Tribute to Caesar

When hypocrisy sets a snare for honest people

Matthew 22:15-21

1. Opening prayer

Lord Jesus, send your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind that you read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the Bible, you helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection.



Create in us silence so that we may listen to your voice in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples from Emmaus, may experience the force of your resurrection and witness to others that you are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of you, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed to us the Father and sent us your Spirit. Amen.

2. Reading

a) A division of the text to help with the reading:

Matthew 22:15-17: The question of the Pharisees and Herodians

Matthew 22:18-21: Jesus’ reply

b) A key to the reading:

Jesus comes from Galilee to Jerusalem for the annual feast of the Pasch. As He enters the city, He is acclaimed by the people (Mt 21:1-11). He immediately goes to the temple where He drives the vendors away (Mt 21:12-16). Although He stays in Jerusalem, He spends the nights outside the city and returns to the city in the morning (Mt 21:17). The situation is very tense. In his discussions with the authorities, the high priests, the elders and the Pharisees in Jerusalem, Jesus expresses himself in parables (Mt 21,23 a 22,14). They would like to get hold of him, but they are scared (Mt 21:45-46). This Sunday’s Gospel on the tribute due to Caesar (Mt 22,15-21) is situated within this general state of conflict between Jesus and the authorities.

c) Text:

15 Then the Pharisees went away to work out between them how to trap Him in what He said. 16 And they sent their disciples to him, together with some Herodians, to say, 'Master, we know that you are an honest man and teach the way of God in all honesty, and that you are not afraid of anyone, because human rank means nothing to you. 17 Give us your opinion, then. Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not?' 18 But Jesus was aware of their malice and replied, 'You hypocrites! Why are you putting me to the test? 19 Show me the money you pay the tax with.' They handed Him a denarius, 20 and He said, 'Whose portrait is this? Whose title?' 21 They replied, 'Caesar's.' Then He said to them, 'Very well, give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.'

3. A moment of prayerful silence

so that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.

4. Some questions

to help us in our personal reflection.

a) Which part of the text touched you most? Why?

b) Which groups in power are getting ready to set a trap for Jesus? What kind of trap?

c) What did Jesus do to get out of the trap laid by the powerful?

d) For today, what does the saying: “Pay Caesar what belongs to Caesar and God what belongs to God” mean?

5. For those who wish to go deeper into the theme

a) The context of our text of the Gospel of Matthew:

As we were saying, the context of the Gospel of the 29^th Sunday is the debate between Jesus and the authorities. It begins with the discussion with the priests and elders on the authority of Jesus (Mt 21:23-27). Then comes the parable of the two sons where Jesus denounces the hypocrisy of some groups (Mt 21:28-32). There follow two parables, one of the murderous wine growers (Mt 21:33-46) and another concerning those whao are invited but refuse to attend the wedding feast (Mt 22:1-14). At this point in our text (Mt 22:15-22) the Pharisees and the Herodians enter to set a trap. They ask Him about the tribute to be paid to the Romans. It was a tricky question that divided public opinion. They wanted to accuse Jesus and so lessen his influence over the people at all costs. The Sadducees immediately begin to question Him on the resurrection of the dead, another controversial question and cause of dissent between the Sadducees and the Pharisees (Mt 22:23-33). It all ends with a discussion on the greatest commandment of all (Mt 22:34-40) and the Messiah as son of David (Mt 22:41-45).

Like Jesus, the Christians of the communities in Syria and Palestine for whom Matthew was writing his Gospel were accused and questioned by the authorities, by other groups, and by their neighbors who felt uncomfortable because of the witness of the disciples. When reading these episodes of conflict with the authorities, they felt comforted and encouraged to continue on their journey.

b) A commentary on the text:

Matthew 22:15-17: The question of the Pharisees and Herodians.

The Pharisees and Herodians were the local authorities who did not enjoy popular support in Galilee. They had decided that it was time to kill Jesus (Mt 12:14; Mc 3,6). Now, by order of the priests and elders, they want to know whether Jesus is in favor of, or against, paying tribute to the Romans. A deliberate question and full of malice! Under the guise of fidelity to the law of God, they seek reasons for accusing him. If Jesus were to say: “You must pay!” they would accuse him, together with the people, of being a friend of the Romans. If He were to say: “You must not pay!” they would accuse him, together with the Roman authorities, of being a subversive. A dead end!

Matthew 22:18-21a: Jesus’ reply: show me a coin.

Jesus is aware of their hypocrisy. In his reply, He wastes no time in useless discussion and goes directly to the heart of the question: “Whose portrait is this? Whose title?” They answer: “Caesar’s!”

Matthew 22:21b: Jesus’ conclusion

Jesus then draws the conclusion: “Pay Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God!”. In fact, they had already acknowledged Caesar’s authority. They already paid Caesar what belonged to Caesar since they used his money to buy and sell and even to pay the tribute to the Temple! Hence, the question was useless. Why ask something whose answer was clear in practice? They, who by their question pretended to be servants of God, were in fact forgetting the most important thing: they forgot to give God what belongs to God! What mattered to Jesus was that “they pay to God what belongs to God”, that is, they mislead the people that they had lead away from God through their own fault, because through their teachings they prevented people from entering the Kingdom (Mt 23:13). Rather say: “Pay to God what belongs to God”, which is, practice justice and honesty according to the demands of the law of God, because by your hypocrisy your are denying God what is due to Him. The disciples must be aware of this! Because it was the hypocrisy of these Pharisees and Herodians that was blinding their eyes! (Mk 8:15).

c) A deepening: Levies, tributes, taxes and tithes:

In Jesus’ time, the people of Palestine paid very many levies, taxes, tributes, fines, contributions, donations and tithes. Some scholars calculate that half of a family’s income went to pay levies. Here is a list that gives an idea of all that the people paid in levies:

* Direct levies on properties and persons:

Levy on property (tributum soli). The taxation officers of the government checked on properties, production, the number of slaves and then fixed the amount to be paid. Periodically, new taxation amounts were set in accordance with census taken.

Levies on persons (tributum capitis). For the poor without land, which included women and men between the ages of 12 and 65 years. The levy on the workforce was 20% of the income of every individual.

* Indirect levies on various transactions:

Golden crown: Originally this was a gift to the emperor, but then became a compulsory levy. It was paid on special occasions such as feasts or visits of the emperor.

Salt levy: Salt was the emperor’s monopoly. The tribute was paid on salt for commercial use. For instance, salt used by fishermen to salt fish. That is the origin of the word “salary”.

Levy on buying and selling: For each commercial transaction there was a levy of 1%. It was the taxation officers who collected this money. For instance, to buy a slave they asked for 2%.

Levy on professional practice: For anything at all one needed a permit. For instance, a shoemaker in Palmira paid one denarius per month. One denarius was equivalent to a day’s salary. Even prostitutes had to pay.

Levy on the use of public utilities: Emperor Vespasian introduced a levy on the use of public baths in Rome. He used to say, “Money has no smell!”

* Other taxes and obligations:

Toll:This was a levy on the movement of merchandise, collected by Publicans. Tolls were paid on the road. At certain points there were soldiers who forced those who were reluctant to pay.

Forced labor: Everyone could be forced to render some service to the State for five years, without remuneration.

Special subsidy for the armed forces: People were obliged to offer hospitality to soldiers. People also had to pay a certain amount of money for the nourishment and support of the troops.

* Levy for the Temple and for Cult:

Shekalim: This was the levy for the upkeep of the Temple.

Tithe: This was the levy for the upkeep of the priests. “Tithe” means the tenth part!

First fruits: This was the levy for the upkeep of the cult. That is, the first fruits of all land products.

6. Psalm 12

Against lying lips

Help, Yahweh! No one loyal is left,

the faithful have vanished from among the children of Adam.

Friend tells lies to friend, and, smooth-tongued,

speaks from an insincere heart.

