September 8, 2013

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Who can know God’s counsel,
or who can conceive what the LORD intends?
For the deliberations of mortals are timid,
and unsure are our plans.
For the corruptible body burdens the soul
and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns.
And scarce do we guess the things on earth,
and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty;
but when things are in heaven, who can search them out?
Or who ever knew your counsel, except you had given wisdom
and sent your holy spirit from on high?
And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14-17

R. (1) In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You turn man back to dust,
saying, “Return, O children of men.”
For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You make an end of them in their sleep;
the next morning they are like the changing grass,
Which at dawn springs up anew,
but by evening wilts and fades.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
And may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours;
prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Reading 2 Phmn 9-10, 12-17

I, Paul, an old man,
and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus,
urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus,
whose father I have become in my imprisonment;
I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you.
I should have liked to retain him for myself,
so that he might serve me on your behalf
in my imprisonment for the gospel,
but I did not want to do anything without your consent,
so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary.
Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while,
that you might have him back forever,
no longer as a slave
but more than a slave, a brother,
beloved especially to me, but even more so to you,
as a man and in the Lord.
So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me.

Gospel Lk 14:25-33

Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,
and he turned and addressed them,
“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters,
and even his own life,
he cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple.
Which of you wishing to construct a tower
does not first sit down and calculate the cost
to see if there is enough for its completion?
Otherwise, after laying the foundation
and finding himself unable to finish the work
the onlookers should laugh at him and say,
‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’
Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down
and decide whether with ten thousand troops
he can successfully oppose another king
advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?
But if not, while he is still far away,
he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.
In the same way,
anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple.”

