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From the Navarre Bible commentary:
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From the 1859 Haydock Commentary on the 1st Reading:
*13 For there is no other God but thou, who hast care of all, that thou shouldst shew that thou dost not give judgment unjustly.
16 For thy power is the beginning of justice: and because thou art Lord of all, thou makest thyself gracious to all.
17 For thou shewest thy power, when men will not believe thee to be absolute in power, and thou convincest the boldness of them that know thee not.
18 But thou being master of power, judgest with tranquillity, and with great favour disposest of us: for thy power is at hand when thou wilt.
19 But thou hast taught thy people by such works, that they must be just and humane, and hast made thy children to be of a good hope: because in judging, thou givest place for repentance for sins.*
**Ver. 19. **Hope. Under a God of such clemency, none should despair.
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A meditation on the 1st Reading for practical application from Catholic Matters:
**APPLICATION: **The author of this Book of Wisdom had true, sound wisdom and he set out to teach it to his fellow-Jews, who because of the influence of their pagan environment were growing weak in their loyalty to the true God of their fathers. Alexandria was then a thoroughly hellenized city. The philosophy of the great Greek thinkers was influencing the minds of most of its citizens. Great advances, for that day and age, had been made in science, and progress and prosperity in this life were the aims of all, including many Jews. The author reminds his readers that, wise though the philosophers and men of science may think themselves, there is only one who is truly wise, the one who is Wisdom itself and from whom all wisdom comes. This is the God of Israel who is God of all the world. He is almighty, as well as all-wise, and even though he can and may punish those who would challenge his authority, he is all-merciful and ready to forgive those who repent of their folly.
Somebody has said, “the more we change the less change there is.” How very like Alexandria of the first century B.C. is our whole world today. Twenty-one centuries have passed since this author wrote his book. The Incarnation has taken place since, and through it the world has learned so much more about the infinite mercy of God and his interest in our true welfare. The coming of the Son of God as a human being on earth, and his death and resurrection, have proved that we were put here for a few years, in order to merit the eternal life which the all-wise and the Almighty has destined for us.
But, just as in Alexandria of old the vast majority of its inhabitants spend their days chasing after the shadows of earthly happiness and prosperity, so the vast majority of the developed world’s population today spend their time on similar pursuits. We have new philosophers, inferior in most respects to those of ancient Greece, shouting their earthly wisdom and ignoring, if not denying, the source of all wisdom, the all-wise Creator of all things. We have scientists who have discovered many of the laws of nature and put them to good earthly use, but who ignore the Lawgiver, the sovereign Legislator, who laid down the laws that these scientists discover.
It is, of course, true that the real scientists down through the centuries have recognized that they were but discoveries of the laws of nature made by One more mighty than they. But the pseudo-scientists try to use the laws that are discovered to reject the Lawmaker and ignore his claims on us. “Look what I found in the atom,” the pseudo-scientist shouts, while the true scientist says : “Look what God put into the atom.”
While we must be grateful for all the progress that science and technology have made in our day (provided they are put at the service of mankind and do not become man’s complete master), we must never forget that all these powers of nature are God’s gifts to us. They are gifts to help us on our journey to our true home, not shackles to bind us to earth and make us lose the eternal inheritance which God has destined and prepared for us.
True wisdom is the knowledge of God and the recognition of his dominion over us. The truly wise man is the man who knows that he should be grateful to the almighty Creator, who gave him life and who, as Father, has prepared a place for him in an eternal future, on condition that he does his part.
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2nd Reading - Romans 8:26-27
Today’s verses, from the Epistle to the Romans, are a continuation of last Sunday’s second reading. On last Sunday, St. Paul told the Roman converts that they were on the road to eternal life, but only on the road; they still had many obstacles to overcome. By patience, hope and prayer they would arrive safely at their eternal destination. In today’s lesson. he tells them, and us, that the Holy Spirit is ever with them to help them.
Here is the 2nd Reading as we will hear it this Sunday:
Today’s verses, from the Epistle to the Romans, are a continuation of last Sunday’s second reading. On last Sunday, St. Paul told the Roman converts that they were on the road to eternal life, but only on the road; they still had many obstacles to overcome. By patience, hope and prayer they would arrive safely at their eternal destination. In today’s lesson. he tells them, and us, that the Holy Spirit is ever with them to help them.
Here is the 2nd Reading as we will hear it this Sunday:
Brothers and sisters:
The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness;
for we do not know how to pray as we ought,
but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.
And the one who searches hearts
knows what is the intention of the Spirit,
because he intercedes for the holy ones
according to God’s will.
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From the Navarre Bible commentary:
Christians are Children of God (Continuation)
---------------------------------------------
[26] Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. [27] And he who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
“The action of the Holy Spirit may pass unnoticed because God does not reveal to us his plans, and because man’s sin obscures the divine gifts. But faith tells us that God is always acting. He has created us and maintains us in existence, and he is leading all creation by his grace towards the glorious freedom of the children of God” (St J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 130).
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From the 1859 Haydock Commentary:
*26 Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit himself asketh for us with unspeakable groanings.
