I. For the Holy Church
8. For Vocations to Holy Orders or Religious Life
857 Reading from the Old Testament
1.
The Lord said to Abram:
“Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk
and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.
“I will make of you a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you
and curse those who curse you.
All the communities of the earth
shall find blessing in you.”
Abram went as the Lord directed him.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gn 12:1-4a
The genealogy of the Hebrew generations that ended with Abram and his wife migrating from the land of Ur (Genesis 11:27ff) sets this reading as a formal introduction. Abram (later Abraham) is chosen by God to become a great leader of people in holiness. "The universalism that marked Genesis chapters 1-11 having now failed, the Lord begins anew, singling out one Mesopotamian - in no way distinguished from his peers as yet - and promising to make of him a great nation, not numbered in the seventy nations of chapter 10. What the Lord promises Abram (his name is changed to "Abraham" only in Chapter 17) - land, numerous offspring, and blessing - constitutes to a large extent a reversal of some of the curses on Adam and Eve - exile, pain in childbirth, and uncooperative soil (Genesis 3:16-24)."[9]
The blessing provided here is discussed at some length in the notes on this section: “Shall find blessing in you: the sense of the Hebrew expression is probably reflexive, "shall bless themselves through you" (i.e., in giving a blessing they shall say, "May you be as blessed as Abraham"), rather than passive, "shall be blessed in you." Since the term is understood in a passive sense in the New Testament (Acts 3:25; Galatians 3:8), it is rendered here by a neutral expression that admits to both meanings; so also in the blessings given by God to Isaac (Genesis 26:4) and Jacob (Genesis 28:14).”[8]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.
Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian.
Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb,
the mountain of God.
There an angel of the LORD appeared to him in fire
flaming out of a bush.
As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush,
though on fire, was not consumed.
So Moses decided,
"I must go over to look at this remarkable sight,
and see why the bush is not burned."
When the LORD saw him coming over to look at it more closely,
God called out to him from the bush, "Moses! Moses!"
He answered, "Here I am."
God said, "Come no nearer!
Remove the sandals from your feet,
for the place where you stand is holy ground.
I am the God of your father," he continued,
"the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.
The cry of the children of Israel has reached me,
and I have truly noted that the Egyptians are oppressing them.
Come, now! I will send you to Pharaoh to lead my people,
the children of Israel, out of Egypt."
But Moses said to God,
"Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh
and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?"
He answered, "I will be with you;
and this shall be your proof that it is I who have sent you:
when you bring my people out of Egypt,
you will worship God on this very mountain."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ex 3:1-6, 9-12
Moses learns of God’s will for him. This passage describes his call from God on Mount Horeb. The image of the burning bush attracted him and God calls the reluctant servant to return to Egypt as his instrument. The purpose, Moses is told, is to lead the “children of Israel out of Egypt”. Moses’ response demonstrates the humility generally associated with God’s chosen servants.
"In the dialogue between God and Moses after the theophany of the burning bush (vv. 1-10), the Lord endows Moses with all the gifts he needs to carry out his mission: he promises him help and protection (vv. 11-12), he makes his name known to him (vv. 13-22), he gives him the power to work wonders (4:1-9), and he designates his brother Aaron as his aide, who will be his spokesman (4:10-17)." [11]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.
During the time young Samuel was minister to the Lord under Eli,
a revelation of the Lord was uncommon and vision infrequent.
One day Eli was asleep in his usual place.
His eyes had lately grown so weak that he could not see.
The lamp of God was not yet extinguished,
and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD
where the ark of God was.
The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, “Here I am.”
Samuel ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.”
“I did not call you, “ Eli said. “Go back to sleep.”
So he went back to sleep.
Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli.
“Here I am, “ he said. “You called me.”
But Eli answered, “I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep.”
At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD,
because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet.
The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time.
Getting up and going to Eli, he said, “Here I am. You called me.”
Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth.
So he said to Samuel, “Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply,
Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.”
When Samuel went to sleep in his place,
the LORD came and revealed his presence,
calling out as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”
Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on 1 Sm 3:3b-10
This passage contains the story of the call of Samuel popularized by the song “Here I Am Lord.” It is clear from the text that this historical period did not have regular contacts with those gifted with prophecy (“It was rare for the Lord to speak in those days.”[8]). It is the priest Eli who recognizes that it is God calling to the young Samuel and tells the boy how to respond.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.