May Yahweh cut away every smooth lip,

every boastful tongue,

those who say, 'In our tongue lies our strength,

our lips are our allies; who can master us?'

'For the poor who are plundered,

the needy who groan, now will I act,' says Yahweh,

'I will grant salvation to those who sigh for it.'

Yahweh's promises are promises unalloyed,

natural silver which comes from the earth seven times refined.

You, Yahweh, will watch over them,

you will protect them from that brood for ever.

The wicked will scatter in every direction,

as the height of depravity among the children of Adam.

7. Final Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank for the word that has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May your Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice that which your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, your mother, not only listen to but also practise the Word. You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen

A universal invitation to the banquet of the Realm

To welcome salvation with the right disposition

Matthew 22:1-14

1. Opening prayer

Spirit of truth, sent by Jesus to guide us to the whole truth, enlighten our minds so that we may understand the Scriptures. You who overshadowed Mary and made her fruitful ground where the Word of God could germinate, purify our hearts from all obstacles to the Word. Help us to learn like her to listen with good and pure hearts to the Word that God speaks to us in life and in Scripture, so that we may observe the Word and produce good fruit through our perseverance.

2. Reading

a) The context:



The meaning of the parable is quite clear when we read it in its context. It comes straight after another parable on the Realm (21:33-43) and is part of an argument between Jesus and the high priests and the Pharisees on his mission and authority (see 21:23-46).

In the preceding parable on the vineyard, Jesus sums up the history of salvation. God enveloped Israel with special care and hoped that such care would have produced fruit in the shape of a life of faithfulness and justice. From time to time God sent prophets to remind the people of the fruit that God expected, but their mission always met with Israel’s rejection. Finally, God sent his own Son, but they killed him. At this point Jesus says that because Israel continued to reject the Realm, the Realm would therefore pass on to another people, that is, the pagans (21:43). This pronouncement gives us the key to the reading of our parable, which really repeats the message of the previous parable using a different image and with different nuances.

We must affirm clearly that both parables can in no way justify the idea that God rejected Israel in favor of the Church. Suffice it to read Romans 9-11 to be convinced of the contrary. Jesus says hard things, prophetic things, to draw his people to repentance and for them to accept him. Besides, the pagans too, the newly invited ones, run the risk of being thrown out if they do not wear the wedding garment.

b) The text:



Jesus began to speak to them in parables once again. 'The kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a king who gave a feast for his son's wedding. He sent his servants to call those who had been invited, but they would not come. Next he sent some more servants with the words, "Tell those who have been invited: Look, my banquet is all prepared, my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, everything is ready. Come to the wedding." But they were not interested: one went off to his farm, another to his business, and the rest seized his servants, maltreated them and killed them. The king was furious. He dispatched his troops, destroyed those murderers and burnt their town. Then he said to his servants, "The wedding is ready; but as those who were invited proved to be unworthy, go to the main crossroads and invite everyone you can find to come to the wedding." So these servants went out onto the roads and collected together everyone they could find, bad and good alike; and the wedding hall was filled with guests. When the king came in to look at the guests he noticed one man who was not wearing a wedding garment, and said to him, "How did you get in here, my friend, without a wedding garment?" And the man was silent. Then the king said to the attendants, "Bind him hand and foot and throw him into the darkness outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth." For many are invited but not all are chosen.'

3. A moment of prayerful silence

so that the Word of God may enter into us and enlighten our life.

4. Some questions

to help us in our personal reflection.

a) Whom do the invited guests who refuse the invitation represent?

b) Whom do the newly invited guests found in the street represent?

c) Whom does the person without the wedding garment represent?

d) Are there "urgent matters" in my life that prevent me from accepting God’s invitation?

e) What is the wedding garment God wants me to wear for me to take part at the wedding banquet of the Realm of God?

5. A key to the reading

for those who wish to go deeper into the text.

● The banquet of the Realm

The prophets often proclaimed the benefits of salvation and especially those of the eschatological times through the image of a banquet. The first reading of this Sunday (Is 25:6-10a) is an example. Like Jesus, Isaiah too speaks of a banquet prepared by God for all peoples. However, the people of Israel and especially the city of Jerusalem remain at the center of God’s plan as mediators of the salvation offered by God for all. In the New Testament, however, even though there is an admission that "salvation comes from the Jews" (Jn 4:22), the only mediator of salvation is Jesus, who continues to exercise his mediation through the community of his disciples, the Church.

● The wedding garment

It is an insult to the one who has sent the invitation to arrive at the feast wearing ordinary working clothes. It is sign of not giving proper consideration for the occasion to which one is invited. This image, used in the parable on the Realm, wants to convey the idea that one cannot enter the Realm without preparation, and the only preparation is conversion. In fact, to change garment in biblical terms means to change style of life or to be converted (see for instance Rom 13:14; Gal 3:27; Eph 4:20-24).

● "Many are called but few are chosen"

This expression is a semitism. In the absence of comparisons, biblical Hebrew uses expressions that are based on drastic opposites. Hence this expression says nothing on the numerical relationship between those called into the Church and the elect to eternal life. However, it is also true that the parable makes a distinction between the call to salvation, election and final perseverance. The generosity of the ruler is huge, but we must be serious about the demands of the Realm. The expression is a pressing appeal not to be satisfied with just formal membership among the people of God. We cannot take salvation for granted. Here Jesus follows closely the teaching of the prophets. Recall Jer 7:1-15 and Os 6:1-6.

6. Psalm 47

The Lord is Ruler of Israel and the world

Clap your hands, all peoples!

Shout to God with loud songs of joy!

For the Lord, the Most High, is terrible,

a great king over all the earth.

He subdued peoples under us,

and nations under our feet.

He chose our heritage for us,

the pride of Jacob whom he loves.

God has gone up with a shout,

the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.



Sing praises to God, sing praises!

Sing praises to our King, sing praises!

For God is the king of all the earth;

sing praises with a psalm!

God reigns over the nations;

God sits on his holy throne.

The princes of the peoples

gather as the people of the God of Abraham.

For the shields of the earth belong to God;

he is highly exalted!

7. Closing prayer

God, Lord of the world and Ruler of all peoples, from the beginning you have prepared a banquet for your children and you wish to gather us around your table to share in your own life. We thank you for having called us into your Church through Jesus your Son. May your Spirit make us ever attentive and ready to continue to accept your invitation and may we, through the same Spirit, put on the new person, created according to God in justice and in true holiness, in the image of Christ, so that we may enter the banquet of your Realm together with a multitude of brothers and sisters. Use us, if you so wish, to continue to call others to the universal banquet of your Realm.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The parable of the murderous laborers
Matthew 21:33-43

1. Opening prayer

Lord, this Sunday I wish to pray with one of the most beautiful images of the Old Testament: “do not forsake the vineyard your right hand planted”. Continue to cultivate and enrich it with your favoured love. May your Word in this Sunday's liturgy be hope and consolation for me. May I meditate them and let them resonate in my heart even to the end of my life. May my humanity be the fertile womb wherein the force of your word may sprout.

2. Reading

a) Context:

Matthew frames the parable of the murderous laborerslabor between two other parables: the one of the two sons (21:28-32) and that of the wedding banquet (22:1-14). All three parables contain a negative reply: that of the son to his father, that of some peasants to the master of the vineyard, and that of some invited guests to the king who is celebrating the wedding of his son. All three parables tend to point to one single point. Those who, because they have not accepted the preaching and baptism of John, are now unanimous in refusing the final invitation of God in the person of Jesus. The introduction to the first parable in 21:28-33 should also be considered as the introduction to the parable of the murderous laborerslabor: 

After Jesus had entered the temple precincts, and while He was teaching, the chief priests and elders of the people came up to Him and said: On what authority do you do these things? Who has given you this power?