27 And he that searcheth the hearts, knoweth what the Spirit desireth: because he asketh for the saints according to God.*
Ver. 24, &c. For we are saved by hope, as it is the will of God we should be, waiting and hoping with patience for the things which we have not seen, which neither the eye hath seen, nor the ear hath heard, &c. (1 Corinthians ii. 9.) — And the spirit also helpeth our infirmity…asketh for us with unspeakable groanings.[4] If we understand this according to the common exposition, of the divine spirit of the Holy Ghost, the sense is, says St. Augustine, that the Holy Ghost maketh us ask: but we may understand the spirit of God and his grace, diffused in our souls, and in particular that gift of the Holy Ghost, called the spirit of prayer, given to the new Christians, which taught them what to ask, and how to pray. See St. Chrysostom. (Witham)
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A meditation on the 2nd Reading for practical application from Catholic Matters:
**APPLICATION: **Prayer is an act of adoration of God, of thanksgiving for all past and present favors received, of repentance for past offenses and negligences, and of petition for spiritual and temporal needs, This is an essential activity in our daily lives as Christians. It can be called the very life-blood of a Christian life. But how few, if any, of us can pray as we should. It is a consolation to hear St. Paul say that it was a difficulty for the early Christians who were so fervent, and even for himself who was truly a man of God.
However, his statement that the Holy Spirit is with us, not only in moving us to pray but actually interceding for us personally, is surely a source of encouragement and hope for all of us. We must cooperate with the Holy Spirit. This, in our own poor way, we all try to do, and sometimes succeed, but we know too that, even when we think we have failed, our merciful Father will accept the good will, the good intention.
Our divine Lord tells us we must always pray (Lk. 18: 1). This would seem to be an impossible demand if by prayer he meant recital of words or formulas. This however, is not what he meant. As we saw above, prayer is an act of adoration, thanksgiving, repentance and petition directed toward God. Our whole life and each single day and hour of it, can and should be such an act. When we make our morning offering, we consecrate our whole day, its recreation as well as its work to the honor and glory of God. Such consecrated action is prayer, and this is how we can always pray.
Besides, we have certain times set apart which we devote exclusively to “prayer” in the strict sense. The most important and most efficacious of these “times of prayer,” is when we join with our fellow-Christians in giving true homage and thanksgiving to God, as well as asking for pardon for our faults and failings, and requesting temporal and spiritual benefits. This happens when we devoutly attend the Sunday and Holyday liturgy. Here we are not only witnesses but also active participants at Mass, in re-enacting the most perfect homage and atonement that ever went from this earth to God, the sacrifice which the Son offered to the Father. Devout participation in this sublimest of prayers, is for a true Christian not some obligation to be fulfilled but a privilege out and away above anything we could ever think of claiming for ourselves.
In this sacred liturgical act we have not only the Holy Spirit interceding for us and moving our hearts to true acts of love of God, we also have God the Son offering himself to his Father as a truly acceptable sacrifice in our name and for our sakes. If we participate actively with the celebrant and the whole congregation in this supreme act of adoration, thanksgiving, and atonement, we can be sure that our daily petitions for spiritual and temporal needs will not go unanswered. Our week’s work will be sanctified and become a devout prayer. Our daily sufferings will take on a value for eternity, for they will be united to Christ’s sufferings and sacrifice on the cross. We will then be living a life of prayer, and the Holy Spirit will be with us, sanctifying our ordinary daily goings and comings.
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Gospel Reading: Matthew 13:24-43
Here is the Gospel Reading as we will hear it this Sunday (you may hear a shorter version in your parish):
Code:
* Last Sunday, we were introduced to Matthew 13 as a chapter of parables. This week we have three more parables, all with “growth” as a theme.
* Jesus tells another parable about a “sower”, this time one who has an enemy who secretly sows his field with weeds. This certain type of weed (called “tares” or “darnel” in some translations) contained a fungus that was poisonous to people and animals, causing severe nausea. This was sometimes done for revenge or maliciousness and the Romans had severe penalties to those caught committing such an act. These weeds look just like wheat in the early stages of growth thus making them almost impossible to remove without ruining the wheat.
* The owner of the field decides to let the wheat and the tares grow side by side until the harvest. In biblical terms, “the harvest” is often associated with a day of God’s judgment (Jeremiah 51:33; Joel 4:13; Hosea 6:11; Revelation 14:14-20).Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds, saying:
“The kingdom of heaven may be likened
to a man who sowed good seed in his field.
While everyone was asleep his enemy came
and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.
When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.
The slaves of the householder came to him and said,
‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field?
Where have the weeds come from?’
He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’
His slaves said to him,
‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds
you might uproot the wheat along with them.
Let them grow together until harvest;
then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters,
“First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning;
but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
He proposed another parable to them.
“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed
that a person took and sowed in a field.
It is the smallest of all the seeds,
yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.
It becomes a large bush,
and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.’”
He spoke to them another parable.
“The kingdom of heaven is like yeast
that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch was leavened.”
All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables.
He spoke to them only in parables,
to fulfill what had been said through the prophet:
I will open my mouth in parables,
I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation
of the world.
Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house.
His disciples approached him and said,
“Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man,
the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom.
The weeds are the children of the evil one,
and the enemy who sows them is the devil.