The LORD said to Elijah:
“You shall anoint Elisha, son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah,
as prophet to succeed you.”
Elijah set out and came upon Elisha, son of Shaphat,
as he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen;
he was following the twelfth.
Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak over him.
Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said,
“Please, let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,
and I will follow you.”
Elijah answered, “Go back!
Have I done anything to you?”
Elisha left him, and taking the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them;
he used the plowing equipment for fuel to boil their flesh,
and gave it to his people to eat.
Then Elisha left and followed Elijah as his attendant.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on 1 Kgs 19:16b, 19-21
Elijah’s time is coming to an end, and God instructs him to select his successor, Elisha. In response to God’s instruction, Elijah travels to a region near Damascus, and finds Elisha plowing a field using the symbolic twelve oxen (for the twelve tribes of Israel). “Elijah's act of throwing his mantle over the shoulders of Elisha expressed the divine call to share the prophetic mission. Elisha's prompt response through destruction of his plow and the oxen is an example of total obedience and detachment from his former manner of living in order to promote the glory of God.”[1]
"Elisha's response to Elijah's call is quite exemplary: he leaves everything behind and puts himself at the disposal of the prophet. That will be how the apostles respond to Christ (cf. Matthew 4:20, 22; etc.), and it should be how anyone responds when the Lord calls him or her to a mission which involves leaving everything. But the call issued by Jesus is more pressing than Elijah's, as can be seen from the Gospel passage where Jesus, in response to someone who says, 'I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home,' replies, 'No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God' (Luke 9:61-62)."[5]
CCC: 1 Kgs 19:16 436
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.
In the year King Uzziah died,
I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne,
with the train of his garment filling the temple.
One of the seraphim flew to me,
holding an ember that he had taken with tongs from the altar.
He touched my mouth with it, and said,
“See, now that this has touched your lips,
your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.”
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”
“Here I am,” I said; “send me!”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Is 6:1, 6-8
The Prophet Isaiah tells us the story of his call “In the year King Uzziah died” (742 B.C.) One of the seraphim stationed in the court of heaven flew to him and, using a coal from the fire at the altar (there would have been a fire for burning the holocaust – a sacrificial offering completely burnt as opposed to simply slaughtered).
With that coal, the seraphim touched Isaiah’s lips in symbolic cleansing, making the prophet worthy to proclaim God’s word. The Church remembers this event with the Priest’s blessing of himself or the Deacon with the words – “May the Lord open my lips that I may proclaim the Holy Gospel worthily and well ; In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”
The reading closes with that lyric that we express in song in “Here I am Lord” and many other hymns.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.
The word of the LORD came to me thus:
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I dedicated you,
a prophet to the nations I appointed you.
"Ah, Lord, GOD!" I said,
"I know not how to speak; I am too young.”
But the LORD answered me,
Say not, "I am too young."
To whomever I send you, you shall go;
whatever I command you, you shall speak.
Have no fear before them,
because I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.
Then the LORD extended his hand and touched my mouth, saying,
See, I place my words in your mouth!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jeremiah 1:4-9
This is the beginning of the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah. It is clear that the author sees the call of the prophet from before his birth (see Isaiah 49:1, 5; Luke 1:15; Galatians 1:15-16. I knew you: I loved you and chose you. I dedicated you: I set you apart to be a prophet.)
In spite of protesting that he was not yet of age (he was less than thirty years of age), God tells him that he (the Lord) will overcome all obstacles (“To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak. Have no fear before them, because I am with you to deliver you”).
CCC: Jer 1:5 2270; Jer 1:6 2584
CCC: Jer 1:5 2270; Jer 1:6 2584
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7.
You duped me, O Lord, and I let myself be duped;
you were too strong for me, and you triumphed.
All the day I am an object of laughter;
everyone mocks me.
Whenever I speak, I must cry out,
violence and outrage is my message;
the word of the Lord has brought me
derision and reproach all the day.
I say to myself, I will not mention him,
I will speak in his name no more.
But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart,
imprisoned in my bones;
I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jer 20:7-9
Jeremiah’s oracle has foreseen the fall of Jerusalem and the great exile as Israel is sent into slavery in Babylon. In this passage he makes an emotional outpouring to God. He recognizes that God’s word makes him outcast and people think of him as a lunatic but even though he has tried to be silent God’s call forces him to cry out in the prophetic voice.
