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Fidelis
Guest
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Deacon_Tony560
Guest
Very nice study…one other angle is to ask yourself, Who are the lepers in my life?
May God bless you,
Deacon Tony SFO
May God bless you,
Deacon Tony SFO
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Toni
Guest
That was such a great gospel especially to work with the Children at school because we read it and discussed it sentence by sentence and Deacon Tony I wish I would have read that question but will use it on Monday.
After going through this gospel line by line with a lot of different ages I found these things very enlightening.
Jesus walking on this journey and thinking how far he would have to walk to even see groups of people. This was a great tool to show us that we have the opportunity to testify to the truth of Christ and show good example to so many in one day.
The lepers who never journeyed far for fear of being ridiculed and stoned come right out to Jesus yelling “Have pity on us” It shows how close Christ is always waiting, I talked about the picture of Christ at the door with no door handle on his side and how he waits for us to call him.
I think the strongest point of course is Christ’ mercy and love for everyone and of course how quick he is to heal.
We did discuss the nine lepers that were cured and did not return, and talked about how God has a whole lot of fair weather friends.
God’s forgiveness is such a powerful statement.
I did not get to spend time on the OT because we are working on Abraham in some classes and there are very powerful statements in the story and the thoughts on the sacrifice of Isaac. Plus yesterday was a big day for Our Lady and we did a living Rosary for the school.
After going through this gospel line by line with a lot of different ages I found these things very enlightening.
Jesus walking on this journey and thinking how far he would have to walk to even see groups of people. This was a great tool to show us that we have the opportunity to testify to the truth of Christ and show good example to so many in one day.
The lepers who never journeyed far for fear of being ridiculed and stoned come right out to Jesus yelling “Have pity on us” It shows how close Christ is always waiting, I talked about the picture of Christ at the door with no door handle on his side and how he waits for us to call him.
I think the strongest point of course is Christ’ mercy and love for everyone and of course how quick he is to heal.
We did discuss the nine lepers that were cured and did not return, and talked about how God has a whole lot of fair weather friends.
God’s forgiveness is such a powerful statement.
I did not get to spend time on the OT because we are working on Abraham in some classes and there are very powerful statements in the story and the thoughts on the sacrifice of Isaac. Plus yesterday was a big day for Our Lady and we did a living Rosary for the school.
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Fidelis
Guest
Navarre Commentary on Psalm 98
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Deacon_Tony560
Guest
Thank you for all that you do. I hope that in time, more folks will visit this thread. It is so important to come to Mass prepared for the readings. Jesus is alive in the readings as well as in the Eucharist, but without studying the readings, it may be more difficult to see him.
God bless,
Deacon Tony SFO
God bless,
Deacon Tony SFO
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Toni
Guest
Deacon Tony560:
Fidelis:
If you wish to give praise to God, become the song that you would sing. You yourselves will give praise if you lead holy lives” (St Augustine, Sermones, 34, 3-6).
Deacon Tony I agree, Fidelis that was a beautiful and meaningful reflection on the readings and gospel. You have inspired me to look a little closer at the readings also. and the quote from St. Augstine awesome and very meaningful.
If you wish to give praise to God, become the song that you would sing. You yourselves will give praise if you lead holy lives” (St Augustine, Sermones, 34, 3-6).
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Fidelis
Guest
Toni and DeaconTony-
Thanks for the encouragement. We haven’t got much feedback, but with the number of hits, I’m trusting the Holy Spirit will use it to help open up the readings for more people. God’s Word never returns to him void (Isaiah 55:10-11)!
The quote from Augustine is indeed beautiful. One of the reasons I love the Navarre Commentaries is they have all these gems I get to see for the first time.
Thanks for the encouragement. We haven’t got much feedback, but with the number of hits, I’m trusting the Holy Spirit will use it to help open up the readings for more people. God’s Word never returns to him void (Isaiah 55:10-11)!
The quote from Augustine is indeed beautiful. One of the reasons I love the Navarre Commentaries is they have all these gems I get to see for the first time.
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Fidelis
Guest
**2 Timothy 2:8-13
Navarre Commentary:**
9-10. The trials which St Paul was experiencing in prison on account of his preaching of the Gospel constitute an entitlement to heaven, for “martyrdom makes the disciple like his master, who willingly accepted death for the salvation of the world, and through it he is conformed to him by the shedding of blood” (“Lumen Gentium”, 42). This is a shining example of the Communion of Saints at work, for, when a Christian links
his suffering to Christ’s passion, that suffering contributes to the
Redemption.