It is the priestly and secular aristocracy that goes to Jesus when He was in the temple. They are worried by Jesus’ popularity and ask Him questions to know two things: what authority He attributes to himself in doing what He does, and the origin of this authority. In fact, the answer to the second question also gives the answer to the first question. The high priests and leaders of the people demand a juridical proof and they forget that the prophets had authority directly from God.

b) The Text:

33 'Listen to another parable. There was a man, a landowner, who planted a vineyard; he fenced it round, dug a winepress in it and built a tower; then he leased it to tenants and went abroad. 34 When vintage time drew near he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his produce. 35 But the tenants seized his servants, thrashed one, killed another and stoned a third. 36 Next he sent some more servants, this time a larger number, and they dealt with them in the same way. 37 Finally he sent his son to them thinking, "They will respect my son." 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, "This is the heir. Come on, let us kill him and take over his inheritance." 39 So they seized him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 
40 Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?' 41 They answered, 'He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will deliver the produce to him at the proper time.' 42 Jesus said to them, 'Have you never read in the scriptures: The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this is the Lord's doing and we marvel at it? 43 'I tell you, then, that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.'

3. A moment of prayerful silence

We cannot comprehend the word of God unless God himself opens our hearts (Acts 16:14). However, it is up to us to arouse our curiosity by listening and to stop and stand before the Word…

4. An interpretation of the text

a) An invitation to listen:

The parable begins with an invitation to listen: Listen to another parable (v.33). Jesus draws the attention of the leaders of the people to the parable He is about to proclaim. This is an imperative, “"listen"”, which does not exclude a certain threat  if we look at the way the parable ends: " I tell you, then, that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit" (v.43). On the other hand, Jesus explains the parable of the sower to his disciples without any sign of reproach (Mt 13:18).

What is the explanation of this invitation to listen, which is a little menacing? The answer is to be sought in the economic conditions of Palestine in the 1^st century A.D. Big lots of land belonged to liberal foreigners who rented land in groups. The renting agreement provided that part of the harvest would go to the owner, who carried out his right by sending stewards to collect his share. In such a situation one can understand that the feelings of peasants were sorely tried. They felt greatly disheartened and this sometimes led to revolt.

In his parable, Jesus refers to this concrete situation but takes it to a higher level of understanding. The situation becomes a compendium of the story of God and his people. Matthew invites the reader to read the parable in a symbolic sense. The “owner” is the figure of God and the vineyard is Israel.

b) The careful care of the owner for his vineyard (v.33):

First there is the initiative of the owner who plants a vineyard. Matthew uses five verbs to describe this attention and care: planted... fenced... dug... built... leased. After he had planted the vineyard, the owner leases it to those concerned and then goes abroad.

c) The many attempts of the owner to retrieve the fruits of the vineyard (vv.34-36):

In the second scene, the owner twice sends his servants who, charged with the task of retrieving the produce of the vineyard, are ill treated and murdered. This aggressive and violent action is described with three verbs: thrashed... killed... stoned... (v.35). By sending many more servants and by intensifying the ill treatment suffered, Matthew means to allude to the history of the prophets who were also similarly ill treated. We recall some of these: Uriah is killed by a sword (Jer 26:23); Jeremiah was fettered (Jer 20:2); Zachary was stoned (2 Chr 24:21. We may find a resume of this part of history of the prophets in Nehemiah 9:26: “"they have killed your prophets..."”

d) Finally he sent his son:

The reader is invited to recognize in the son, who is sent “finally”, the one sent by God to whom respect is due and to whom the produce of the vineyard is to be delivered. This is the owner’s last attempt. The term “"finally"” defines the son as the Messiah. It is also possible that this view of eliminating the son may be modeled on another story from the OT: Joseph’s brothers who say: "”Come on, let us kill him and throw him into one of the cisterns here!”" (Gen 37:20).

The parable reaches its dramatic peak with the outcome of the son’s mission who is killed by the leasing vine-dressers so that they may take over the vineyard and usurp the inheritance. Jesus’ fate is set side by side with that of the prophets, but as son and heir, superior to them. Such Christological comparisons may be found in the Letter to the Hebrews, where the superiority of Christ as son and heir of the universe is placed in evidence: “"In times past, God spoke in many and varied ways to our fathers through the prophets; in this, the final age, He has spoken to us through his Son, whom He made heir of all things…"” (vv.1-2).

There is a detail at the end of this parable that we must not overlook. By placing the words, "they threw him out" followed by, "they killed him", Matthew decidedly alludes to the passion of Jesus where He is taken out to be crucified.

e) Leasing the vineyard to other peasants (v.42-43):

The end of the parable confirms the loss of the kingdom of God and the giving of the kingdom to another people capable of bearing fruit. A people that is capable of a living an active faith and a practical love. The expressions "I tell you, then...will be taken…and will be given..." show the solemnity of God’s action marking the history of ancient Israel and of the new people.

5. Meditations for ecclesial practice

- The symbol of the vineyard is a mirror where we can see a reflection of the personal and communitarian history of our relationship with God. Today, it is the church, this great vineyard that the Lord cultivates and cares for and that is entrusted to us, and the vine-dressers (collaborators) who have the task of continuing the mission started by him. This is certainly a tall order. Nevertheless, as church, we are aware of the tension that exists and that the church may experience between fidelity and infidelity, between refusal and welcoming. This Sunday’s Gospel tells us that, notwithstanding the difficulties and apparent fragility, nothing can stop the love of God for us, not even the elimination of his Son. It is this sacrifice that gains salvation for all. 

- We are called to stay with Jesus and continue his mission of helping men and women to meet Him and to be saved, and to struggle every day to counter the forces of evil and fulfill the desire to do good and promote justice.
- As church we are called to learn, after the example of Jesus, to experience conflict and be able to bear difficulties in our commitment to evangelisation.
- Do you believe that trials instruct our hearts? And that difficulties can be an instrument to measure our authenticity and the firmness of our faith?

6. Psalm 80 (79)

The psalmist expresses the desire of every person to be in contact with the hand of God who prepares the soil to plant and transplant his beloved vineyard.

You brought a vine out of Egypt, 
to plant it you drove out nations;
you cleared a space for it, 
it took root and filled the whole country.

The mountains were covered with its shade, 
and the cedars of God with its branches,
its boughs stretched as far as the sea, 
its shoots as far as the River.

Why have you broken down its fences? 
Every passer-by plucks its grapes,
boars from the forest tear at it, 
wild beasts feed on it.
God Sabaoth, come back, we pray, 
look down from heaven and see, 
visit this vine;
protect what your own hand has planted.

They have thrown it on the fire like dung, 
the frown of your rebuke will destroy them.
May your hand protect those at your side, 
the child of Adam you have strengthened for yourself!

Never again will we turn away from you, 
give us life and we will call upon your name.
God Sabaoth, bring us back, 
let your face shine on us and we shall be safe.

7. Closing prayer

Lord, how many times is love repaid with darkest ingratitude? Nothing is more destructive than to feel betrayed and made a fool of, to know that one has been deceived. Even more difficult is to realize that so many acts of kindness, generosity, openness, tolerance and sincerity, and of commitment to solidarity have come to nothing. 
Lord, you have experienced the ingratitude of many. You have been patient with those who assailed you. You, who have always been merciful and meek, help us fight our inflexible hardness towards others. With the Psalmist, we too pray, "Do not forsake the vineyard you have planted". After this encounter with your Word, may our prayer become an ever more penetrating plea so that it may touch your heart: ""Raise us up again Lord, show us your face and we shall be saved". Lord, we have great need of your mercy and as long as there is the desire in our hearts to seek your face, the way of salvation remains open to us. Amen!

The parable of the two sons

Disobedient obedience and obedient disobedience

Matthew 21: 28-32

 1. Opening prayer

Lord Jesus, send your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind that you read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the Bible, you helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection.

Create in us silence so that we may listen to your voice in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples from Emmaus, may experience the force of your resurrection and witness to others that you are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of you, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed to us the Father and sent us your Spirit. Amen.