“His [Jeremian’s] message is always “violence and devastation,” ambiguous whether it is a threat of judgment, the content of the people’s mocking, a report of the people’s sins, or a report of what he has received from their hands (or even from God’s hands).” [9]
CCC: Jer 20:7-18 2584
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
858 Reading from the New Testament
First Option (For Priestly Vocations)
Brothers and sisters:
The love of Christ impels us.
once we have come to the conviction that one died for all;
therefore, all have died.
He indeed died for all,
so that those who live might no longer live for themselves
but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
Consequently, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh;
even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh,
yet now we know him so no longer.
So whoever is in Christ is a new creation:
the old things have passed away;
behold, new things have come.
And all this is from God,
who has reconciled us to himself through Christ
and given us the ministry of reconciliation,
namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
not counting their trespasses against them
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
So we are ambassadors for Christ,
as if God were appealing through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on 2 Cor 5:14-20
This passage from St. Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians has a distinctly sacramental flavor. First he speaks of dying with Christ, becoming one with him in the spirit. This occurs in the sacrament of Baptism. The whole idea of being reconciled to God in Christ is inherent in the Sacrament of Confirmation and concluded in the Eucharist. These of course are the three sacraments of Christian Initiation.
CCC: 2 Cor 5:14 616, 851; 2 Cor 5:15 605, 655, 1269; 2 Cor 5:17 1214, 1265; 2 Cor 5:17-18 1999; 2 Cor 5:18-21 2844; 2 Cor 5:18 981, 1442, 1461; 2 Cor 5:19 433, 620; 2 Cor 5:20 859, 1424, 1442
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Second Option
Brothers and sisters:
I consider everything as a loss
because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things
and I consider them so much rubbish,
that I may gain Christ and be found in him,
not having any righteousness of my own based on the law
but that which comes through faith in Christ,
the righteousness from God,
depending on faith to know him and the power of his resurrection
and the sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death,
if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
It is not that i have already taken hold of it
or have already attained perfect maturity,
but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it,
since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ Jesus.
Brothers and sisters, I for my part
do not consider myself to have taken possession.
Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind
but straining forward to what lies ahead,
I continue my pursuit toward the goal,
the prize of God's upward calling, in Christ Jesus.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Phil 3:8-14
In his own profession he states: all he has given up for the Lord counts for nothing as he holds Christ’s Lordship as the only thing of worth. He goes on to say that it is only through his faith in Christ that he receives salvation, that his former devotion to the Law of Moses did not accomplish salvation (as the Jews believe).
This discourse likely addresses some members of the community who feel they have achieved a high state of grace and have lost their humility. By his example, Paul, who in his status as founder would be considered to have been further along this course, demonstrates the humble attitude that should be present.
St. Paul speaks to the community at Philippi about the primacy of following Christ as the (his) most important possession. He inverts the phrase saying Christ has taken possession of him which should not be interpreted as meaning he believed he had attained perfect spiritual maturity but rather that he (Paul) had given himself totally to the service of Jesus. Paul again uses himself as example, telling the Philippians that (even) he has not achieved the end goal of “perfect maturity” (a final state of grace), rather he still pursues that goal.This selection guides the rule of St. Francis, first in their vows of poverty and second, as Franciscan Order of Minim Fiars, in their view as the least of God’s children.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Third Option (For Priestly Vocations)
Brothers and sisters:
Every high priest is taken from among men
and made their representative before God,
to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring,
for he himself is beset by weakness
and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself
as well as for the people.
No one takes this honor upon himself
but only when called by God,
just as Aaron was.
In the same way,
it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest,
but rather the one who said to him:
You are my Son:
this day I have begotten you;
just as he says in another place,
You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.
In the days when he was in the Flesh,
he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears
to the one who was able to save him from death,
and he was heard because of his reverence.
Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered;
and when he was made perfect,
he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Heb 5:1-10
This is an important passage from the standpoint of understanding the call to ministry, especially the priesthood. It is frequently used at ordinations, and provides an understanding of what it means to be called to a vocation: “No one takes this honor upon himself but only when called by God.”
