Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 06-30-13, Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

June 30, 2013

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11

R. (cf. 5a) 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 in the 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.
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
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.

Reading 2 Gal 5:1, 13-18

Brothers and sisters:
For freedom Christ set us free;
so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.

For you were called for freedom, brothers and sisters.
But do not use this freedom
as an opportunity for the flesh;
rather, serve one another through love.
For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement,
namely, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
But if you go on biting and devouring one another,
beware that you are not consumed by one another.

I say, then: live by the Spirit
and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh. 
For the flesh has desires against the Spirit,
and the Spirit against the flesh;
these are opposed to each other,
so that you may not do what you want.
But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Gospel Lk 9:51-62

When the days for Jesus’ being taken up were fulfilled,
he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,
and he sent messengers ahead of him.
On the way they entered a Samaritan village
to prepare for his reception there,
but they would not welcome him
because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,
“Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
to consume them?”
Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.

As they were proceeding on their journey 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.”
To him 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.”

Insight Scoop

The mission of the prophets and the resolution of the Messiah

A Scriptural Reflection on the Readings for June 30, 2013, the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time | Carl E. Olson

Readings:
• 1 Kgs 19:16b, 19-21
• Ps 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11
• Gal 5:1, 13-18
• Lk 9:51-62

“I’m on my way!” “We’re on our way!”

These are common enough expressions, and we know their meaning. They indicate movement, purpose, resolution. We’ve uttered them many times, with anticipation, or with anxiety.

Jesus, we hear in today’s Gospel reading, was “on the way.” The days for his “being taken up” had been fulfilled, and so “he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem.” A more direct translation is that “he hardened his face to go”. This language is meant to evoke connections with the prophets, especially Ezekiel: “Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries; prophesy against the land of Israel…” (Ezek. 21:2; RSVCE). Jesus sent messengers ahead, reminiscent of God sending messengers before Moses and the people (Ex. 23:20).

The journey to Jerusalem was, in other words, a prophetic mission and the concrete realization of a new Exodus—not from Egypt, but from sin, death, and separation from God. Jesus was resolute and unflinching in this decision, by which “he indicated that he was going up to Jerusalem prepared to die there” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, par. 557). Some have suggested or insisted that Jesus, in going to Jerusalem, did not really know of his approaching death, but was acting with naïve optimism or blind faith.

However, as we heard last week, Jesus told his disciples that he would suffer, be rejected by the religious leaders, killed, and raised on the third day (Lk. 9:22). What the prophets of the Old Testament sometimes saw in startling glimpses, Jesus saw with calm clarity: his mission was to liberate mankind from the slavery of sin and the curse of death by being the sinless, sacrificial Lamb of God. And as the Holy One journeyed to the holy city, he encountered rejection, opposition, confusion, and even fervent promises—the same reactions he still encounters today.

The Samaritans, whose harbored strong hostility toward the Jews, did not welcome him, apparently because he journeyed to Jerusalem and not Mount Gerizim, the site of their temple (cf. Jn. 4:20). Jesus did not fit their concept of a prophet or messiah, and so they rejected him. Of course, the Pharisees and scribes also rejected him for the same reason, and the similarities (and irony) of this fact was likely not lost on St. Luke’s first-century readers.

Jesus then encountered three men who got a taste (and give us a clear picture) of the demands of discipleship. It is easy to say to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go,” but keeping such promises is far more daunting than making them. Another asked to be given time to first bury his father; a third wished to first say goodbye to his family.

Was Jesus insensitive to familial responsibilities and hardships? No, said St. Basil the Great, but “a person who wishes to become the Lord’s disciple must repudiate a human obligation, however honorable it may appear, if it slows us ever so slightly in giving the wholehearted obedience we owe to God.” Jesus recognized that these men, well intentioned and fervent as they may have been, were like those who “receive the word with joy, but they have no root; they believe only for a time and fall away in time of trial” (Lk. 8:13).

As St. Frances de Sales wrote, in Treatise on the Love of God, “…we receive the grace of God in vain, when we receive it at the gate of our heart, and not within the consent of our heart; for so we receive it without receiving it, that is, we receive it without fruit, since it is nothing to feel the inspiration without consenting unto it.” Contrast that with the newly selected prophet, Elisha. Called by God, he asked permission to say farewell to his family. Rebuffed by Elijah, he literally sacrificed his old life, recognizing that following God requires going all the way.

His actions said, “I’m on the way.” What do our actions say?

(This "Opening the Word" column originally appeared in the June 27, 2010, issue of Our Sunday Visitor newspaper.)

