) is a member of the Samaritan culture, antagonists of the Jewish people. In this way, the Lord provides a moral lesson along with an explanation of the Law.
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[1] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 6:58, pp.116
[2] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. pp. 434
[3] The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, pp. 423
[4] Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume I, Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 1996 p. 89
[3] The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, pp. 423
[4] Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume I, Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 1996 p. 89
[5] Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume III, Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 2012 p. 826
[6] Fire of Mercy Heart of
the Word Volume III, Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA,
© 2012 p. 711.
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