2. Reading

a) A key to guide the reading:



Jesus recounts a very common event in family life. One son says to the father, "I’m going!" but then does not go. Another son says, "I’m not going!" but then goes. Jesus asks his listeners to pay attention and express an opinion. In our reading let us be attentive so as to discover the precise point to which Jesus wishes to recall our attention.

b) A division of the text to help with the reading:



Mt. 21:28-31ª: The comparison

Mt 21:31b-32: The application of the comparison.

c) The text:



28-31a: 'What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He went and said to the first, "My boy, go and work in the vineyard today." He answered, "I will not go," but afterwards thought better of it and went. The man then went and said the same thing to the second who answered, "Certainly, sir," but did not go.

Which of the two did the father's will?' They said, 'The first.'

31b-32: Jesus said to them, 'In truth I tell you, tax collectors and prostitutes are making their way into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you, showing the way of uprightness, but you did not believe him, and yet the tax collectors and prostitutes did. Even after seeing that, you refused to think better of it and believe in him.

3. A moment of prayerful silence

so that the Word of God may enter into us and enlighten our life.



4. Some questions

to help us in our personal reflection.

a) Which point in this story of the two sons most caught your attention? Why?

b) To whom does Jesus address himself? Why does He tell this parable?

c) What is the main point underlined by Jesus in the attitude of the two sons?

d) What kind of obedience does Jesus suggest through this parable?

e) How exactly do the prostitutes and publicans get preference over the priests and elders?

f) And I, where am I? Am I among the prostitutes and sinners or among the priests and elders?



5. A key to the reading

for those who wish to go deeper into the text.



a) The context within which Matthew places these words of Jesus (Matthew chapters 18-23):

* The context of Matthew’s Gospel within which this parable is found is one of tension and danger. After the Discourse on the community (Mt 18:1-35), Jesus leaves Galilee, crosses the Jordan and begins his last journey towards Jerusalem (Mt 19:1). Long before, He had said that He was to go to Jerusalem to be apprehended and killed and that then He would rise again (Mt 16:21; 17:22-23). Now the time has come to go to the capital city and to face prison and death (Mt 20:17-19).



* When He arrives in Jerusalem, Jesus becomes the subject of conflict. On the one hand the people welcome Him joyfully (Mt 21:1-11). Even children acclaim Him when, with a prophetic gesture, He expels the sellers from the temple and He heals the blind and the lame (Mt 21:12-15). On the other hand the priests and doctors criticize him. They ask Him to tell the children to keep quiet (Mt 21:15-16). The situation is so tense, that Jesus has to spend the night outside the city (Mt 21:17; cfr Jn 11:53-54). But the following day He goes back early in the morning and, on the road to the temple, curses the fig tree, symbol of Jerusalem, a fruitless tree bearing only leaves (Mt 21:18-22). He then goes into the temple and begins to teach the people.



* While He is speaking to the people, the authorities come to discuss with him. Jesus answers them one by one (Mt 21:33-22:45), the high priests and the elders Mt 21:23), the Pharisees (Mt 21:45; 22:41), the disciples of the Pharisees and of the Herodians (Mt 22:16), the Sadducees (Mt 22:23), and the doctors of the law (Mt 22:35). Finally, Jesus denounces at length, and in harsh terms, the scribes and the Pharisees (Mt 23:1-36), followed by a tragic accusation against Jerusalem, the city that will not be converted (Mt 23:37-39). It is within this context of tension and danger that Jesus tells the parable of the two sons, the subject of our meditation.



b) Commentary on the words of Jesus as found in Matthew:

Matthew 21:28-30: An example taken from family life



* What is your opinion? This is a provocative question. Jesus asks his listeners to be attentive and to reply. In the context of the parable, the listeners invited to give their opinion are the high priests and elders of the people (Mt 21:23). These are the ones who, from fear of the people, would not give an answer to the question as to the origin of John the Baptist, whether He was from heaven or from earth (Mt 21:24-27). These are the ones who will seek a way to arrest Him (Mt 21:45-46).



* A man had two sons. Jesus tells the story of a father who says to one of his sons "My boy, you go and work in the vineyard today". The young man replies, "Certainly, sir!" but then does not go. The father then says the same thing to his other son. This son replies, "I will not go!" but then goes. The listeners too are fathers of families and must have known these matters from personal experience.

 

* Which of the two did the father’s will? Jesus ends the parable by making explicit his initial question. The priests and elders answer promptly, the second! The answer came quickly because the matter concerned a familiar situation, well known and evident, one that they experienced in their own families and, most probably, practiced by them (and by all of us) when they were young. Thus, in reality, the answer was a judgment, not on the two sons in the parable, but also on themselves. By answering, the first, they were judging their own attitudes. For, in times past, they had so often told their father, "I will not go!" but then went under pressure of circumstances or because remorse led them to do that which the father asked. In their reply they show themselves as if they were obedient children. 



* This is precisely the function or the "trap" of the parable, namely, to bring the listeners to feel involved in the story, so that using their own experience as criterion, they would come to a value judgment of the story told in the parable. This judgment will soon be used as a key to apply the parable to life. The same didactic procedure may be found also in the parable of the vineyard (Mt 21:41-46) and that of the debtors (Lk 7:40-46).

Matthew 21:31-32: Application of the parable  * I tell you solemnly, tax collectors and prostitutes are making their way into the kingdom of God before you! Using the reply given by the priests and elders as a key, Jesus applies the parable to the sinful silence of his listeners before the message of John the Baptist. The reply they gave becomes the sentence of their own condemnation. According to this sentence, it is the publicans and prostitutes who, at first, had said no to the father but then did the will of the Father, because they had received and accepted the message of John the Baptist as coming from God. Whereas they, the priests and elders, were the ones who, at first, had said yes to the father, but had not carried out that which the father had asked, because they would not accept the message of John the Baptist, not even in the face of so many who did accept it as from God. 



* Thus, by means of the parable, Jesus turns everything upside down: those who were considered transgressors of the Law and therefore condemned, were in truth those who had obeyed God and tried to walk the way of justice, while those who considered themselves obedient to the Law of God, were in fact those who disobeyed God. 



* The reason for this harsh judgment from Jesus lies in the fact that the religious authorities, priests and elders, would not believe that John the Baptist came from God. The publicans and the prostitutes, however, believed. This means that for Jesus, the contemplative outlook, the ability to recognize the active presence of God in persons and things of life, was not in the priests, not even among their leaders. Yet it was in those who were despised as sinners and unclean. It is easy to understand why these authorities decided to apprehend and kill Jesus: “when they heard these parables, the chief priests and the scribes realized He was speaking about them” (Mt 21:45-46). 



* Anyone who wishes to apply this parable today would probably provoke the same anger that Jesus did through his conclusion. The same thing happens today. Prostitutes, sinners, the ignorant, some women, children, lay people, workers, people of color, prisoners, homosexuals, persons with AIDS, drunkards, drug addicts, divorced persons, married clergy, heretics, atheists, unmarried mothers, the unemployed, the illiterate, the sick, that is, all those marginalized as not part of the religious circle,  frequently have a sharper outlook in perceiving the way of justice  than those of us who live all day in church and are part of the religious hierarchy. It is not just because a person belongs to the religious hierarchy, therefore, that He or she has an outlook that allows him or her to perceive the things of God in life.

To throw light on the words of Jesus 



* A new way of teaching people and to speak of God. 

Jesus was not a scholar (Jn 7:15). Unlike the apostle Paul, (Acts 23:3), He did not go to the high school in Jerusalem. 