From: Wisdom 9:13-18
Wisdom essential for discerning God’s will
________________________________________
[13] For what man can learn the counsel of God?
Or who can discern what the Lord wills?
[14] For the reasoning of mortals is worthless,
and our designs are likely to fail,
[15] for a perishable body weighs down the soul,
and this earthly tent burdens the thoughtful mind.
[16] We can hardly guess at what is on earth,
and what is at hand we find with labour;
but who has traced out what is in the heavens?
[17] Who has learned thy counsel, unless thou hast given wisdom
and sent thy holy Spirit from on high?
[18] And thus the paths of those on earth were set right,
and men were taught what pleases thee,
and were saved by wisdom.”
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Commentary:
9:13-18. These verses conclude the survey of wisdom, which as we saw is
sometimes identified with the “holy Spirit” that God sends from on high (v. 17).
The last verse says that thanks to wisdom men are saved (v. 18), for through it
they have learned to understand God’s purposes. Left to himself, man cannot
attain wisdom because his reasoning powers are quite limited and he is often
side-tracked (v. 14); moreover, the cares of life get in the way (v. 15); in the last
analysis, man is really quite limited (v. 16). In speaking like this, the writer is not
saying that we cannot discover truth; all he means is that God’s purposes, the
Wisdom of God, cannot be discovered by man on his own. But now that the
Word has become man, we can manage to know the mystery of God: “Because
God did not wish to be known any longer through the image and sign of living
wisdom to be found in created things, as happened in former times, it was his
will that Wisdom itself would become flesh, and that, having been made man, he
would suffer death on the cross; so that in all the days to come, everyone who
believed in him could be saved through their faith in the cross. In former times,
the Wisdom of God stamped his seal on all created things – and the presence of
his sign is the reason why we called them ‘created’ – to reveal himself and so
make his Father known. But later, this same Wisdom, who is the Word, was
made flesh, as St John says; and having overcome death and saved the human
race, he revealed himself in a clearer way and, through himself, revealed the
Father” (St Athanasius, Contra arianos, 2, 81-82).
Verse 15 seems to contain the Platonic idea of the body being the prison of the
soul, but the sacred writer does not think that the soul pre-existed the body: all he
is doing is making the point that the physical part of man blinds him to spiritual
things. St Paul will expand on this when he talks about how his members contend
with his “inmost self”: “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this
body of death?” (Rom 7:24).
********************************************************************************************
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: Philemon 9-10; 12-17
A Plea on Onesimus’ Behalf (Continuation)
________________________________________
[9] Yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an ambassador
and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus—[10] I appeal to you for my,
child, Onesimus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment. [12] I am
sending him back to you, sending my very heart. [13] I would have been glad
to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during
my imprisonment for the gospel; [14] but I preferred to do nothing without
your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of
your own free will.
[15] Perhaps this is why he was parted from you for a while, that you
might have him back for ever, [16] no longer as a slave but more than a
slave, as a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you,
both in the flesh and in the Lord. [17] So if you consider me your
partner, receive him as you would receive me.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
8-12. At this point St Paul gives his main reason for writing—to
intercede for Onesimus. Typically, he appeals to Philemon’s charity,
rather than demanding his cooperation (cf. 2 Cor 1:23), and to support
this appeal he refers to his (Paul’s) being “an old man” and a
“prisoner” for love of Jesus Christ (v. 9).
The Apostle’s generosity of spirit is plain to see: in spite of being
imprisoned he is self-forgetful and he uses every opportunity that
presents itself to win converts—as was the case with Onesimus; and
now he intercedes on his behalf. If once he was “useless” to his master,
Onesimus can now be very “useful”; there is here a play on words,
because the name Onesimus means “useful”: it is as if he were saying
that maybe Onesimus did not formerly live up to his name, but now he
does; he has been very useful to Paul and now that he is going back he
will also be useful to Philemon, who should receive him as if he were
the Apostle himself (v. 12).
We should never have fixed ideas about people; despite mistakes and
shortcomings, everyone can improve and, with God’s grace, undergo a
true change of heart.
The New Testament writings clearly show that the first Christians’
apostolate extended to all sectors of society with the result that
Christians were to be found everywhere. St John Chrysostom points
this out as follows: “Aquila worked at a manual wade; the lady who
sold purple ran a workshop, another [Christian] was in charge of a gaol;
another a centurion, like Cornelius; another was sick, like Timothy;
another, Onesimus, was a slave and a fugitive; yet none of them found
any of this an obstacle, and all shone for their holiness—men and
women, young and old, slaves and free, soldiers and civilians” (”Hom.
on St Matthew”, 43).
13-14. This is another example of the Apostle’s typical refinement.
Although his first idea was to keep Onesimus with him to help him
during his imprisonment, he prefers that he who has the force of law on
his side (Roman law, in this instance) should freely decide what action
to take (cf. his approach to making collections: 2 Cor 9:7).
In line with the teaching of Christ and his Apostles, the Second
Vatican Council “urges everyone, especially those responsible for
educating others, to try to form men and women with a respect for
the moral order and who will obey lawful authority and be lovers of
true freedom—men, and women, who direct their activities with a
sense of responsibility, and strive for what is true and just in willing
cooperation with others” (”Dignitatis Humanae”, 8).
St Paul’s refinement was not inspired only by reasons of friendship nor