The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire,
so will it be at the end of the age.
The Son of Man will send his angels,
and they will collect out of his kingdom
all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.
They will throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
Then the righteous will shine like the sun
in the kingdom of their Father.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
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From the Navarre Bible commentary (the RSV-CE text can me found here):
24-25. “The situation is clear: the field is fertile and the seed is good; the Lord of the field has scattered the seed at the right moment and with great skill. He even has watchmen to make sure that the field is protected. If, afterwards, there are weeds among the wheat, it is because men have failed to respond, because they–and Christians in particular–have fallen asleep and allowed the enemy to approach” ([St] J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 123).
25. This weed–cockle–looks very like wheat and can easily be mistaken for it until the ears appear. If it gets ground up with wheat it contaminates the flour and any bread made from that flour causes severe nausea when eaten. In the East personal vengeance sometimes took the form of sowing cockle among an enemy’s wheat. Roman law prescribed penalties for this crime.
28. “When the careless servants ask the Lord why weeds have grown in his field, the explanation is obvious: ‘inimicus homo hoc fecit: an enemy has done this.’ We Christians should have been on guard to make sure that the good things placed in this world by the Creator were developed in the service of truth and good. But we have fallen asleep–a sad thing, that sluggishness of our heart while the enemy and all those who serve him worked incessantly. You can see how the weeds have grown abundantly everywhere” ([St] J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 123).
29-30. The end of this parable gives a symbolic explanation of why God allows evil to have its way for a time–and for its ultimate extirpation. Evil is to run its course on earth until the end of time; therefore, we should not be scandalized by the presence of evil in the world. It will be obliterated not in this life, but after death; at the Judgment (the harvest) the good will go to Heaven and the bad to Hell.
31-32. Here, the man is Jesus Christ and the field, the world. The grain of mustard seed is the preaching of the Gospel and the Church, which from very small beginnings will spread throughout the world.
The parable clearly refers to the universal scope and spread of the Kingdom of God: the Church, which embraces all mankind of every kind and condition, in every latitude and in all ages, is forever developing in spite of obstacles, thanks to God’s promise and aid.
33. This comparison is taken from everyday experience: just as leaven gradually ferments all the dough, so the Church spreads to convert all nations.
The leaven is also a symbol of the individual Christian. Living in the middle of the world and retaining his Christian quality, he wins souls for Christ by his word and example: “Our calling to be children of God, in the midst of the world, requires us not only to seek our own personal holiness, but also to go out onto all the ways of the earth,
to convert them into roadways that will carry souls over all obstacles and lead them to the Lord. As we take part in all temporal activities as ordinary citizens, we are to become leaven acting on the mass” ([St] J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 120).
34-35. Revelation, God’s plans, are hidden (cf. Matthew 11:25) from those who are disposed to accept them. The Evangelist wishes to emphasize the need for simplicity and for docility to the Gospel. By recalling Psalm 78:2, he tells us once more, under divine inspiration, that the Old Testament prophecies find their fulfillment in our Lord’s
preaching.
36-43. While making its way on earth, the Church is composed of good and bad people, just men and sinners: they are mixed in with one another until the harvest time, the end of the world, when the Son of Man, in His capacity as Judge of the living and the dead, will divide the good from the bad at the Last Judgment–the former going to eternal
glory, the inheritance of the saints; the latter, to the eternal fire of Hell. Although the just and the sinners are now side by side, the Church has the right and the duty to exclude those who cause scandal, especially those who attack its doctrine and unity; this is can do through ecclesiastical excommunication and other canonical penalties. However, excommunication has a medicinal and pastoral function—to correct those who are obstinate in error, and to protect others from them.
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From the 1859 Haydock Commentary (the Douay-Rheims texts can be found here.)
Ver. 24. Another parable he proposed. As in the preceding parable our Lord spoke of those who did not receive the word, so in this he speaks of those who receive the corrupted word; for it is a diabolical machination to confound error with truth. (St. Chrysostom in St. Thomas Aquinas) — There are three things worthy of observation in this parable. 1st. That the Church of God on earth consists of both good and bad; the 2d. that God is not the author of evil; the 3d. that God does not always punish the wicked on the spot, but patiently bears with them. (Menochius)
**
Ver. 25. Were asleep. When the superiors or pastors of the Church were lulled asleep or negligent, or, when the apostles were dead, as St. Augustine expounds it, the devil spread the tares or error and sin amongst a great number of Christians. These falling from the state of grace, or becoming heretics, are yet mingled with the rest of the faithful in the same outward profession of Christianity, not unlike the good corn and cockle in the same field.
**
Ver. 27. Then the servants. St. Chrysostom observes, there are many circumstances in the parables that have no connexion with the instruction designed to be conveyed in the parables, and which are merely added to connect the different parts together.
