Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 08-13-13, OM, Sts. Pontian, Pope and Hippolytus, Martyrs

August 13, 2013

Tuesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Dt 31:1-8

When Moses had finished speaking to all Israel, he said to them,
“I am now one hundred and twenty years old
and am no longer able to move about freely;
besides, the LORD has told me that I shall not cross this Jordan.
It is the LORD, your God, who will cross before you;
he will destroy these nations before you,
that you may supplant them.
It is Joshua who will cross before you, as the LORD promised.
The LORD will deal with them just as he dealt with Sihon and Og,
the kings of the Amorites whom he destroyed,
and with their country.
When, therefore, the LORD delivers them up to you,
you must deal with them exactly as I have ordered you.
Be brave and steadfast; have no fear or dread of them,
for it is the LORD, your God, who marches with you;
he will never fail you or forsake you.”

Then Moses summoned Joshua and in the presence of all Israel
said to him, “Be brave and steadfast,
for you must bring this people into the land
which the LORD swore to their fathers he would give them;
you must put them in possession of their heritage.
It is the LORD who marches before you;
he will be with you and will never fail you or forsake you.
So do not fear or be dismayed.”

Responsorial Psalm Dt 32:3-4ab, 7, 8, 9 and 12

R. (9a) The portion of the Lord is his people.
For I will sing the LORD’s renown.
Oh, proclaim the greatness of our God!
The Rock–how faultless are his deeds,
how right all his ways!
R. The portion of the Lord is his people.
Think back on the days of old,
reflect on the years of age upon age.
Ask your father and he will inform you,
ask your elders and they will tell you.
R. The portion of the Lord is his people.
When the Most High assigned the nations their heritage,
when he parceled out the descendants of Adam,
He set up the boundaries of the peoples
after the number of the sons of Israel.
R. The portion of the Lord is his people.
While the LORD’s own portion was Jacob,
his hereditary share was Israel.
The LORD alone was their leader,
no strange god was with him.
R. The portion of the Lord is his people.

Gospel Mt 18:1-5, 10, 12-14

The disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever becomes humble like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.
What is your opinion?
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray?
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost.”

From: Deuteronomy 31:1-8

Joshua and His Mission

[1] So Moses continued to speak these words to all Israel. [2] And he said
to them, “I am a hundred and twenty years old this day; I am no longer able
to go out and come in. The LORD has said to me, ‘You shall not go over this
Jordan.’ [3] The LORD your God himself will go over before you; he will
destroy these nations before you, so that you shall dispossess them; and
Joshua will go over at your head, as the LORD has spoken. [4] And the LORD
will do to them as he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to
their land, when he destroyed them. [5] And the LORD will give them over to
you, and you shall do to them according to all the commandment which I have
commanded you. [6] Be strong and of good courage, do not fear or be in dread
of them: for it is the Lord your God who goes with you; he will not fail you
or forsake you.”

[7] Then Moses summoned Joshua, and said to him in the sight of all Israel,
“Be strong and of good courage; for you shall go with this people into the land
which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them; and you shall put them
in possession of it. [8] It is the LORD who goes before you; he will be with you,
he will not fail you or forsake you; do not fear or be dismayed.”

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

31:1-34:12. These chapters form a conclusion which seems to refer not just
to Deuteronomy but to the entire Pentateuch. The last editor of the text has
availed himself of material from earlier traditions (more from some than
from others).

The predominant type of material here is what we might call “historical”,
including (as is common to both Eastern and Classical history writing) a
number of poetic pieces, notably the “Song of Moses” (32:1-43) and the
“Blessing of Moses” (33:2-29). The narrative sections cover the last days of
Moses, and the appointment of Joshua and his mission (31:1-9,14-15), the
ceremonial reading of the Law (31:9-13) and the death of the great deliverer
of Israel. (chap. 34).

31:1-8. Joshua will take over the leadership of Israel from Moses (cf. also
vv. 14, 23) and will bring about the conquest of the promised land.

The one hundred and twenty years of Moses’ life are divided into three
periods of forty years each—in Egypt (Acts 7:28), in Midian (Ex 7:7) and
in the desert. It could be that the number forty is meant to indicate a
generation; but it is not easy to say exactly what the hagiographer had in
mind. Anyway, the three phases in the great lawgiver’s life are fairly clear
to see. In each of them Go made manifest his power and his choice of
Moses, and at every stage Moses proved docile and effective.

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14
The “Little Ones” and the Kingdom. The Lost Sheep
________________________________________
[1] At that time, the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in
the Kingdom of Heaven?” [2] And calling to Him a child, He put him in the midst
of them, [3] and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like chil-
dren, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. [4] Whoever humbles himself
like this child, he is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
[5] “Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me.
[10] “See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in
Heaven their angels always behold the face of My Father who is in Heaven.
The Lost Sheep
________________________________________
[12] “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has
gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go in search of
the one that went astray? [13] And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices
over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. [14] So it is not
the will of My Father who is in Heaven that one of these little ones should pe-
rish.”
*****************************************************************