Commentary on the Readings for Sunday – September 13, 2009
The 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Readings for the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time contain many provocative phrases that could be used as the theme for this commentary. I have chosen two that are arguably the most difficult to follow – accepting our circumstances in life (our “daily crosses”) and self denial – all in the process of following Jesus Christ. Most people will do almost anything to avoid suffering, and self-denial is contrary to today’s culture, but the words of Christ are as true today as they were 2000 years ago: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.”
So what does “taking up of one’s cross” mean? Jesus is not speaking of a physical cross such as the one He died on, or the one that St. Peter died on. He is speaking of every day situations, some of a short duration and others of an almost permanent problem such as diabetes, or a physical or mental handicap. These are often the source of much frustration or anger, but they can be a daily offering to Our Lord when handled with patience and kindness towards others. Self Denial is a different matter, but can also be a daily offering. Remember, your body, your life, is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift to God.
In the First Reading from the Prophet Isaiah (50:5 – 9a), the Prophet is offering himself as an example to the people. He suffered much as God’s spokesperson and he is saying that only by trusting in God can one find true happiness and fulfillment. These words apply to us today and represent one of the ‘suffering servant’ oracles that we use to identify Jesus during the Lenten Season.
The Responsorial Psalm is (116:1 – 9). In this passage the psalmist is praising God who saved him from “giving up”. We can’t be certain if the Lord God saved this man from physical trials or from “giving up spiritually, or both. When he says, “For He has freed my soul from death” he is speaking in a spiritual sense. The meaning of this is: that in spite of his problems he has not lost hope in God and that sense of hope gives him strength to carry on. This is exactly what Jesus is talking about in the gospel.
The Second Reading is from the Letter of St. James (2:14 – 18). James is giving us another way of looking at suffering and self denial – that of sharing someone else’s suffering. Many of us are fortunate to have enough of this world’s goods that we do not suffer from lack of food, shelter or clothing, but there are many out in the world that do. If we find ourselves in a position of good health and comfort then we are obligated to help those less fortunate.
The Gospel Reading is taken from the Gospel of Mark (8:27 – 35). In this passage, Jesus is asking a very important question that all of us must answer: “Who do YOU say that I am? This question is addressed not only to His Apostles and the immediate disciples, but also to us, you and me today. If we can truthfully answer as Peter does then we are ahead of the pack, but if we hesitate then we must make up our mind – soon. Then, all of us must take into account the next statement of Jesus: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.”
In order to aid us in resolving these two statements within our own mind and heart, we might consider the words of the Serenity Prayer: “Lord, help me to accept what I cannot change, and the grace to change what I can and then, grant me the wisdom to know the difference.” Something to think about during your Prayer Time this week!
If you have comments or questions regarding the above, please put them in writing or e-mail and send them to the parish office. We will try to respond as quickly as possible.
MFB
Sunday Scripture Commentary – 9-13-09
Commentary on the Readings for Sunday – September 13, 2009
The 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Readings for the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time contain many provocative phrases that could be used as the theme for this commentary. I have chosen two that are arguably the most difficult to follow – accepting our circumstances in life (our “daily crosses”) and self denial – all in the process of following Jesus Christ. Most people will do almost anything to avoid suffering, and self-denial is contrary to today’s culture, but the words of Christ are as true today as they were 2000 years ago: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.”
So what does “taking up of one’s cross” mean? Jesus is not speaking of a physical cross such as the one He died on, or the one that St. Peter died on. He is speaking of every day situations, some of a short duration and others of an almost permanent problem such as diabetes, or a physical or mental handicap. These are often the source of much frustration or anger, but they can be a daily offering to Our Lord when handled with patience and kindness towards others. Self Denial is a different matter, but can also be a daily offering. Remember, your body, your life, is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift to God.
In the First Reading from the Prophet Isaiah (50:5 – 9a), the Prophet is offering himself as an example to the people. He suffered much as God’s spokesperson and he is saying that only by trusting in God can one find true happiness and fulfillment. These words apply to us today and represent one of the ‘suffering servant’ oracles that we use to identify Jesus during the Lenten Season.
The Responsorial Psalm is (116:1 – 9). In this passage the psalmist is praising God who saved him from “giving up”. We can’t be certain if the Lord God saved this man from physical trials or from “giving up spiritually, or both. When he says, “For He has freed my soul from death” he is speaking in a spiritual sense. The meaning of this is: that in spite of his problems he has not lost hope in God and that sense of hope gives him strength to carry on. This is exactly what Jesus is talking about in the gospel.
The Second Reading is from the Letter of St. James (2:14 – 18). James is giving us another way of looking at suffering and self denial – that of sharing someone else’s suffering. Many of us are fortunate to have enough of this world’s goods that we do not suffer from lack of food, shelter or clothing, but there are many out in the world that do. If we find ourselves in a position of good health and comfort then we are obligated to help those less fortunate.
The Gospel Reading is taken from the Gospel of Mark (8:27 – 35). In this passage, Jesus is asking a very important question that all of us must answer: “Who do YOU say that I am? This question is addressed not only to His Apostles and the immediate disciples, but also to us, you and me today. If we can truthfully answer as Peter does then we are ahead of the pack, but if we hesitate then we must make up our mind – soon. Then, all of us must take into account the next statement of Jesus: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.”
In order to aid us in resolving these two statements within our own mind and heart, we might consider the words of the Serenity Prayer: “Lord, help me to accept what I cannot change, and the grace to change what I can and then, grant me the wisdom to know the difference.” Something to think about during your Prayer Time this week!
If you have comments or questions regarding the above, please put them in writing or e-mail and send them to the parish office. We will try to respond as quickly as possible.
MFB