Regnum Christi

Choosing Between Two Goods

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Father Matthew Kaderabek, LC

Luke 9: 51-62

When the days for his being taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?" Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village. As they were proceeding on their journey 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." (To him) 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."

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I wish to put aside all distractions and to give you my total focus. I will do nothing more important today than to meditate prayerfully on your goodness and your active role in my life. Though I am unworthy to be in your presence, I trust in your mercy and love. Through this moment of prayer I want to draw closer to you and learn to live more like you.

Petition: Lord, may the enticements of the world pale in comparison with you.

1. Only One Thing Is Necessary: Temptation is a choice between good and evil. But sometimes what is harder than making the choice between these two opposites is choosing between two goods. Such is the situation in which the would-be disciples in today’s Gospel passage find themselves. In such cases, we could say that a good occasionally becomes the enemy of what is best. Sometimes we need to say no to a good option in order to embrace the one thing necessary. In today’s Gospel, as well as in tomorrow’s, we encounter people who might have become Christ’s close followers, who might have even been chosen to be one of his Apostles, but who were held back by other concerns or motives. Is my own heart open to Christ and his ways or do I lack detachment in some area of my life?

2. Patriotism Must Come Second: The first incident is the encounter between the messengers of Jesus and the Samaritan villagers. It is likely that the Samaritan villagers had heard of Jesus the miracle worker and were anxious to see a sign or to hear him preach. But the concern that holds them back and keeps them from following Jesus is their patriotism. The Samaritans and the Jews had been bitter enemies for centuries and systematically avoided all unnecessary contact with each another. When they learned that Jesus and his disciples were Jews and were headed for Jerusalem, their interest became opposition. We would have to agree that patriotism and devotion to the national cause are both good things in themselves. But when nationalism or ethnic sentiments become the eyes through which one sees all reality, including spiritual and eternal reality, one is in danger of losing the proper perspective.

3. Once You Have Set Your Course, Don’t Look Back: Let us consider the man who wants to follow Jesus, but wants to go and say farewell to his family first. We cannot help but feel that we would have done the exact same thing as this would-be disciple. Didn’t our parents teach us when we were young to inform them about when we were leaving the house and when we would be back, and where we were going, and with whom? This man has high social and family values. One could only hope that all men could be this sensitive to let their families know their whereabouts at all times. Yet, before the urgent call of the Kingdom of God, social and family concerns take a back seat. “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).

Conversation with Christ: Lord, I am distracted by so many things in life. Even though many of them are legitimate, I must learn to keep my eyes focused on you and trust in you. Half-way surrenders do not interest you. You want all of my heart. Help me to give it to you willingly and joyfully.

Resolution: I will recommit to living wholeheartedly for God today, even though certain members of my family are likely to call me a “fanatic” or tell me that I’m “getting carried away.

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Español

All Issues > Volume 29, Issue 4

<< Sunday, June 30, 2013 >>

13th Sunday Ordinary Time

1 Kings 19:16, 19-21
Galatians 5:1, 13-18
View Readings

Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-11
Luke 9:51-62
Similar Reflections

PLOW-SHARE

"Elijah set out, and came upon Elisha, son of Shaphat, as he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen." —1 Kings 19:19

Elijah called Elisha to become his disciple while Elisha was plowing. This is not an insignificant detail. When Jesus called one of His disciples, He spoke of discipleship as putting one's hands to the plow (Lk 9:62). Being a disciple is like plowing. Disciples have the power to break up hard ground and hard hearts in a hard, hardened, and hardening world. Without the disciples' plowing, there won't be much of a harvest, no matter how much seed is sown and no matter how much work is done.

Jesus, before His Ascension, commanded us to make disciples of all nations (Mt 28:19). This entire world needs to be plowed and then sown and harvested. We will never win the world for Christ until we plow the world for Christ. Therefore, Jesus' disciples must start plowing and keep plowing without looking back, or they are unfit for the kingdom of God (Lk 9:62).

Plowing is hard work with hard ground, and the first field we must plow is the field of our own hardened hearts. Repent and plow! Prophesy and plow! Pray, preach, and plow! Work, suffer, and plow! Love, die, and plow! Be a disciple; make disciples; plow!

Prayer: Father, as the sweat pours down my brow, may I plow and keep my eyes straight ahead, focused on You.

Promise: "The flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; the two are directly opposed." —Gal 5:17

Praise: Alleluia! "Mighty are You, O Lord, and Your faithfulness surrounds You" (Ps 89:9).

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