Throughout history many pastors of the Church have suffered persecution on account of their fidelity to Christ. St John Chrysostom, shortly before going into exile, expressed his feelings in this way: “For me, this world’s evils are something I despise; and its good things are an object of scorn. I am not afraid of poverty nor do I have any desire for riches; I am not afraid of death nor do I have any desire to live unless it be to your advantage” (“Ante Exiltum Hom.”, 1).
11-13. “The saying is sure”: this is a technical expression used a
number of times in the Pastoral Epistles to attract attention to
especially important statements (cf. note on 1 Tim 1:15). Here it
introduces a poetic section in the form of a hymn of four verses, each consisting of a pair of contrasting phrases (of the type the Semitic mind loves). It is quite possible that this hymn was used in very early baptismal liturgy, given that it has to do with the intimate union of the baptized person with Christ, who died and is now risen; it also encourages Christians to stay faithful in the face of adverse circumstances even if that means martyrdom.
Thus, the first verse deals with the beginning of Christian life. Dying to sin and rising to the life of grace are Pauline expressions (cf. Rom 6:34) which point to the fact that in Baptism the Christian becomes a sharer in the passion, death and burial of the Lord, and also in the glory of his resurrection. Grace is the supernatural life and that life will attain its full form in heaven.
The two following verses deal with the stark choice the Christian has to make in the face of difficulties- endurance, or denial of the faith (cf. Mt 10:33; Lk 12:9); the hymn puts special emphasis on endurance, using as it does terminology proper to athletics (cf. Heb 12:1-3); also, the verb used in the second part of each phrase is in the future tense, as if an unlikely possibility were being discussed.
The last verse breaks the pattern because it does not counterpose
attitude and result but rather man’s infidelity and Christ’s fidelity:
“If we are faithless, he remains faithful.” This paradox of our Lord’s
love marks the climax of the hymn, which is a kind of poem extolling Christian endurance based on our Lord’s eternal faithfulness. “We Christians have the right to proclaim the royalty of Christ. Although injustice abounds, although many do not desire the kingdom of love, the work of salvation is taking place in the same human history as harbors evil” ([St] J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 186).
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”.(excerpt)
Navarre Commentary:**
- “Jesus Christ, risen from the dead”: the Resurrection is the climaxof our faith (cf. 1 Cor 15) and the fixed reference point for Christian living, for we know that “Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him” (Rom 6:9). Therefore, Christ lives on in a glorified condition:
9-10. The trials which St Paul was experiencing in prison on account of his preaching of the Gospel constitute an entitlement to heaven, for “martyrdom makes the disciple like his master, who willingly accepted death for the salvation of the world, and through it he is conformed to him by the shedding of blood” (“Lumen Gentium”, 42). This is a shining example of the Communion of Saints at work, for, when a Christian links
his suffering to Christ’s passion, that suffering contributes to the
Redemption.
Throughout history many pastors of the Church have suffered persecution on account of their fidelity to Christ. St John Chrysostom, shortly before going into exile, expressed his feelings in this way: “For me, this world’s evils are something I despise; and its good things are an object of scorn. I am not afraid of poverty nor do I have any desire for riches; I am not afraid of death nor do I have any desire to live unless it be to your advantage” (“Ante Exiltum Hom.”, 1).
11-13. “The saying is sure”: this is a technical expression used a
number of times in the Pastoral Epistles to attract attention to
especially important statements (cf. note on 1 Tim 1:15). Here it
introduces a poetic section in the form of a hymn of four verses, each consisting of a pair of contrasting phrases (of the type the Semitic mind loves). It is quite possible that this hymn was used in very early baptismal liturgy, given that it has to do with the intimate union of the baptized person with Christ, who died and is now risen; it also encourages Christians to stay faithful in the face of adverse circumstances even if that means martyrdom.
Thus, the first verse deals with the beginning of Christian life. Dying to sin and rising to the life of grace are Pauline expressions (cf. Rom 6:34) which point to the fact that in Baptism the Christian becomes a sharer in the passion, death and burial of the Lord, and also in the glory of his resurrection. Grace is the supernatural life and that life will attain its full form in heaven.
The two following verses deal with the stark choice the Christian has to make in the face of difficulties- endurance, or denial of the faith (cf. Mt 10:33; Lk 12:9); the hymn puts special emphasis on endurance, using as it does terminology proper to athletics (cf. Heb 12:1-3); also, the verb used in the second part of each phrase is in the future tense, as if an unlikely possibility were being discussed.
