From: Luke 10:21-24

Jesus Gives Thanks

[21] In that same hour He (Jesus) rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank
Thee, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from
the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such
was Thy gracious will. [22] All things have been delivered to Me by My Father;
and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is ex-
cept the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.”

[23] Then turning to the disciples He said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which
see what you see! [24] For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to
see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not
hear it.”

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Commentary:

21. This passage of the Gospel is usually called our Lord’s “hymn of joy” and
is also found in St. Matthew (11:25-27). It is one of those moments when Jesus
rejoices to see humble people understanding and accepting the word of God.

Our Lord also reveals one of the effects of humility — spiritual childhood. For ex-
ample, in another passage He says: “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and be-
come like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 18: 3).
But spiritual childhood does not involve weakness, softness or ignorance: “I have
often meditated on this life of spiritual childhood, which is not incompatible with
fortitude, because it demands a strong will, proven maturity, an open and firm
character [...]. To become children we must renounce our pride and self-sufficien-
cy, recognizing that we can do nothing by ourselves. We must realize that we
need grace, and the help of God our Father to find our way and keep it. To be lit-
tle, you have to abandon yourself as children do, believe as children, beg as chil-
dren beg” (St. J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 10 and 143).

22. “This statement is a wonderful help to our faith,” St. Ambrose comments,
“because when you read ‘all’ you realize that Christ is all-powerful, that He is not
inferior to the Father, or less perfect than He; when you read ‘have been delivered
to me’, you confess that Christ is the Son, to whom everything belongs by right
of being one in substance [with the Father] and not by grace of gift” (”Expositio
Evangelii Sec. Lucam, in loc.”).

Here we see Christ as almighty Lord and God, consubstantial with the Father,
and the only one capable of revealing who the Father is. At the same time, we
can recognize the divine nature of Jesus only if the Father gives us the grace of
faith — as He did to St. Peter (cf. Matthew 16:17).

23-24. Obviously, seeing Jesus with one’s own eyes was a wonderful thing for
people who believed in him. However, our Lord will say to Thomas, “Blessed are
those who have not seen and yet believe” (John 20:29). St. Peter, for his part,
tells us: “Without having seen Him you love Him; though you do not see Him
you believe in Him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. As the outcome
of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:8-9).

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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

Isaiah 11:1-10 ©

A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse,

a scion thrusts from his roots:

on him the spirit of the Lord rests,

a spirit of wisdom and insight,

a spirit of counsel and power,

a spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

(The fear of the Lord is his breath.)

He does not judge by appearances,

he gives no verdict on hearsay,

but judges the wretched with integrity,

and with equity gives a verdict for the poor of the land.

His word is a rod that strikes the ruthless,

his sentences bring death to the wicked.

Integrity is the loincloth round his waist,

faithfulness the belt about his hips.

The wolf lives with the lamb,

the panther lies down with the kid,

calf and lion feed together,

with a little boy to lead them.

The cow and the bear make friends,

their young lie down together.

The lion eats straw like the ox.

The infant plays over the cobra’s hole;

into the viper’s lair

the young child puts his hand.

They do no hurt, no harm,

on all my holy mountain,

for the country is filled with the knowledge of the Lord

as the waters swell the sea.

That day, the root of Jesse

shall stand as a signal to the peoples.

It will be sought out by the nations

and its home will be glorious.

Psalm

Psalm 71:1-2,7-8,12-13,17 ©