“Priests are mediators between man and God. As such they must be united with men and called by God. The priests of Israel, who traced their lineage to Aaron and his sons, were united with men in the weakness of human sin and were called by God to an earthly priesthood (Exodus 28:1-4; 40:12-15). Jesus, too, was united with men in his human nature (Hebrews 2:14); however, unlike the Aaronic priests, he was free from sin (Hebrews 4:15) and was called by God to a heavenly priesthood (v. 5-6; Hebrews 8:1-4). Priestly ministry is a vocation from God, not volunteer work that men can take upon themselves (CCC 1539, 1578).”[2]
The second part of the reading continues with Christ’s own call. The author captures Christ’s humanity in this description. The reference to the “order of Melchizedek,” the priest king, is first identified in Genesis 14:18 and again in Psalm 110:4. The image of Melchizedek is used to prefigure Christ, the Messiah who is Priest, Prophet, and King. This same indelible character is imposed upon those called to God’s service in the priesthood.
CCC: Heb 5:1 1539; Heb 5:3 1540; Heb 5:4 1578; Heb 5:6 1537; Heb 5:7-9 609, 2606; Heb 5:7-8 612, 1009; Heb 5:7 2741; Heb 5:8 2825; Heb 5:9 617; Heb 5:10 1544
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
859 Responsorial Psalm
First Option
R. (5) You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, "My Lord are you."
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even at night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 11
Psalm 16 is an individual hymn of praise. The psalmist prays that God will shield the faithful from harm and expresses confidence in the Lord’s salvation. The passage closes with praise for God’s loving mercy. This selection is structured to support the Pauline ideal of placing God first in the life of the faithful. Their greatest possession is being loved by God and loving God in return.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Second Option
R. (8b) I long to see your face, O Lord.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. I long to see your face, O Lord.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R. I long to see your face, O Lord.
For he will hide me in his abode
in the day of trouble;
He will conceal me in the shelter of his tent,
he will set me high upon a rock.
R. I long to see your face, O Lord.
Your presence, O LORD, I seek.
Hide not your face from me;
do not in anger repel your servant.
R. I long to see your face, O Lord.
You are my helper: cast me not off;
forsake me not, O God my savior.
Show me, O LORD, your way, and lead me on a level path,
because of my adversaries.
R. I long to see your face, O Lord.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 27:1, 4, 5, 8b-9ab, 9cd and 11
Psalm 27 is an individual lament with two distinct parts. This passage focuses on the singers hope in the mercy of God and his salvation. Pleading for God’s salvation the psalmist seeks his saving hand. There is an underlying confidence in God's faithfulness, even as the signer pleads for help in facing adversity.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Third Option
R. (8a and 9a) Here I am. Lord: I come to do your will.
I have waited, waited for the LORD;
and he stooped toward me and he heard my cry
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
R. Here I am. Lord: I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come."
R. Here I am, Lord: I come to do your will.
"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!"
R. Here I am, Lord: I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here I am, Lord: I come to do your will.
Withhold not, O LORD, your compassion from me;
may your mercy and your truth ever preserve me.
R. Here I am, Lord: I come to do your will.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 40:2 and 4ab, 7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 12
While Psalm 40 is a song of thanksgiving, it is also combined with a lament. The initial waiting is satisfied by favor shown by God to one who is faithful in service to Him. Praise and thanksgiving are given to God whose justice is applied to all. The final strophes in this selection announce the singers courage in boldly proclaiming God's glory and praise among all the people and confidence in His mercy toward those who trust in him.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fourth Option
R. (5a) Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.
My soul yearns and pines
for the courts of the LORD.
My heart and my flesh
cry out for the living God.
Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest
in which she puts her young-
Your altars, O LORD of hosts,
my king and my God!
R. Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.
Blessed the men whose strength you are!
their hearts are set upon the pilgrimage.
They go from strength to strength.
R. Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.
I had rather one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I had rather lie at the threshold of the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
R. Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 84:3-4, 6 and 8a, 11
Psalm 84 is a hymn of praise for those who depend on God (Blessed they who dwell in your house!). The singer expresses the intense longing for the holy space of the Lord's temple. The house of the Lord invites all who are faithful, from the largest to the smallest. Those who find a home in God's temple are blessed; they find strength flowing from the Lord, sustaining them. The timelessness of heaven is reflected in the service of God's house, his dwelling place.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
861 Gospel
1.
Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,
teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness.
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mt 9:35-38
This selection emphasizes Jesus' early struggle to accomplish what he came to do by himself. We sense the humanness as he says: "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few." Immediately following this discourse the 12 are named and sent.
CCC: Mt 9:38 2611
CCC: Mt 9:38 2611
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.
As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up,
knelt down before him, and asked him,
“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good?
No one is good but God alone.
You know the commandments: You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
you shall not defraud;
honor your father and your mother.”He replied and said to him,
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
you shall not defraud;
honor your father and your mother.”He replied and said to him,
“Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.”
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,
“You are lacking in one thing.
Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”
At that statement, his face fell,
and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,
“How hard it is for those who have wealth
to enter the Kingdom of God!”
The disciples were amazed at his words.
So Jesus again said to them in reply,
“Children, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God!
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.”
They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves,
“Then who can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said,
“For men it is impossible, but not for God.
All things are possible for God.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mk 10:17-27
The story of the rich young man, presented in St. Mark’s Gospel, is an ideal teaching moment for Christ. Clearly the young man depicted is of Pharisaic persuasion since he believes in concept of eternal life (Sadducees would not). After he has heard that the young man has carefully followed Mosaic Law (summarized in the Decalogue the Lord mentions), Jesus tells the him he has only one more step to take. Selling all he has and giving the proceeds to the poor is too much for the rich young man who leaves downcast.
Jesus uses this example to emphasize, first, that the love of God must come first, before desire for possessions, and before the accumulation of wealth. Those listening were also downhearted and say: “Then who can be saved?”
Jesus then makes his second point. No one earns salvation from God! Only the Lord alone can grant it, and nothing is impossible for him. “For men it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God.” God must provide the path.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.
Peter said to Jesus:
"We have given up everything and followed you."
Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you,
there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:
houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands,
with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mk 10:28-30
Following the exchange with the rich young man and the rest of the crowd, St. Peter brings up the fact that the disciples had given up everything to follow Jesus. The Lord responds telling them they will receive a reward “a hundred times more” and “eternal life”
The passage contains the disciples response to Jesus’ teaching about the discipline of discipleship embodied in the story of the wealthy young man (Mark 10:17-27). After seeing the young man leave because he could not part with his possessions, Peter finds it necessary to remind Jesus that they (the disciples) had given up everything to follow him. The Lord replies that those who have sacrificed to follow him will receive not just the sevenfold repayment promised by Sirach 35:10, but a hundred times more of what they have given up.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.
While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God,
he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
He saw two boats there alongside the lake;
the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,
he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.
Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
"Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch."
Simon said in reply,
"Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,
but at your command I will lower the nets."
When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish
and their nets were tearing.
They signaled to their partners in the other boat
to come to help them.
They came and filled both boats
so that they were in danger of sinking.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said,
"Depart from me. Lord, for I am a sinful man."
For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him
and all those with him,
and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
who were partners of Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men."
When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left everything and followed him.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 5:1-11
St. Luke’s Gospel presents the call of St. Peter, St. James, and St. John to discipleship. The Lord has demonstrated his authority through his teaching, and then through the miraculous catch of fish. We note the similarity of this incident with the post-resurrection incident recounted in St. John’s Gospel (John 21:1-11) when, on the Sea of Tiberias, the unrecognized Lord again asked St. Peter to lower his net after an unsuccessful attempt to catch fish, whereupon John rather than Peter recognized Jesus.
At Jesus' summons, Simon and the two sons of Zebedee leave all they have and follow the Lord. No mention is made here of Simon’s (Peter’s) brother Andrew who would also have been there, and in fact, as a disciple of John the Baptist, actually introduced the two (John 1:41 ff). We do hear that James and John, Zebedee’s sons, were also there as Simon’s partners, and are called at the same time.
Simon Peter’s response to the Lord’s call is one of being sinful and therefore unworthy of the presence of the Lord. In response to Simon’s fearful humility, Jesus invites them all to leave what they have and become fishers of men.
CCC: Lk 5:8 208
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.
As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding
on their journey to Jerusalem,
someone said to him,
"I will follow you wherever you go."
Jesus answered him,
"Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head."
And to another he said, "Follow me."
But he replied, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father."
But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead.
But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God."