The last verse breaks the pattern because it does not counterpose
attitude and result but rather man’s infidelity and Christ’s fidelity:
“If we are faithless, he remains faithful.” This paradox of our Lord’s
love marks the climax of the hymn, which is a kind of poem extolling Christian endurance based on our Lord’s eternal faithfulness. “We Christians have the right to proclaim the royalty of Christ. Although injustice abounds, although many do not desire the kingdom of love, the work of salvation is taking place in the same human history as harbors evil” ([St] J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 186).
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”.(excerpt)
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Fidelis
Guest
**Luke 17:11-19
Navarre Commentary:**
11-19. The setting of this episode explains how a Samaritan could be in the company of Jews. There was no love lost between Jews and Samaritans (cf. John 4:9), but shared pain, in the case of these lepers, overcame racial antipathy.
The Law of Moses laid down, to prevent the spread of the disease, that lepers should live away from other people and should let it be known that they were suffering from this disease (cf. Leviticus 13:45-46). This explains why they did not come right up to Jesus and His group, but instead begged His help by shouting from a distance. Before curing them our Lord orders them to go to the priests to have their cure certified (cf. Leviticus 14:2ff), and to perform the rites laid down. The lepers’ obedience is a sign of faith in Jesus’ words. And, in fact, soon after setting out they are cleansed.
However, only one of them, the Samaritan, who returns praising God and showing his gratitude for the miracle, is given a much greater gift than the cure of leprosy. Jesus says as much: “Your faith has made you well” (verse 19) and praises the man’s gratefulness. The Gospel records this event to teach us the value of gratefulness: "Get used to lifting your heart to God, in acts of thanksgiving, many times a day. Because He gives you this and that. Because you have been despised. Because you haven’t what you need or because you have.
"Because He made His Mother so beautiful, His Mother who is also your Mother. Because He created the sun and the moon and this animal and that plant. Because He made that man eloquent and you He left tongue-tied…
“Thank Him for everything, because everything is good” ([St] J. Escriva, “The
Way”, 268).
**Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. **
Navarre Commentary:**
11-19. The setting of this episode explains how a Samaritan could be in the company of Jews. There was no love lost between Jews and Samaritans (cf. John 4:9), but shared pain, in the case of these lepers, overcame racial antipathy.
The Law of Moses laid down, to prevent the spread of the disease, that lepers should live away from other people and should let it be known that they were suffering from this disease (cf. Leviticus 13:45-46). This explains why they did not come right up to Jesus and His group, but instead begged His help by shouting from a distance. Before curing them our Lord orders them to go to the priests to have their cure certified (cf. Leviticus 14:2ff), and to perform the rites laid down. The lepers’ obedience is a sign of faith in Jesus’ words. And, in fact, soon after setting out they are cleansed.
However, only one of them, the Samaritan, who returns praising God and showing his gratitude for the miracle, is given a much greater gift than the cure of leprosy. Jesus says as much: “Your faith has made you well” (verse 19) and praises the man’s gratefulness. The Gospel records this event to teach us the value of gratefulness: "Get used to lifting your heart to God, in acts of thanksgiving, many times a day. Because He gives you this and that. Because you have been despised. Because you haven’t what you need or because you have.
"Because He made His Mother so beautiful, His Mother who is also your Mother. Because He created the sun and the moon and this animal and that plant. Because He made that man eloquent and you He left tongue-tied…
“Thank Him for everything, because everything is good” ([St] J. Escriva, “The
Way”, 268).
**Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. **
F
Fidelis
Guest
Navarre Bible Commentary on 2 Kings 5:14-17
5:9-14. The scene at Naaman’s arrival at the house of Elisha is full of significance. Before obtaining a cure for his physical ailment, Naaman needs to learn to obey the prophet’s word. The pomp surrounding Naaman contrasts sharply with the simple message conveyed by Elisha’s servant; the Syrian is expecting some magical rite to be performed on his behalf, whereas in fact he is ordered simply to bathe in the Jordan. Naaman needs to see that the prophet of the Lord, is not a magician or a kind of witch-doctor: it will be God who cleanses him when he does what he is told.