He came from the country, from Nazareth, a small town in Galilee. Now, this carpenter from Galilee goes to Jerusalem and, without getting permission from the authorities, starts teaching the people in the square in front of the temple! He said new things. He spoke differently, divinely! The people were impressed by his way of teaching, "A new doctrine! Taught with authority! Different from that of the Scribes! (Mk 1:22.27). What Jesus did most was teach, it was a habit with him. Many times the Evangelists say that Jesus taught. If they do not always say what Jesus taught, it is not because they are not interested in the content, but because the content comes through not only in the teaching but also in the gestures and in his attitude to the people. The content is never separate from the person who communicates it. The goodness and love that come through in his way of acting and of being with others are part of the content. .They are like the “tempera”, good content without goodness is like spilt milk.



* Teaching through parables. 

Jesus taught above all through parables. He had an extraordinary capacity to find comparisons in order to explain the things of God. Things that are not so evident by means of simple and clear examples, which the people knew and experienced in their lives in their daily struggle to survive. This presupposes two things: keeping to the experiences of life and keeping to the things of God, of the Realm of God. 

Usually, Jesus does not explain the parables, but says, "Those who have ears to hear, listen!" Or "You have heard. Now try to understand!" For instance, the farmer who hears the parable of the seed says, "I know what the seed that falls on the ground is all about! But Jesus said that this is connected with the Realm of God. What does He mean?" We can then imagine the long conversations and discussions among the people. Once a bishop asked the community, "Jesus said that we must be like salt. What is salt used for?" The community discussed this and  came up with more than ten purposes for salt! They then applied all this to the life of the community and discovered that to be salt is difficult and demanding. The parable had worked! 

In some parables there are things that do not usually happen in life. For instance, when have we ever seen a shepherd leave ninety-nine sheep to go looking for the one that is lost? (Lk 15:4). When have we ever seen a father who welcomes his dissolute son with a feast and not a word to scold him? (Lk 15:20-24). Where have we ever seen a Samaritan who is better than a Levite or a priest? (Lk 10:29-37). In this way, the parable provokes thought. It invites us to be involved in the story and to reflect on ourselves, starting from the experience of life and then confronting this with God. It makes us discover from experience that God is present in our everyday life. The parable is a participative form of teaching, of educating. It does not present every little detail. It does not give all the facts, but entices us to discover. A parable changes our view; it makes us contemplatives, persons who delve into reality. Herein lies the novelty of Jesus’ teaching in parables. It is different from the teaching of the doctors who taught that God manifests himself only in the observance of the law. For Jesus, "The Realm of God is not the fruit of observance. The Realm of God is among you!" (Lk 17:21).

 6. Psalm 121

The contemplative eye discovers the presence of God in life

I lift up my eyes to the hills. 

From whence does my help come? 

My help comes from the Lord, 

who made heaven and earth. 

He will not let your foot be moved, 

he who keeps you will not slumber. 

Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 

The Lord is your keeper; 

the Lord is your shade on your right hand. 

The sun shall not smite you by day, 

nor the moon by night. 

The Lord will keep you from all evil; 

he will keep your life. 

The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in 

from this time forth and for evermore.

7. Final Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank for the word that has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May your Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice that which your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, your mother, not only listen to but also practice the Word. You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

Parable of the laborers sent to the vineyard

The absolute gratuitousness of the love of God

Matthew 20, 1-16

1. Opening prayer

Oh Father, your Son Jesus, whom you have given to us, is our kingdom, our richness, our Heaven; He is the Master of the house and of the earth in which we live and He goes out continuously to search for us, because He desires to call us, to pronounce our name, to offer us His infinite love. We will never be able to pay Him back, never repay the superabundance of His compassion and mercy for us; we can only tell him our Yes, ours: “Here I am, I come”, or repeat with Isaiah: “Here I am Lord, send me!”. Lord, allow this word to enter into my heart, in my eyes, into my ears and that it changes me, transforms me, according to this surprising incomprehensible love that Jesus is offering me today also, even at this moment. Lead me to the last place, to mine, that which He has prepared for me, there where I can truly and fully be myself. Amen.

2. Reading

a) To insert the passage in its context:

This passage places us within the section of the Gospel of Matthew, which directly precedes the account of the Passion, death and Resurrection of Jesus. This section begins in 19, 1, where it is said that Jesus definitively leaves the territory of Galilee to go to Judea, beginning in this way the path to get close to Jerusalem and this is concluded in 25, 46, with the account on the coming and the judgment of the Son of God. More in particular, chapter 20 places us also along the road of Jesus towards the holy city and its temple, in a context of teaching and of polemics with the wise and the powerful of the time, which he carries out through parables and encounters.

b) To help in the reading of the passage:

20, 1a: with the first words of the parable, which are a formula of introduction, Jesus wants to accompany us into the most profound theme about which he intends to speak, he wants to open before us the doors of the kingdom, which is He himself and he presents himself as the Master of the vineyard, which needs to be cultivated.

20, 1b-7: These verses constitute the first part of the parable; in it Jesus tells about the initiative of the Master of the vineyard to employ the laborers, describing the four times he went out to look for laborers, in which he establishes a contract and the last time he goes out is at the end of the day.

29, 8-15: This second part includes, instead, the description of the payment to the workers, with the protest of the first one and the answer of the Master.

20, 16: At the end is given the conclusive sentence, which is included with 19, 30 and which reveals the key of the passage and the its application: those who in the community are considered the last ones, in the perspective of the Kingdom and of God’s judgment, will be the first ones.

c) Text:

20, 1°: 1 'Now the kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner …..

20, 1b-7: .... going out at daybreak to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He made an agreement with the workers for one denarius a day and sent them to his vineyard. 3 Going out at about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place 4 and said to them, "You go to my vineyard too and I will give you a fair wage." 5 So they went. At about the sixth hour and again at about the ninth hour, he went out and did the same. 6 Then at about the eleventh hour he went out and found more men standing around, and he said to them, "Why have you been standing here idle all day?" 7 "Because no one has hired us," they answered. He said to them, "You go into my vineyard too."

20, 8-15: 8 In the evening, the owner of the vineyard said to his bailiff, "Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last arrivals and ending with the first." 9 So those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came forward and received one denarius each. 10 When the first came, they expected to get more, but they too received one denarius each. 11 They took it, but grumbled at the landowner saying, 12 "The men who came last have done only one hour, and you have treated them the same as us, though we have done a heavy day's work in all the heat." 13 He answered one of them and said, "My friend, I am not being unjust to you; did we not agree on one denarius? 14 Take your earnings and go. I choose to pay the lastcomer as much as I pay you. 15 Have I no right to do what I like with my own? Why should you be envious because I am generous?"

20, 16: 16 Thus the last will be first, and the first, last.'

3. A moment of prayerful silence

so that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.

4. Some questions

to help us in our personal reflection.

a) The passage opens with a connecting particle, “in fact”, which is very important, because it sends us to the preceding verse (Mt 19, 30), where Jesus affirms that “the first will be the last and the last the first”, with the same words that he will repeat at the end of this parable. Therefore, words of utmost importance, fundamental, which indicate to me the direction which I should take. Jesus is the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven; He is the new world, into which I am invited to enter. But his is an overturned world, where our logic of power, gain, reward, ability, effort, is defeat and substituted by another logic, that of absolute gratuitousness, of merciful and superabundant love. If I think that I am first, that I am strong and capable; if I have already placed myself in the first place at the table of the Lord, it is better that now I rise and go and take the last place. There the Lord will come to look for me and calling me, he will raise me and take me towards him.