Ver. 29.* No, lest, &c*. The prayers of repenting sinners are never despised. We are taught also by this example not to cut off too hastily a fallen brother; for, whatever he may be to-day, to-morrow perhaps he may see his error and embrace the truth. (St. Jerome). — Jesus Christ exhorts us to bear with infidels and heretics, not on our own account only, as wicked men are frequently of use to the virtuous, but also on their account; for sometimes the persons who have been corrupted and perverted, will return to the paths of virtue and truth. Let, therefore, both grow until the harvest, i.e. to the day of judgment, when the power of rectifying another’s error shall be no more. (St. Augustine in St. Thomas Aquinas) — When many are implicated in one misfortune, what remains but to bewail their condition. Let us then be willing to correct our brethren to the utmost of our power, but let it be always with mercy, charity and compassion; what we cannot correct, let us bear with patience, permitting what God permits, and interceding with him to move and convert their hearts. But when an opportunity offers, let us publicly advocate the truth, and condemn error. (St. Jerome) — St. Augustine affirms, that no one should be compelled by force to an unity of religious tenets: such as dissent for us must be persuaded by words, overcome by argumentation, and convinced by reason. (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Ver. 32. The least of all seeds. That is, it is one of the least seeds; but in hot countries it is observed to grow to a considerable height, and to become a bush or a little tree. (Witham) — The gospel of Christ, compared in this verse to the grain of mustard seed, has indeed little show of grandeur and human greatness. St. Paul calls it a scandal to the Jew, and a stumbling block to the Gentile. But Jesus Christ here assures us, that when it has been spread and promulgated by his ambassadors, viz. the apostles, it shall surpass every other mode of instruction both in fame and extent. (St. Ambrose, St. Jerome, St. Augustine)
**
Ver. 33**.* In three measures. Sata*, the word here used, was a particular Hebrew measure, which corresponds not to any particular measure that we make use of, and therefore I have put measures, as it is in other English translations. See Walton de Ponderibus & mensuris, before his first tome, p. 42. (Witham) — It was the *Seah *of the Jews, the third part of the Epha, and contained about ten pints, and appears to be the ordinary quantity they baked at a time. (Bible de Vence) — By the woman here mentioned, St. Jerome understands the Church gathered from all nations; or the power and wisdom of God, according to St. Augustine.
Ver. 35. *By the prophet. *It is taken from Psalm lxxvii. 2. St. Jerome remarks that many copies have, Isaias, the prophet, but supposes that the evangelist wrote, Asaph, the prophet, to whom the title of this psalm seems to attribute it; but it was probably chanted by Asaph, and composed by David, who is simply characterized under the name of prophet, because he prophesied in composing his canticles. (Bible de Vence)
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A meditation on the Gospel Reading for practical application from Catholic Matters:
APPLICATION: In the longer form of today’s gospel, our Lord added two other short parables which depicted his Church as having a very lowly and very small beginning but, in due course becoming a large and world-wide institution. The Apostles seem to have grasped the lesson of these shorter parables, but they asked him to explain the one about the weeds. According to most present-day commentators, the explanation of the parable is Matthew’s own and was not given by our Lord. But, as Matthew’s explanation has the guarantee of inspiration behind it, the lesson we are to learn from it is still the same.
The lesson is that in the kingdom of Christ on earth, his Church, there will always be sinners and scandal-givers who will make the Christian life more difficult for Christ’s sincere followers. The weeds were among the wheat from the very beginning; one of the twelve, Judas, was a traitor and betrayed our Lord for thirty pieces of silver. The Judaizers, half-converted Jews, caused severe disturbances among St. Paul’s Gentile Christians. Heresies troubled the first four centuries of the Church and schisms and divisions later on became a great scandal to those inside and outside the Church.
This state of affairs was foreseen by Christ and is tolerated by God for his own wise purposes. Today’s parable is Christ’s answer to the question so frequently asked: “Why does God permit evil to triumph so often in this world, why are the wicked allowed to prosper?” The triumph of the wicked is short-lived, the reward of the Christian who suffers from their wickedness is everlasting. The very wickedness and injustices of evil-doers are one of the ways that God uses to perfect his elect. It is only on a battlefield that a true soldier can be proved.
In the parable, the weed does not destroy the wheat. It only makes it more difficult for the wheat to grow to maturity. So it is with the Christian. No one can take his faith from him, but living up to it is made more difficult by the evil influence and bad example of sinners. If some succumb to this evil influence and give up the practice of their faith, the fault is theirs. God can force no man to serve him.
The patience of the farmer in letting the weed grow on until harvest time, exemplifies the infinite mercy of God toward sinners. The weed could not change its nature, but the sinner can change his ways and God gives him every chance and every help to do this, up to his last moment of life. No sinner will be excluded from heaven because of the sins he committed but because he did not repent of these sins while he had the opportunity.
We must learn a double lesson of patience, from this parable. First, to be patient with those who make our spiritual progress more difficult for us—they are actually helping us to be better Christians if we bear with patience the injuries they inflict on us. Second, we must try to imitate the patience God shows in his dealings with sinners. While we must not approve of their evil deeds, or their sins, we must still look on them as our brothers and do all in our power to put them back on the right road to heaven. We can do this by good example, and by fervent prayer for their conversion. This is not easy for human nature, but we can be certain that God will give us the necessary grace and strength to subdue our natural weakness and aversion, if we try to act with charity and true brotherly interest toward our erring fellowman.
By acting thus, we will not only be helping a weak brother on the rugged road to heaven, we will also be making doubly sure of our own arrival there, for God will never be outdone in generosity.