was it a mere tactic: he wants people—in this case, Philemon—to come
to free personal decisions, for freedom is a great gift which God has given
to every person. “If only we lived like this, if only we knew how to imbue
our behavior with generosity, with a desire for understanding and peace!
We would encourage the rightful independence of all. Everyone would
take a responsible approach to the tasks that correspond to him in
temporal matters” ([St] J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 124).
15-16. At this point Paul’s thinking becomes exceptionally theological
and incisive. What at first sight could have been seen as something
bad—Onesimus’ running away—can now be viewed in another light, the
sharper light of divine providence: God can draw good out of evil, for
“in everything, God works for good with those who love him” (Rom 8:28);
he has allowed this incident to happen so as to give Onesimus the
chance to discover the Christian faith.
Therefore, Philemon should now recognize him as a brother, for faith in
Jesus Christ makes us all children of the same Father (cf. Gal 3:27- 28;
Eph 6:9). “Look at Paul writing on behalf of Onesimus, a runaway slave;
he is not ashamed to call him his child, his very heart, his brother, his
partner. What can I say?”, St John Chrysostom asks; “Jesus Christ
lowered himself to the point of making our slaves his brothers. If they
are brothers of Jesus Christ, then they are also our brothers” (”Hom.
on Philem”, 2, ad loc.).
Due to this teaching slavery gradually died out. The teaching of the
Church’s Magisterium has contributed to a growing realization that all
workers have innate dignity and rights as men and as sons and daughters
of God. In an early encyclical of modern times Leo XIII called on
employers to see that “it is truly shameful and inhuman to misuse men
as though they were mere things designed just to be used in the pursuit
of gain”, and reminded them of their duties never “to look upon workers
as their bondsmen but to respect in every man his dignity and worth as
a man and a Christian” (”Rerum Novarum”, 16).
Christianity, then, elevates and gives a new dignity to interpersonal
relationships, thereby helping produce changes and improvements in
social structures. Every Christian insofar as he can should contribute
to bringing these changes about, but the methods used to do so must
always be moral. Neglect to play one’s part in social reform could even
constitute a grave sin, a “social” sin against the virtue of justice.
John Paul II teaches that “the term ‘social’ applies to every sin
against justice in interpersonal relationships, committed either by the
individual against the community or by the community against the
individual. Also ‘social’ is every sin against the rights of the human
person, beginning with the right to life and including the life of the
unborn, or against a person’s physical integrity. Likewise ‘social’ is
every sin against others’ freedom, especially against the supreme
freedom to believe in God and adore him; ‘social’ is every sin against
the dignity and honor of one’s neighbor. Also ‘social’ is every sin
against the common good and its exigencies in relation to the whole
broad spectrum of the rights and duties of citizens. The term ‘social’
can be applied to sins of commission or omission—on the part of
political, economic or trade union leaders, who though in a position to
do so do not work diligently and wisely for the improvement and
transformation of society according to the requirements and potential
of the given historic moment; as also on the part of workers who
through absenteeism or non-cooperation fail to ensure that their
industries can continue to advance the well-being of the workers
themselves, of their families, and of the whole of society”
(”Reconciliatio Et Paenitentia”, 16).
17-21. Paul identifies himself with Onesimus because they share the
same faith—and Paul is an extremely generous person. Here we can
clearly see his great charity which leads him to love everyone much
more than is his strict duly. “Be convinced that justice alone is never
enough to solve the great problems of mankind. When justice alone is
done, do not be surprised if people are hurt: the dignity of man, who
is a son of God, requires much more. Charity must penetrate and
accompany justice because it sweetens and deifies everything: ‘God
is love’ (1 Jn 4:16). Our motive in everything we do should be the Love
of God, which makes it easier for us to love our neighbor and which
purifies all earthly love and raises it on to a higher level” ([St] J. Escriva,
“Friends of God”, 172). It is not surprising, then, that the Apostle should
ask Philemon to charge it to his account if Onesimus has wronged him
or owes him anything (v. 18). And as if to confirm this commitment with
affection and good humor he as it were signs a docket promising to
pay any charge there may be. However, he immediately goes on to
remind Philemon that if they worked out their accounts Philemon would
be found to be in debt to Paul, because it was due to Paul that he
became a Christian (v. l9). On this account Paul feels that he can
ask him to forgive Onesimus: that sign of love and affection would
really do Paul good in his present circumstances. But, he goes on to
say (it is a suggestion that delicately respects Philemon’s decision)
that he hopes Philemon’s obedience will lead him to do “even more” (v.
21). As suggested in the Introduction to this letter he is probably
hoping that he will set Onesimus free. In the eyes of the law Onesimus
is still a slave; but as a Christian he is already a free man.
St Paul does not directly ask for Onesimus’ freedom, although he does
hint at it, encouraging his old master to set him free but leaving it
up to him to decide (and thereby merit). He reminds Philemon how
generous he, Paul, was towards him (vv. 18-19), in the hope that
Philemon will reciprocate. “This is a repetition of the same testimony
he expressed earlier in his letter”, St John Chrysostom points out;
“’knowing that you will do even more than I say’: it is impossible to
imagine anything more persuasive, any more convincing argument than
this tender regard of his generosity which St Paul expresses; Philemon
cannot but agree to his demand” (”Hom. on Philem, ad loc.”).
*********************************************************************************************
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: Luke 14:25-33
Conditions For Following Jesus
________________________________________
[25] Now great multitudes accompanied Him (Jesus); and He turned and
said to them, [26] “If any one comes to Me and does not hate his own