b). Here, Jesus compares himself to a landowner, the Master of the house, using a particular figure, which he repeats several times in the Gospel. I try to follow it, being attentive to the characteristics which it presents and trying to verify which is my relationship with Him. The Master of the house is the owner of the vineyard, who takes care of it, surrounding it by a wall, digging a press there, cultivating it with love and fatigue (Mt 21, 33 ff), so that it can bear a better fruit. It is the Master of the house who offers a great supper, and invites many, calling to his table the most forlorn or forsaken, the cripple and the lame, the blind (Lk 14, 21ff). And the one who returns from the wedding and for whom we have to wait keeping watch, because we do not know the hour (Lk 12, 36); is the Master of the house who left on a trip, who has ordered us to keep watch, so as to be ready to open the door for him, as soon as he returns and knocks, in the evening, or at midnight, or at the rooster’s crow, or in the morning (Mk 13, 35). I understand then, that the Lord expects the good fruit from me; that he has chosen me as a guest to his table; that he will return and seek to look for me and will knock at my door... Am I ready to respond to him? To open the door for him? To offer to him the fruit of the love which He expects from me? Or rather, am I sleeping, weighed down by a thousand other interests, enslaved by other masters of the house, diverse and far away from him?

c) The Lord Jesus, the Master of the house and of the vineyard, repeatedly goes out to call and to send; at dawn, at nine o’clock, at noon, at three o’clock in the afternoon, at five, when the day is almost ended. He does not get tired: he comes to look for me, to offer me his love, his presence, to seal a pact with me. He desires to offer me his vineyard, its beauty. When we will meet, when he, looking at me fixedly, will love me (Mk 10, 21), What will I answer? Will I be sad because I have many other goods belonging to me (Lk 18, 23)? Will I ask him to consider me justified, because I have already taken on other commitments? (Lk 14, 18?). Will I flee, naked, losing also that small cloth of happiness that has remained in order to cover myself (Mk 14, 52)? Or, rather will I say: “Yes, yes”, and then I will not go (Mt 21, 29)? I feel that this word causes me to be in crisis, it peers into the depth of myself, it reveals to me who I am ... I remain dismayed, fearful for my freedom, but I decide, before the Lord who is speaking to me, to do as Mary did and also say: “Lord, may it be done to me according to your word”, with humble availability and abandonment.

d) Now the Gospel places me before my relationship with others, the brothers and sisters who share with me the journey of the following of Jesus. We are all convoked to Him, in the evening, after the work of the day: he opens his treasure of love and begins to distribute it, to give grace, mercy, compassion, friendship, himself totally. He does not stop, the Lord continues only to overflow, to pour out, to give himself to us, to each one. Matthew points out, at this point, that someone murmurs against the Master of the vineyard, against the Lord, Indignation springs up because he treats everyone equally, with the same intensity of love, with the same superabundance. Perhaps what is written in these lines also applies to me: the Gospel knows how to bring out and make evident my heart as it is, the most hidden part of myself. Perhaps the Lord is, precisely, addressing these words filled with sadness: “Perhaps you are jealous?” I should allow myself to be questioned, I have to allow him to enter within me and to look at me with his penetrating eyes, because only if he looks at me, I will be able to be healed. Now I pray as follows: “Lord, I ask you, come to me, put your word in my heart and let new life germinate, let love germinate”.

5. A key for the reading

The Vineyard

In the image of the vineyard, apparently very simple and ordinary, Scripture condenses a very rich and profound reality, always more dense in significance, gradually as the texts get closer to the full revelation of Jesus. In the first book of Kings, chapter 21, is narrated the violent attack against Naboth, a simple subject of the corrupt King Ahab, who possessed a vineyard, planted, unfortunately, precisely next the to palace of the King. This account makes us understand how important the vineyard was, an inviolable property: for nothing in the world Naboth would have given it up, as he says: “Yahweh forbid that I should give you my ancestral heritage!” (I Kings 21, 3). Out of love for it, he lost his life. Therefore, the vineyard represents the most precious good, the family heritage, in a certain part, the identity itself of the person; he cannot sell it, cede it to others, barter or trade it for other goods, which would never succeed to equal it. It hides a vital, spiritual force.

Isaiah 5 tells us clearly that under the figure of the vineyard is signified the people of Israel, as it is written: “Now, the vineyard of Yahweh Sabaoth is the House of Israel; and the people of Judah the plant he cherished” (Is 5, 7). The Lord has loved these people with an infinite and eternal love, sealed by an inviolable covenant; He takes care of it, just as a vine-dresser would do with his vineyard, doing everything possible so that it can bear more beautiful fruit. Each one of us is Israel, the whole Church: the Father has found us as dry, arid land, devastated, filled with rocks, and he has cultivated it, he has dug around it, fertilized it, watered it always; he has planted us as a chosen vineyard, all with genuine vines (Jer 2, 21). What else could he have done for us, which he has not done? (Is, 5, 4). In his infinite lowering, the Lord has become vineyard Himself; He has become the true Vine (Jn 15, 1ff), of which we are the branches; He united himself to us, just as the vine is united to its branches. The Father, who is the vine-dresser, continues his work of love in us, so that we may bear fruit and he waits patiently. He prunes, He cultivates, but then he sends us to work, to collect the fruits to offer to him. We are sent to his people, to his sons, as sons that we are ourselves, as his disciples; we cannot draw back, refuse, because we have been created for this: that we may go and bear fruit and that our fruit may remain (Jn 15, 16). Lord, turn to us; look down from Heaven and visit your vineyard (Psalm 79, 15).

But in the evangelical account this denarius is immediately called by another name; by the Master; in fact, he says: “that which is just I will give you” (v4). Our inheritance, our salary is what is just, what is good: the Lord Jesus. He, in fact, does not give, does not promise other than himself. Our reward is in Heaven (Mt 5, 12), with our Father (Mt 6, 1). It is not the money, the denarius which was used to pay the tax per-capita to the Romans, on which was the image and the inscription of King Tiberius Caesar (Mt 22, 20), but which is the face of Jesus, his name, his presence. He tells us: “I am with you not only today, but all days, until the end of the world. I myself will be your reward”.

The text offers to our life a very strong energy, which springs from the verbs “to send, to order” to go”, repeated twice; both concern us, they touch us deeply, they call us and put us in movement. It is the Lord Jesus who sends us, making of us his disciples: “Behold, I send you” (Mt 10, 16). He calls us every day for his mission and repeats to us: “Go!” and our happiness is hidden precisely here, in the realization of this Word of his. Also where he sends us, in the way in which He indicates it, towards the reality and the persons whom He places before us.

Words of utmost importance, true and very much present in our experience of daily life; we cannot deny this: they dwell in our heart, in our thoughts, sometimes they torment us, disfigure us, get us terribly tired, drive us away from ourselves, from others, from the Lord. Yes, we are also among those workers who complain and grumble, murmuring against the Master. The rumor of the murmuring comes from very far away, but equally it succeeds to join us and to insinuate our heart. Israel in the desert murmured heavily against its Lord and we have received as inheritance those thoughts, those words: “The Lord hates us, that is why he brought us out of the land of Egypt to hand us over to the Amorites and to destroy us” (Dt 1, 27) and we doubt concerning his capacity to nourish us, to lead us ahead, to protect us: “Can God make a banquet in the desert?” (Ps 78, 19). To murmur means not to listen to the voice of the Lord, not to believe anymore in his love for us: Therefore, we become scandalized, upset, strongly against the merciful Lord and we get angry against his way of acting and we wish to change it, to make it smaller according to our own schema: He went to the house of a sinner! He eats and drinks with tax collectors, with sinners!” (Lk 5, 30; 15, 2; 19, 7). If we listen well these is the secret murmuring of our heart. How to heal it? Saint Peter suggest this way: “Practice hospitality with one another, without murmuring” (I Pt 4, 9); only hospitality, that is acceptance can, little by little, change our heart and open it to be receptive, capable of bearing within it persons, situations, the reality which we find in life. “Accept one another” says Scripture. And it is precisely like that: we have to learn to accept, above all, the Lord Jesus, as He is, with his way of loving and of remaining, of speaking with us and of changing us, of waiting for us and of attracting us. To accept him is to accept the one who is at our side, who comes to meet us; it is only this movement which can overcome the harshness of murmuring.