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Here are some questions on the Readings for personal study and reflection:
Code:* What does the 1st Reading teach us about God’s might, justice and mercy? How is the way that God acts (or does not act) different from the way that we might act? What, according to the writer of the Book of Wisdom, should this teach us about God and ourselves?
Code:* In our journey to becoming more like God, from Whom do we receive assistance? What kind of assistance does he give us?
Code:* In the parable of the weeds (verses 24-30 and verses 36-40), who is the sower? What does the wheat represent? The weeds? The enemy? The harvest?
Code:* How does this parable relate to Matthew 7:15-20?
Code:* In the parable of the mustard seed and the yeast (verses 31-33), what aspects of Jesus’ ministry seem small? What is the promise if the small seed is sown?
Code:* Why does this parable so puzzle the disciples? Why is patience and tolerance toward unbelievers difficult for them (and for us)?
Code:* How does the kingdom of heaven become evident to others?
Code:* Where (in your life or in your parish) have you seen faith like “yeast” or a “mustard seed” have a great impact? Where is the harvest field God has placed you in?
Code:* What accountability are you now feeling for yourself? For others? To God? What are you “hearing” God call you to do as a result?
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For Sunday, July 24
17th Sunday of Ordinary Time
To help us prepare for this coming Sunday, here are the readings, studies and reflections for this coming Sunday’s Scripture readings. This Sunday is the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A.
Here are the Scripture readings from the U.S. Catholic bishops website.
My own weekly study on the Sunday Readings can be found here.
Here are three audio reflections on the readings by Sister Ann Shields, Dr. Scott Hahn, Fr. Robert Barron.
Here are a pair of Catholic Bible study podcasts (each about an hour long):
The Navarre Bible commentary for each reading can be viewed here.
Further study resources for the Readings: St. Charles Borromeo Bible Study can be found here, and Catholic Matters can be found here.
Please consider supporting those who provide these free resources.
Discussion, questions and charitable comments are always welcome. Have a blessed week!
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
17th Sunday of Ordinary Time
To help us prepare for this coming Sunday, here are the readings, studies and reflections for this coming Sunday’s Scripture readings. This Sunday is the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A.
Here are the Scripture readings from the U.S. Catholic bishops website.
My own weekly study on the Sunday Readings can be found here.
Here are three audio reflections on the readings by Sister Ann Shields, Dr. Scott Hahn, Fr. Robert Barron.
Here are a pair of Catholic Bible study podcasts (each about an hour long):
The Navarre Bible commentary for each reading can be viewed here.
Further study resources for the Readings: St. Charles Borromeo Bible Study can be found here, and Catholic Matters can be found here.
Please consider supporting those who provide these free resources.
Discussion, questions and charitable comments are always welcome. Have a blessed week!
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
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1st Reading - 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12
The books of Kings are the fourth part of what tradition calls the Former Prophets (Joshua, Judges, 1st & 2nd Samuel, 1st & 2nd Kings). The division between the books of Samuel and the books of Kings is arbitrary and varies in ancient manuscripts. The division between 1st and 2nd Kings is even more arbitrary, disrupting the account of the reign of Ahaziah of Israel. In fact, 1st and 2nd Kings form one continuous work.
It has become standard in scholarly studies to refer to the Former Prophets as the “deuteronomistic history” and to deem it the product of a single school, if not a single author. It is not a work of political or social history, however, but of theological history. It recounts, from a consistent theological point of view, Israel’s life in its own land from the occupation under Joshua to the Babylonian exile. It is less interested in systematically chronicling all events of that period, no matter how important they may seem to the modern historian, than in explaining the tragic fate of Yahweh’s people. The sources used by the sacred writer or writers are many and varied, ranging from popular tales (1 Kings 3:16-27), and miracle stories (2 Kings 2) to archival records (1 Kings 4:7-19). In Kings, three sources are cited by name and repeatedly refer the reader to them for further information: The Acts of Solomon, The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah, and The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. Unfortunately, all three sources are now lost.
It is not certain when the various sources were compiled into the theological narrative we have today. The final version is believed to date from between 560 and 538 B.C.
Our reading today comes from the beginning of Solomon’s reign as king and it tells us that Yahweh is pleased with Solomon.
Here is the 1st Reading as we will hear it this Sunday:
The books of Kings are the fourth part of what tradition calls the Former Prophets (Joshua, Judges, 1st & 2nd Samuel, 1st & 2nd Kings). The division between the books of Samuel and the books of Kings is arbitrary and varies in ancient manuscripts. The division between 1st and 2nd Kings is even more arbitrary, disrupting the account of the reign of Ahaziah of Israel. In fact, 1st and 2nd Kings form one continuous work.
It has become standard in scholarly studies to refer to the Former Prophets as the “deuteronomistic history” and to deem it the product of a single school, if not a single author. It is not a work of political or social history, however, but of theological history. It recounts, from a consistent theological point of view, Israel’s life in its own land from the occupation under Joshua to the Babylonian exile. It is less interested in systematically chronicling all events of that period, no matter how important they may seem to the modern historian, than in explaining the tragic fate of Yahweh’s people. The sources used by the sacred writer or writers are many and varied, ranging from popular tales (1 Kings 3:16-27), and miracle stories (2 Kings 2) to archival records (1 Kings 4:7-19). In Kings, three sources are cited by name and repeatedly refer the reader to them for further information: The Acts of Solomon, The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah, and The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. Unfortunately, all three sources are now lost.