Naaman will come to see that it is not the waters that cure him, but God himself. His obedience needs to be put to the test: he has to dip in the water seven times. A similar command to Elisha’s, and an obedience like Naaman’s are to be found in the cure Jesus works for the blind man from birth (cf. John 9:6-7). Both these episodes are rightly seen as a prefigurement of baptism, the sacrament in which, through water and obedience to Christ’s word, man is cleansed from the leprosy of sin and is given the gift of faith: “The crossing of the Red Sea by the Hebrew was a figure of holy Baptism, for the Egyptians died but the Hebrews escaped. This is what the sacrament daily teaches us—that in it sin is drowned and error destroyed, whereas devotion and innocence cross unscathed…Finally, learn the lesson provided by the book of Kings. Naaman was a Syrian, and a leper, and there was no one who could cure him…He bathed and, finding he was cured, he realized immediately that it was not the water that cured him but the gift of God. He doubted prior to being cured; but you, who are already cured, should not have any doubts” (St. Ambrose, De mysteriis, 12, 19).
5:15-19. Naaman’s profession of faith (v. 15) is the climax of the episode, the true miracle. In the history of the kings of Israel, their idolatry is denounced time and time again; Naaman, by contrast, is an example that all Israelites should imitate. The fact that he takes away with him heaps of soil (land) from Israel is explained by the prevalent idea that a god could only be worshipped in the land where he manifested himself, and any land where idolatry was practiced was on that account desecrated (cf. Amos 7:17).
Naaman’s act of thanksgiving (vv. 15-17) is reminiscent of the Gospel passage (cf. Lk 17:11-19) where Jesus cures ten lepers, but only one, a stranger, returns to thank him. Jesus had a good reason to complain (cf. Lk 4:20-27) of our impudence in daring to think that we have in some way merited the gifts God gives us.
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**From the Navarre Bible Commentary: Joshua—Kings **
5:9-14. The scene at Naaman’s arrival at the house of Elisha is full of significance. Before obtaining a cure for his physical ailment, Naaman needs to learn to obey the prophet’s word. The pomp surrounding Naaman contrasts sharply with the simple message conveyed by Elisha’s servant; the Syrian is expecting some magical rite to be performed on his behalf, whereas in fact he is ordered simply to bathe in the Jordan. Naaman needs to see that the prophet of the Lord, is not a magician or a kind of witch-doctor: it will be God who cleanses him when he does what he is told.
Naaman will come to see that it is not the waters that cure him, but God himself. His obedience needs to be put to the test: he has to dip in the water seven times. A similar command to Elisha’s, and an obedience like Naaman’s are to be found in the cure Jesus works for the blind man from birth (cf. John 9:6-7). Both these episodes are rightly seen as a prefigurement of baptism, the sacrament in which, through water and obedience to Christ’s word, man is cleansed from the leprosy of sin and is given the gift of faith: “The crossing of the Red Sea by the Hebrew was a figure of holy Baptism, for the Egyptians died but the Hebrews escaped. This is what the sacrament daily teaches us—that in it sin is drowned and error destroyed, whereas devotion and innocence cross unscathed…Finally, learn the lesson provided by the book of Kings. Naaman was a Syrian, and a leper, and there was no one who could cure him…He bathed and, finding he was cured, he realized immediately that it was not the water that cured him but the gift of God. He doubted prior to being cured; but you, who are already cured, should not have any doubts” (St. Ambrose, De mysteriis, 12, 19).
5:15-19. Naaman’s profession of faith (v. 15) is the climax of the episode, the true miracle. In the history of the kings of Israel, their idolatry is denounced time and time again; Naaman, by contrast, is an example that all Israelites should imitate. The fact that he takes away with him heaps of soil (land) from Israel is explained by the prevalent idea that a god could only be worshipped in the land where he manifested himself, and any land where idolatry was practiced was on that account desecrated (cf. Amos 7:17).
Naaman’s act of thanksgiving (vv. 15-17) is reminiscent of the Gospel passage (cf. Lk 17:11-19) where Jesus cures ten lepers, but only one, a stranger, returns to thank him. Jesus had a good reason to complain (cf. Lk 4:20-27) of our impudence in daring to think that we have in some way merited the gifts God gives us.
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**From the Navarre Bible Commentary: Joshua—Kings **
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Toni
Guest
Great job Fidelis and don’t give up the Holy Spirit always provides.Also I found one phrase today that I did not catch before about the dirt Namman brought back with him. I thought it was interesting today when the priest mentioned that because it is not something that I think about. How he took the dirt to worship God on this holy soil. (where he found God)
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Fidelis
Guest
I thought that was interesting too – not only that he wanted to worship God on the soil where He had made himself known, but because, apparently, he felt that the land that he was from was too polluted by the worship of pagan idols to worship God there.
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