Murmuring is born from jealousy, from envy, from our evil eye, as the Master of the vineyard says, Jesus himself. He knows how to keep us inside, he knows how to penetrate our look and reach our heart, in the spirit. He knows how we are, he knows us, loves us; And it is out of love that He brings out of us the evil within, takes off the veil from our evil eye, he helps us to become aware or conscious of how we are, of that which is within us. At the moment when he says: “Perhaps your eye is evil?” as he is doing today in this Gospel, He heals us, he takes the balm and spreads it, takes the clay made with his saliva and puts it on our eyes, to the very depth.

6. A moment of prayer: Psalm 135

Refrain: Your love for us is infinite!

Alleluia! Give thanks to Yahweh for he is good,

for his faithful love endures for ever.

Give thanks to the God of gods,

for his faithful love endures for ever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords,

for his faithful love endures for ever.

He alone works wonders,

for his faithful love endures for ever.

He struck down the first-born of Egypt,

for his faithful love endures for ever.

He brought Israel out from among them,

for his faithful love endures for ever.

With mighty hand and outstretched arm,

for his faithful love endures for ever.

He split the Sea of Reeds in two,

for his faithful love endures for ever.

Let Israel pass through the middle,

for his faithful love endures for ever.

And drowned Pharaoh and all his army,

for his faithful love endures for ever.

He led his people through the desert,

for his faithful love endures for ever.

He kept us in mind when we were humbled,

for his faithful love endures for ever.

And rescued us from our enemies,

for his faithful love endures for ever.

He provides food for all living creatures,

for his faithful love endures for ever.

Give thanks to the God of heaven,

for his faithful love endures for ever.

7. Final Prayer

Thank you, Oh Father, for having revealed to me your Son and for having made me enter in his inheritance, in his vineyard. You have rendered me a branch, have rendered me a grape: now I only need to remain in Him, in you and allow myself to be taken as good fruit, ripe, to be placed in the press. Yes, Lord, I know it: this is the way, I am not afraid, because you are with me. I know that the only way to happiness is the gift of self to you, the gift to the brothers. That I may be a branch, that I may be good grapes, to be squeezed, as you wish! Amen.

1. Opening prayer

Lord Jesus, send your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind that you read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the Bible, you helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection.

Create in us silence so that we may listen to your voice in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples from Emmaus, may experience the force of your resurrection and witness to others that you are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of you, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed to us the Father and sent us your Spirit. Amen.

2. Reading

a) A division of the text to help with the reading:

Matthew 18:21: Peter’s question

Matthew 18:22: Jesus’ reply

Matthew 18:23-26: 1^st part of the parable

Matthew 18:,27-30: 2^nd part of the parable

Matthew 18:31-35: 3^rd part of the parable

b) A key to the reading:

In the Gospel of the 24^th Sunday of ordinary time, Jesus tells us of the need to forgive our brothers and sisters. It is not easy to forgive. There are some offences and insults that go on hurting us. Some say: “I forgive, but not forget.” I cannot forget! Resentment, tensions, different opinions, provocations make it difficult to forgive and be reconciled. Why is it that forgiving is so difficult? Do I create a space in my family, my community, my work and my relationships for reconciliation and forgiveness? How? Let us meditate on the third part of the “Sermon on the Community” (Mt 18:21-35), where Matthew puts together the sayings and parables of Jesus on limitless forgiveness. As you read, think of yourself and try to look back on your life.

c) The text:

21 Then Peter went up to him and said, 'Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times?' 22 Jesus answered, 'Not seven, I tell you, but seventy-seven times. 23 'And so the kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a king who decided to settle his accounts with his servants. 24 When the reckoning began, they brought him a man who owed ten thousand talents; 25 he had no means of paying, so his master gave orders that he should be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, to meet the debt. 26 At this, the servant threw himself down at his master's feet, with the words, "Be patient with me and I will pay the whole sum."

27 And the servant's master felt so sorry for him that he let him go and cancelled the debt. 28 Now as this servant went out, he happened to meet a fellow-servant who owed him one hundred denari; and he seized him by the throat and began to throttle him, saying, "Pay what you owe me." 29 His fellow-servant fell at his feet and appealed to him, saying, "Be patient with me and I will pay you." 30 But the other would not agree; on the contrary, he had him thrown into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 His fellow-servants were deeply distressed when they saw what had happened, and they went to their master and reported the whole affair to him. 32 Then the master sent for the man and said to him, "You wicked servant, I cancelled all that debt of yours when you appealed to me. 33 Were you not bound, then, to have pity on your fellow-servant just as I had pity on you?" 34 And in his anger the master handed him over to the torturers till he should pay all his debt. 35 And that is how my heavenly Father will deal with you unless you each forgive your brother from your heart.'

3. A moment of prayerful silence

so that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.

4. Some questions

to help us in our personal reflection.

a) Which part of the parable struck you most? Why?

b) What counsels does Jesus give us to help us reconcile and forgive?

c) Looking in the mirror of the parable, with which character do I identify myself most: the king who wants to audit his servants or with the forgiven servant who does not want to forgive his companion?

d) Looking at the present situation of our family, our community, our church, our society and our world, is there among us a space for forgiveness and reconciliation so that reconciliation spreads among us? Where do we need to begin so that reconciliation may spread among us?

5. For those who wish to go deeper into the text

a) The context within which our text is placed in Matthew’s Gospel:

- The comparison that Jesus uses to show the obligation to forgive and be reconciled brings together parable and allegory. When Jesus speaks of the King who wants to settle his accounts with his servants, he is thinking of God who forgives all. When he speaks of the debt of the servant forgiven by the King, he is thinking of our huge debt with God who always forgives us. When he speaks of the attitude of the forgiven servant who will not forgive, he is thinking of us, forgiven by God, but who will not forgive our brothers and sisters.

- At the end of the first century, the Judeo-Christians of the communities of Syria and Palestine had serious and grave problems of reconciliation with the brothers and sisters of the same race. At the time of the great disaster of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in the 70’s, both the Synagogue and the Ecclesia were trying to reorganise themselves in the regions of Syria and Palestine. That is why there was a great and growing tension between them that was the source of much suffering within families. This tension is the background to Matthew’s Gospel.

b) A commentary on the text:

Matthew 18:21: Peter’s question: how many times forgive?

On hearing Jesus’ words on reconciliation, Peter asks: “How often must I forgive? Seven times?” Seven is a number indicating perfection and, in the case of Peter’s proposal, seven is synonymous with always.

Matthew 18:22: Jesus’ reply: seventy times seven!

Jesus sees further. He eliminates any possible limitation to forgiveness: “Not seven, but seventy times seven!” Because there is no proportion between the forgiveness we receive from God and our forgiving our brother and sister. So as to make his reply to Peter clear, Jesus tells a parable. It is the parable of limitless forgiveness!

Matthew 18:23-26: The first part of the parable: the situation of the debtor

When he speaks of the King, Jesus is thinking of God. A servant owes the king ten thousand talents. That is, 164 tons of gold. The servant says he will pay. But even if he worked the whole of his life, he, his wife, his children and all his family, he would not be able to acquire 164 tons of gold to pay back the king. In other words, we shall never be in a position to pay back our debt with God. Impossible! (cf Psalm 49:8-9).

Matthew 18:27-30: The second part of the parable: The great contrast

At the servant’s insistence, the king forgives him his debt of 164 tons of gold. A fellow servant owes him a hundred denari, that is, 30 grams of gold. There is no comparison between the two debts! A grain of sand and a mountain! Before God’s love that forgives freely our debt of 164 tons of gold, it is but just that we should forgive a debt of 30 grams of gold. But the forgiven servant would not forgive, not even at the insistence of the debtor. He behaves towards his fellow servant the way the king should have behaved towards him but did not: he ordered that he be thrown in jail until the debt of 30 grams of gold was paid! The contrast speaks for itself and needs no commentary!