It is not certain when the various sources were compiled into the theological narrative we have today. The final version is believed to date from between 560 and 538 B.C.
Our reading today comes from the beginning of Solomon’s reign as king and it tells us that Yahweh is pleased with Solomon.
Here is the 1st Reading as we will hear it this Sunday:
The LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night.
God said, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.”
Solomon answered:
“O LORD, my God, you have made me, your servant, king
to succeed my father David;
but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act.
I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen,
a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted.
Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart
to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.
For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?”
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)The LORD was pleased that Solomon made this request.
So God said to him:
“Because you have asked for this—
not for a long life for yourself,
nor for riches,
nor for the life of your enemies,
but for understanding so that you may know what is right—
I do as you requested.
I give you a heart so wise and understanding
that there has never been anyone like you up to now,
and after you there will come no one to equal you.”
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From the Navarre Bible commentary:
Solomon’s Request of God (Continuation)
*[5] At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” [6] And Solomon said, “Thou hast shown great and steadfast love to thy servant David my father, because he walked before thee in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward thee; and thou hast kept for him this great and steadfast love, and hast given him a son to sit on his throne this day. [7] And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. [8] And thy servant is in the midst of thy people whom thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered or counted for multitude. [9] Give thy servant therefore an understanding mind to govern thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to govern this thy great people?”
[10] lt pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. [11] And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, [12] behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. [13] I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days."*
**3:1-11:1:43. **The reign of Solomon became idealized in the memory of Israel. The sacred writer of 1 and 2 Kings gives him much more space than any other king. First we are shown his wisdom (3:1-5:14), which would become proverbial and would cause wisdom books such as Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Book of Wisdom to be attributed to him, and also poetical books such as the Song of Songs and a collection of Psalms. He then goes on to deal with the king’s public works programme (5:15-9:9), especially the building of the temple and its dedication, for that temple would become the center of the religious life of the people. On these two scores Solomon became famous inside and outside Israel, as explained in 9:10-10:29. Finally, with a realism rare among historians of the time, the writer exposes the king’s sins and failings towards the end of his reign (11:1-40).
The reign of Solomon is depicted in these chapters in all its splendor–and all its weakness. The splendor derives from the wisdom with which God endows the king (3:1-5:14) and is to be found in Solomon’s great buildings (especially the temple: 5:15-7:51), in his prayer at the dedication of the temple (8:1-9:9) and in the booming commerce which gives Solomon great prestige and untold wealth (9:10-10:29). The king’s weakness lies in his unfaithfulness to God, for, to please his foreign wives, he introduces the worship of other gods into the country. There are political weaknesses, too: cracks are appearing in the (north-south) union, and enemies exist inside and outside the state (11:1-40).
3:1-5:14. The most important trait of Solomon is his wisdom, to which our Lord refers in the Gospel (cf. Mt 12:45). The sacred writer shows here the source and evidence of that wisdom: it is a gift from God, his answer to the king’s prayer (3:12-14), and it can be seen in the way Solomon administers justice (3:16-28) and in the way that court and kingdom are organized, that is, in the typical functions of a king (4:1-24). The more he acts with wisdom, the wiser he becomes (4:29-34).
**3:2-14 **…Solomon’s request pleases the Lord because it is made with humility (cf. v. 7) and because he asks not for material things but for “an understanding mind” so as to be able to govern well (vv. 9-14). Solomon’s request is an anticipation of the proper order which, according to Christ’s teaching, should be present in prayer of petition: “The one Master and Lord teaches us how and in what order we ought to pray to God for the things we want; since we indicate and express our desires and petitions in, prayer, then we pray properly and well when the order of our petitions matches the right order of desires. True charity teaches us that we ought to dedicate ourselves and all our desires to God; God, the supreme Good, deserves the highest form of love. And God cannot be loved from the heart, exclusively, if his honor and glory are not valued above all other things and creatures; all good things, those we have and those we do not possess, all things that are called good, must be subordinated to the supreme Good from whom they derive their goodness” (“Roman Catechism”, 4, 10, 1).
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From the 1859 Haydock Commentary:
In the choice which God gave Solomon, he preferreth wisdom.
5 And the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, saying : Ask what thou wilt that I should give thee.
Ver. 5. In a prophetic dream, or ecstasy. His mind had been so filled with the desire of wisdom, that the same thoughts recurred to him while he slept; and, as he had entertained them voluntarily before, he acquired fresh merit even during that time; as a man, who indulges sensual affections, becomes responsible for the accidents of the night. (St. Thomas Aquinas, 1. 2. q. 113. a. 2. and 2. 2. 9. 154. a. 5.) (St. Augustine, de Gen. ad lit. xii. 15.) (Calmet)
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7 And now, O Lord God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David, my father: and I am but a child, and know not how to go out and come in;*
Ver. 7. In. So as to judge with discretion, and to lead my people. (Calmet)
*8 And thy servant is in the midst of the people which thou hast chosen, an immense people, which cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
9 Give therefore to thy servant an understanding heart, to judge thy people, and discern between good and evil. For who shall be able to judge this people, thy people, which is so numerous?*
Ver. 9. Understanding. Literally, “docile.” (Haydock) — Hebrew, “willing to hear,” and to obey God. (Menochius)
*10 And the word was pleasing to the Lord, that Solomon had asked such a thing.