And another said, "I will follow you, Lord,
but first let me say farewell to my family at home."
Jesus said, "No one who sets a hand to the plow
and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 9:57-62
This passage from St. Luke’s Gospel gives us three sayings of Jesus about the requirement to place the values of Christian discipleship above all other requirements of life. Proclaiming the Kingdom of God must come before even family obligations.
In the first, “Foxes have dens,” Jesus does not deceive anyone – he lives in poverty, dedicated to his mission.
The second, “Let the dead bury their dead,” is a play on words: let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead. Jesus' message is the message of life. This saying was never intended to be taken literally as filial piety is deeply ingrained in Jewish life.
In the third saying; “No one who…looks to what was left behind,” Jesus demands more than Elisha (see 1 Kings 19:19-21). “Plowing for the Kingdom demands sacrifice.” [3]
CCC: Lk 9:58 544
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.
Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,
and he turned and addressed them,
"If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters,
and even his own life,
he cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple.
W^hich of you wishing to construct a tower
does not first sit down and calculate the cost
to see if there is enough for its completion?
Otherwise, after laying the foundation
and finding himself unable to finish the work
the onlookers should laugh at him and say,
This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.'
Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down
and decide whether with ten thousand troops
he can successfully oppose another king
advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?
But if not, while he is still far away,
he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.
In the same way,
every one of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 14:25-33
The Lord, perhaps in an action intended to identify those who had the zeal to be true disciples, tells the crowd of the necessity of total dedication to the call to discipleship. They had seen his recent miracles of healing, and were, no doubt, hoping to learn wisdom from him.
He tells them that they must place their love of God first, before family and even their own lives. He tells them, through two examples – the construction of the tower and the evaluation of the battle – that they must measure the sacrifice needed to be his follower. He punctuates his statement by telling them they must “renounce” all their possessions to follow him.
He tells them that they must place their love of God first, before family and even their own lives. He tells them, through two examples – the construction of the tower and the evaluation of the battle – that they must measure the sacrifice needed to be his follower. He punctuates his statement by telling them they must “renounce” all their possessions to follow him.
"These words of our Lord should not disconcert us. Love for God and for Jesus should have pride of place in our lives and we should keep away from anything which obstructs this love: 'In this world let us love everyone,' St. Gregory the Great comments, 'even though he be our enemy; but let us hate him who opposes us on our way to God, though he be our relative [...]. We should then, love, our neighbor; we should have charity towards all -- towards relative and towards strangers -- but without separating ourselves from the love of God out of love for them' ('In Evangelia Homiliae', 37, 3). In the last analysis, it is a matter of keeping the proper hierarchy of charity: God must take priority over everything." [10]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7.
John was standing with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,
Behold, the Lamb of God
The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.
Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,
“What are you looking for?”
They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher),
“where are you staying?”
He said to them, “Come, and you will see.”
So they went and saw where he was staying,
and they stayed with him that day.
It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.
He first found his own brother Simon and told him,
“We have found the Messiah,” which is translated Christ.
Then he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said,
“You are Simon the son of John;
you will be called Cephas,” which is translated Peter.
The next day he decided to go to Galilee, and he found Philip.
And Jesus said to him, "Follow me."
Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter.
Philip found Nathanael and told him,
"We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law,
and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth."
But Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?"
Philip said to him, "Come and see."
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
"Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him."
Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?"
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree."
Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God;
you are the King of Israel."
Jesus answered and said to hiin,
"Do you believe because I told you that
I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this."
And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see the sky opened
and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn 1:35-51
John the Baptist recognizes Jesus as the Messiah, once again pronouncing the words he spoke when the Lord presented himself for baptism; “Behold, the Lamb of God.” (John 1:29-34) It also shows the humility of the “Voice” always deferring to the “Word”. St. John’s disciples hear him identify Jesus as “the lamb of God” and follow Jesus. St. John, who must “decrease” (John 3:30) encourages his own disciples to follow Jesus. In this passage, a shortened version of the call of the first disciples, we see the impact of the prophet’s pronouncement on two of his own disciples, one of whom we will come to revere as one of the Twelve, Andrew. He is the brother of Peter, and, once he has become aware of the identity of Jesus invites his brother to join him in faith. It is Simon Peter who receives his new name; “Rock” in this story. (see also commentary on Matthew 16:13-19)
Word of mouth now attracts Philip and he in turn invites Nathanael. The symbolism in this passage is noteworthy. First when Jesus describes Nathanael as “A true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him” Jacob was the first to bear the name "Israel" (Genesis 32:29), but Jacob was a man of duplicity (Genesis 27:35-36).”