father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes,
and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. [27] Whoever does not
bear his own cross and come after Me, cannot be My disciple. [28] For
which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count
the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? [29] Otherwise, when
he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to
mock him, [30] saying, `This man began to build, and was not able to
finish.’ [31] Or what king, going to encounter another king in a war, will
not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand
to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? [32] And if
not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an embassy and asks
terms of peace. [33] So therefore, whoever of you does not renounce all
that he has cannot be My disciple.”
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
26. These words of our Lord should not disconcert us. Love for God
and for Jesus should have pride of place in our lives and we should keep
away from anything which obstructs this love: “In this world let us love
everyone,” St. Gregory the Great comments, “even though he be our
enemy; but let us hate him who opposes us on our way to God, though
he be our relative [...]. We should then, love, our neighbor; we should
have charity towards all—towards relative and towards strangers—but
without separating ourselves from the love of God out of love for them”
(”In Evangelia Homiliae”, 37, 3). In the last analysis, it is a matter of
keeping the proper hierarchy of charity: God must take priority over
everything.
This verse must be understood, therefore, in the context of all of our
Lord’s teachings (cf. Luke 6:27-35). These are “hard words. True,
`hate’ does not exactly express what Jesus meant. Yet He did put it
very strongly, because He doesn’t just mean `love less,’ as some people
interpret it in an attempt to tone down the sentence. The force behind
these vigorous words does not lie in their implying a negative or pitiless
attitude, for the Jesus who is speaking here is none other than that Jesus
who commands us to love others as we love ourselves and who gives up
His life for mankind. These words indicate simply that we cannot be
half-hearted when it comes to loving God. Christ’s words could be
translated as `love more, love better’, in the sense that a selfish or
partial love is not enough: we have to love others with the love of God”
([St] J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 97). See the notes on
Matthew 10:34-37; Luke 2:49.
As the Second Vatican Council explains, Christians “strive to please
God rather than men, always ready to abandon everything for Christ”
(Vatican II, “Apostolicam Actuositatem, 4).
27. Christ “by suffering for us not only gave us an example so that we
might follow in His footsteps, but He also opened up a way. If we follow
that way, life and death becomes holy and acquire a new meaning”
(Vatican II, “Gaudium Et Spes”, 22).
The way the Christian follows is that of imitating Christ. We can follow
Him only if we help Him bear His cross. We all have experience of
suffering, and suffering leads to unhappiness unless it is accepted
with a Christian outlook. The Cross is not a tragedy: it is God’s way
of teaching us that through sin we can be sanctified, becoming one with
Christ and winning Heaven as a reward. This is why it is so Christian
to love pain: “Let us bless pain. Love pain. Sanctify pain....Glorify
pain!” ([St] J. Escriva, “The Way”, 208).
28-35. Our Lord uses different examples to show that if mere human
prudence means that a person should try to work out in advance the
risks he may run, with all the more reason should a Christian embrace
the cross voluntarily and generously, because there is no other way he
can follow Jesus Christ. “`Quia hic homo coepit aedificare et non
potuit consummare! He started to build and was unable to finish!’ A
sad commentary which, if you don’t want, need be made about you:
for you possess everything necessary to crown the edifice of your
sanctification—the grace of God and your own will.” ([St] J. Escriva,
“The Way”, 324).
33. Earlier our Lord spoke about “hating” one’s parents and one’s very
life; now He equally vigorously requires us to be completely detached
from possessions. This verse is a direct application of the two fore-
going parables: just as a king is imprudent if he goes to war with an
inadequate army, so anyone is foolish who thinks he can follow our
Lord without renouncing all his possessions. This renunciation should
really bite: our heart has to be unencumbered by anything material if
we are able to follow in our Lord’s footsteps. The reason is, as He tells
us later on, that it is impossible to “serve God and Mammon” (Luke
16:13). Not infrequently our Lord asks a person to practice total, volun-
tary poverty; and He asks everyone to practice genuine detachment
and generosity in the use of material things. If a Christian has to be
ready to give up even life itself, with all the more reason should he re-
nounce possessions: If you are a man of God, you will seek to despise
riches as intensely as men of the world seek to possess them” ([St] J.
Escriva, “The Way”, 633). See the note on Luke 12:33-34.
Besides, for a soul to become filled with God it must first be emptied
of everything that could be an obstacle to God’s indwelling: “The doc-
trine that the Son of God came to teach was contempt for all things in
order to receive as a reward the Spirit of God in himself. For, as long
as the soul does not reject all things, it has no capacity to receive the
Spirit of God in pure transformation” (St. John of the Cross, “Ascent
of Mount Carmel”, Book 1, Chapter 5, 2).
*********************************************************************************************
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.

Readings at Mass

First reading

Wisdom 9:13-18 ©

What man indeed can know the intentions of God?

Who can divine the will of the Lord?

The reasonings of mortals are unsure

and our intentions unstable;

for a perishable body presses down the soul,

and this tent of clay weighs down the teeming mind.

It is hard enough for us to work out what is on earth,

laborious to know what lies within our reach;

who, then, can discover what is in the heavens?

As for your intention, who could have learnt it, had you not granted Wisdom

and sent your holy spirit from above?

Thus have the paths of those on earth been straightened

and men been taught what pleases you,

and saved, by Wisdom.

Psalm

Psalm 89:3-6,12-14,17 ©