11 And the Lord said to Solomon: Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life or riches, nor the lives of thy enemies, but hast asked for thyself wisdom to discern judgment;
12 Behold I have done for thee according to thy words, and have given thee a wise and understanding heart, in so much that there hath been no one like thee before thee, nor shall arise after thee.*
Ver. 12. After thee. Solomon has given us some idea of his wisdom in the works which he has left. They were dictated by the Holy Spirit, who adorned his soul with so many graces, chap. iv. 29, 30. (Haydock) — His knowledge of nature, and of the art of governing, excelled that of any of the kings of Israel; (Lyranus, &c.; 2 Paralipomenon ix.) though Moses and the apostles had a more comprehensive knowledge of the mysteries of God. (Calmet) — Yet, even granting that no mere man might come up to him, Jesus Christ, in whom the treasures of wisdom were contained, was far superior. (Haydock) — General propositions are often to be understood with a limitation. (Menochius)
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The 1st Reading is not directly cited in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Here is a meditation on the 1st Reading for practical application from Catholic Matters:
APPLICATION: What particular gift would each one of us ask of God if he spoke to us in a dream tonight and gave us our choice? There are so many pressing needs which we will have at the moment. Many would ask for badly needed health for themselves or for some close relatives. Others would ask for financial help, just to pay off debts and keep the family in comfort, not riches but just enough. Others would wish to be spared to their family for many long years. Some, not many, would ask for the virtue of temperance for themselves, while many would want that virtue for their husbands or sons.
But those who would ask for the gift of true wisdom to govern their earthly lives according to justice and charity would, I fear, be a small percentage. And yet that is the only gift that has eternal value. It is even greater than the gift Solomon asked for and got. He wanted the wisdom to govern others, but he failed pretty badly in governing his own personal life. The really wise man wants to make a success of his own personal life, but that can only be done by regulating his living according to the wisdom God has enshrined in his revelation to us.
If we got all the other gifts mentioned above—a healthy, long life for ourselves and all in the family, a life of comfort free from all financial cares, a life of peace and temperance in the home, with all the other earthly blessings that we think we need thrown in, would the ending of our life-story be necessarily a happy one?
We all like a story to end happily. We do not mind how many scrapes and tight shaves our hero has during the course of the story, but we want him to come out a success in the end. Surely, there is no story of greater interest, or of greater importance to us, than our own life-story, and there can be no story whose happy ending could be more desirable. There is only one happy ending for the story of our life on earth, and it is the attainment of heaven when we die.
If we lived on earth for 200 years, if we never had an ache or pain in that time, if we had all the riches of this world, and all the comforts imaginable which those riches could buy for us, and a life of perpetual peace and plenty, but if we failed to reach heaven what a sad and irreparable conclusion our life-story would have!
Wisdom is the gift we all need—wisdom greater than that of Solomon—the wisdom to govern and direct our own lives according to God’s laws. God will not refuse this gift if we ask for it. And having got it we must use it. We are surrounded on all sides by worldly wisdom—the opposite of what we need. Today, more than ever perhaps, the stress is on the present—what we can get out of this life. The future life is either denied or ignored. A future there is, and try to forget it as we may, it is drawing nearer daily to each one of us. On the entrance gates of the city cemetery of Rome this truthful inscription stands out in its awful truth: “Hodie mihi cras tibe”— “today my fate is decided, tomorrow yours.” We can decide our fate today before it is too late. Will we?
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2nd Reading - Romans 8:28-30
In the readings from St. Paul, which we have heard during the past seven Sundays, the Apostle has been telling the Roman converts to Christianity how Christianity is the fulfillment and perfection of the Mosaic Law. The latter was only a preparation for the coming of Christ. Now that Christ has come, the preparatory stage has ended. The shadow fades before the reality. The Mosaic Law did not, and could not, give eternal life. Christ’s death and resurrection alone could and did. Saint Paul now describes the future glory that awaits those who live the Christian life empowered by the Spirit.
Here is the 2nd Reading as we will hear it this Sunday:
In the readings from St. Paul, which we have heard during the past seven Sundays, the Apostle has been telling the Roman converts to Christianity how Christianity is the fulfillment and perfection of the Mosaic Law. The latter was only a preparation for the coming of Christ. Now that Christ has come, the preparatory stage has ended. The shadow fades before the reality. The Mosaic Law did not, and could not, give eternal life. Christ’s death and resurrection alone could and did. Saint Paul now describes the future glory that awaits those who live the Christian life empowered by the Spirit.
Here is the 2nd Reading as we will hear it this Sunday:
Brothers and sisters:
We know that all things work for good for those who love God,
who are called according to his purpose.
For those he foreknew he also predestined
to be conformed to the image of his Son,
so that he might be the firstborn
among many brothers and sisters.