Jesus tells Nathanael “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree." “Under the fig tree: a symbol of messianic peace (cf Micah 4:4; Zechariah 3:10).”[7] So in essence, Jesus is saying that Nathanael was resting in Messianic Peace inferring from that that he had faithfully followed the Law and had a genuine love of God.
Jesus goes further than Nathanael’s faith in the final verse telling him that he, Jesus is the Anointed One. “…you will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Or Shorter Form
John was standing with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,
Behold, the Lamb of God
The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.
Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,
“What are you looking for?”
They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher),
“where are you staying?”
He said to them, “Come, and you will see.”
So they went and saw where he was staying,
and they stayed with him that day.
It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.
He first found his own brother Simon and told him,
“We have found the Messiah,” which is translated Christ.
Then he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said,
“You are Simon the son of John;
you will be called Cephas,” which is translated Peter.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn 1:35-42
John the Baptist recognizes Jesus as the Messiah, once again pronouncing the words he spoke when the Lord presented himself for baptism; “Behold, the Lamb of God.” (John 1:29-34) It also shows the humility of the “Voice” always deferring to the “Word”. St. John’s disciples hear him identify Jesus as “the lamb of God” and follow Jesus. St. John, who must “decrease” (John 3:30) encourages his own disciples to follow Jesus. In this passage, a shortened version of the call of the first disciples, we see the impact of the prophet’s pronouncement on two of his own disciples, one of whom we will come to revere as one of the Twelve, Andrew. He is the brother of Peter, and, once he has become aware of the identity of Jesus invites his brother to join him in faith. It is Simon Peter who receives his new name; “Rock” in this story. (see also commentary on Matthew 16:13-19)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8.
Jesus said to his disciples:
"As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father's commandments
and remain in his love.
"I have told you this so that my joy might be in you
and your joy might be complete.
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one's life for one's friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn 15:9-17
The discourse on the union of Jesus with his disciples continues. His words become a monologue and go beyond the immediate crisis of Christ’s departure. In this passage Jesus focuses on the chain of love from the Father, through the Son, to his adopted sons and daughters.
St. John also distinguishes the disciples' new relationship with God saying, “I no longer call you slaves…I have called you friends.” Jesus designates the disciples “friends of God.” This designation is supported and defined in other places in Sacred Scripture. It separates them from Moses, Joshua, and David who carried the designation “Servants of the Lord” (see Deuteronomy 34:5, Joshua 24:29, and Psalm 89:21). Calling them “friends” of God establishes the same relationship as that enjoyed by Abraham (see James 2:23 “Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called "the friend of God."[4] The clear reference being that they like Abraham would be patriarchs of the New Covenant.
CCC: Jn 15:9-10 1824; Jn 15:9 1823; Jn 15:12 459, 1823, 1970, 2074; Jn 15:13 363, 609, 614; Jn 15:15 1972, 2347; Jn 15:16-17 2745; Jn 15:16 434, 737, 2615, 2815
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Shorter form of the reading is offered
[1] See NAB Footnote on 1 Kings 19:16ff
[2] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. p. 421
[3] See Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 44:97
[4] St. James synthesizes Isaiah 41:8 and 2 Chronicles 20:7 in which Abraham is called God’s friend.
[5] The Navarre Bible: “Joshua-Kings”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p. 500
[6] The Jewish Study Bible, Oxford University Press, New York, NY, © 2004 p. 30
[7] See NAB footnote on Genesis 12:1-4
[8] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 9:13, 27-36, p. 166
[5] The Navarre Bible: “Joshua-Kings”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p. 500
[6] The Jewish Study Bible, Oxford University Press, New York, NY, © 2004 p. 30
[7] See NAB footnote on Genesis 12:1-4
[8] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 9:13, 27-36, p. 166
[9] Peter C. Craigie, Jeremiah 1–25, vol. 26, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas, TX: Word, Incorporated, 1991), 275.
[10] The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 428-29
[11] The Navarre Bible: “Pentateuch”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p. 254.
No comments:
Post a Comment