And those he predestined he also called;
and those he called he also justified;
and those he justified he also glorified.
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From the Navarre Bible commentary:
Christians are Children of God (Continuation)
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*[28] We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. *
28. Awareness of God as Father helps us see all the events of our life as orchestrated by the lovable Will of God. Our Father gives us what is best for us and expects us to discover his paternal love in adverse as well as in favorable events. “Notice”, St Bernard points out, “that he does not say that things suit our whims but that they work for our good. They serve not caprice but usefulness; not pleasure but salvation; not what we desire but what is good for us. In that sense everything works for our good, even death itself, even sin …]. Is it not the case that sins do good to him who on their account becomes more humble, more fervent, more solicitous, more on guard, more prudent?” (“De Fallacia Et Brevitate Vitae”, 6). If we have this optimistic, hopeful attitude, we will overcome every difficulty we meet: "The whole world seems to be coming down on top of you. Whichever way you turn you find no way out. This time, it is impossible to overcome the difficulties.
"But, have you again forgotten that God is your Father?–all-powerful, infinitely wise, full of mercy. He would never send you anything evil. That thing that is worrying you is good for you, even though those earthbound eyes of yours may not be able to see it now.
“‘Omnia in bonum!’ Lord, once again and always, may your most wise Will be done!” ([St] J. Escriva, “The Way of the Cross”, IX, 4).
[29] For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren. [30] And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.
29. Christ is called the “first-born” for many reasons. He is “the first-born of all creation” (Col 1:15) because he is eternally begotten and because “all things were made through him” (Jn 1:3). He is also the new Adam and therefore the head of the human race in the work of redemption (cf. 1 Cor 15:22, 45). He is “the first-born from the dead” (cf. Col 1:18; Rev 1:5) and therefore is the head of all those who have reached heaven and all who are awaiting their future resurrection (1 Cor 15:20, 23). Finally, he is the “first-born among many brethren” because, in the order of grace, he gives us a share in his divine sonship: by means of habitual grace–“sanctifying” grace–we become children of God and brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ. “For, just as God chose to communicate to others his natural goodness, giving them a share in that goodness, so that he might be not only good but also the author of good things; so the Son of God chose to communicate to others a sonship like his own, so that he might be not only a son, but the first-born of many sons” (St Thomas Aquinas, “Commentary on Rom, ad loc.”).
This remarkable fact is what leads the Christian to imitate Christ: our divine sonship moves us to reflect the words and gestures of his Only-begotten Son.
"Lord, help me decide to tear off, through penance, this pitiful mask I have fashioned with my wretched doings… Then, and only then, by following the path of contemplation and atonement, will my life begin to copy faithfully the features of your life. We will find ourselves becoming more and more like you.
“We will be other Christs, Christ himself, ‘ipse Christus’” ([St] J. Escriva, “The Way of the Cross”, VI).
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From the 1859 Haydock Commentary:
The strong hope of those who walk according to the spirit, and the love of God.
28 And we know that to them that love God, all things work together unto good, to such as according to purpose, are called to be saints.
**Ver. 28. **To them that love God, all things work together unto good. All trials, temptations, afflictions, must be taken as coming from the hand of God, who ordains or permits them for the greater good of his elect. — For the good of those, who, according to his purpose are called the saints. Literally, according to purpose: but it seems certain that to translate his purpose, is only to give the literal sense, if we compare this place with other texts, both in the Greek and Latin, where the same words signify according to God’s good will, or his eternal decree, and not according to the purpose, or will of men, as some expound it. (Witham)
29 For whom he foreknew, he also predestinated to be made conformable to the image of his Son: that he might be the first-born amongst many brethren.
Ver. 29. For whom he foreknew, he also predestinated to be made conformable to the image of his Son, in suffering with Christ, in following his doctrine, in imitating his life. This foreknowledge of God, according to St. Augustine, is not merely a foreseeing of what men will do by the assistance and graces of God’s ordinary providence, much less a foreseeing of what they will do by their own natural strength, as the Pelagian heretics pretended: but is a foreknowledge including an act of the divine will, and of his love towards his elect servants; (as to know in the Scriptures, when applied to God, is many times the same as to approve and love) God therefore hath foreseen or predestinated, or decreed that these elect, by the help of his special graces, and by the co-operation of their free-will, should be conformable to the image of his Son, that so his Son, even as man, might be the first-born, the chief, and the head of all that shall be saved. (Witham) — God hath preordained that all his elect shall be conformable to the image of his Son. We must not here offer to dive into the secrets of God’s eternal election: only firmly believe that all our good, in time and eternity, flows originally from God’s free goodness; and all our evil from man’s free will. (Challoner)
30 And whom he predestinated, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Ver. 30. And whom he predestinated, them he also called to the true faith and to his service, without any deserts in them, nay, when all mankind were guilty of eternal death, by original sin. — And whom he called, them he also justified, by faith, by hope, by a love of him, and a true penance. — And whom he justified, them he also glorified. That is, hath decreed to glorify. Yet not all who have been justified, but only his elect, who are under his special protection, and to whom he grants a perseverance in his grace to the end: so that the call to faith, their sanctification, their final perseverance, and glorification in heaven, are the effects of their free election and predestination. (Witham)
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