Matthew 18:23-35: The third part of the parable: the moral of the story

The shameful attitude of the forgiven servant who will not forgive, strikes even his mates. They report him to the king and the king acts accordingly: he puts into motion the procedure of justice and the forgiven servant who in turn would not forgive, is thrown into jail, where he will stay until his debt is paid! He should be still there today! Because he will never be able to pay 164 tons of gold! The moral of the parable: “This is how my Father will deal with you unless you each forgive your brother from your heart!” The only limit to the free mercy of God who always forgives us is our refusal to forgive the brother and sister! (Mt 18:34; 6:12.15; Lk 23:34).

c) A deepening: Forgiving after 11 September 2001!

On 11 September 2001, a group of terrorists flew two planes into the two towers of New York and killed more than three thousand persons while shouting “Holy War!” The immediate cry in reply was: “Crusade”. Both sides used the name of God to legitimise violence. No one recalled the saying: “Seventy times seven!” And one of the sides calls itself Christian!

On the occasion of the war in Iraq, Pope John Paul II shouted at a public audience: “War is Satanic!”, and invited all to fight for peace. At an ecumenical meeting of representatives of Jews and Muslims in Jerusalem in 2000, the Pope said: “We cannot call on the name of God to legitimise violence!”

The last sentence of the Old Testament through which the people of God entered the New Testament and that expresses the nucleus of its messianic hope for reconciliation, is the oracle of the prophet Malachy: “Lo, I will send Elijah, the prophet, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and terrible day, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with doom” (Mal 3:23). To turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers, means to rebuild relationships between persons. There will be no future of peace unless we make a great effort at rebuilding human relationships in the small nucleus, that is, in the family and in the community. The community is where families meet to better preserve and pass on the values that they hold.

Indifference came into the world with the first-born of the first union: Cain who kills Able (Gen 4:8). This indifference has grown with double vengeance. Cain will be avenged sevenfold, but Lamech seventy times sevenfold (Gen 4,24). Peter wants to undo the error and proposes a reconciliation of seven times (Mt 18:21). But his proposal is weak. It does not go to the root of violence. Jesus goes much further and demands seventy times seven (Mt 18:22). To this day, and especially today, reconciliation is the most urgent task for us, followers of Jesus. It is worthwhile remembering the warning of Jesus: “That is how my Father will deal with you unless you each forgive the brother from your heart!” Seventy times seven!

6. Prayer: Psalm 62

God our only hope

In God alone there is rest for my soul,

from him comes my safety;

he alone is my rock, my safety,

my stronghold so that I stand unshaken.

How much longer will you set on a victim,

all together, intent on murder,

like a rampart already leaning over,

a wall already damaged?

Trickery is their only plan,

deception their only pleasure,

with lies on their lips they pronounce a blessing,

with a curse in their hearts.

Rest in God alone, my soul!

He is the source of my hope.

He alone is my rock, my safety, my stronghold,

so that I stand unwavering.

In God is my safety and my glory,

the rock of my strength.

In God is my refuge;

trust in him, you people, at all times.

Pour out your hearts to him,

God is a refuge for us.

Ordinary people are a mere puff of wind,

important people a delusion;

set both on the scales together,

and they are lighter than a puff of wind.

Put no trust in extortion,

no empty hopes in robbery;

however much wealth may multiply,

do not set your heart on it.

Once God has spoken,

twice have I heard this:

Strength belongs to God,

to you, Lord, faithful love;

and you repay everyone as their deeds deserve.

7. Final Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank for the word that has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May your Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice that which your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, your mother, not only listen to but also practise the Word. You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

Fraternal correction in the community

Care of those who leave the community

Matthew 18:15-20

1. Opening prayer

Lord Jesus, send your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind that you read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the Bible, you helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection.

Create in us silence so that we may listen to your voice in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples from Emmaus, may experience the force of your resurrection and witness to others that you are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of you, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed to us the Father and sent us your Spirit. Amen.

2. Reading

a) A division of the text to help with the reading:

Matthew 18:15-16: Correcting the brother or sister and re-establishing unity

Matthew 18:17: Those who do not listen to the community cut themselves off

Matthew 18:18: Decisions made on earth are accepted in heaven

Matthew 18:19: Prayer in common for those who leave the community

Matthew 18:20: Jesus’ presence within the community

b) A key to the reading

- Matthew’s Gospel organises the words of Jesus into five great Sermons or Discourses. This shows that at the end of the first century, the time of the final edition of Matthew’s Gospel, the Christian communities had already taken on concrete forms of catechesis. The five Discourses were five great markers showing the way on the journey. They offered concrete criteria to teach people and help them solve problems. The Sermon on the Community (Mt 18:1-35), for instance, gives instructions as to how the members of the community should live together so that the community may be a revelation of the Kingdom of God.

- On this 23^rd Sunday of ordinary time we shall read and meditate on the second part of the Sermon on the Community and we shall see closely two aspects: fraternal correction, that is how to proceed in case of conflict among the members of the community (18:15-18), and prayer in common: how to take care of those who have left the community (18:19-20).

c) The text:

15 'If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. 16 If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you: whatever the misdemeanour, the evidence of two or three witnesses is required to sustain the charge. 17 But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the community; and if he refuses to listen to the community, treat him like a gentile or a tax collector. 18 'In truth I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 'In truth I tell you once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three meet in my name, I am there among them.'

3. A moment of prayerful silence

so that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.

4. Some questions

to help us in our personal reflection.

a) Which part of the text struck you most? Why?

b) What advice does Jesus give us to help people solve the problems of the community and reconcile the members among themselves?

c) What is the basic requirement that comes out of Jesus’ advice?

d) In Mt 16:19, the power to forgive is given to Peter; in Jn 20:23, this same power is given to the apostles. Here, the power to forgive is given to the community. How does our community use this power to forgive given to us by Jesus?

e) Jesus said: "Where two or three meet in my name, I am there among them". What does this mean for us today?

5. For those who wish to go deeper into the text

a) The context of our text in Matthew’s Gospel:

In organising the words of Jesus into five great sermons or discourses, Matthew’s Gospel imitates the five books of the Pentateuch and presents the Good News of the Kingdom as a New Law. This Sunday’s liturgy challenges us with the New Law that teaches fraternal correction within the community and our attitude towards those who exclude themselves from the community.

b) A commentary on the text:

Matthew 18:15-16: Correcting the brother and sister and rebuilding unity.

Jesus gives simple and concrete norms to tell us how to proceed in case of conflict in the community. If a brother or sister sins, that is, behaves contrary to the life of the community, you must not denounce him/her publicly before the community. First you must speak to him/her alone. Try to find out why he/she acted in that way. If you get no result, then call two or three members of the community to see whether you can get some result.

Matthew writes his Gospel in around the 80’s or 90’s, almost at the end of the first century, for the community of converted Jews coming from Galilee and Syria. If he recalls so insistently these words of Jesus, it is because, in fact, in those communities there were great divisions concerning the acceptance of Jesus Messiah. Many families were divided and persecuted by their own parents who did not accept Jesus as Messiah (Mt 10:21.35-36).

Matthew 18:17: Anyone who does not listen to the community cuts him/herself off

In extreme cases and after trying everything possible, the reticent brother or sister has to be brought before the community. And if that person will not listen to the advice of the community, then he or she has to be considered “as a publican or pagan”, that is as a person not belonging to the community and who much less wishes to be part of the community. Thus you are not excluding anyone, but the person him/herself is excluding him/herself from the common life of the community.

Matthew 18:18: Decisions made on earth are accepted in heaven

In Mt 16:19, the power to forgive is given to Peter, in Jn 20:23, this same power is given to the apostles. Now, in this text, the power to forgive is given to the community: “whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven”. Here we see the importance of reconciliation and the enormous responsibility of the community in dealing with its members. The community does not excommunicate the person, but simply ratifies the exclusion that the person had already assumed publicly by leaving the community.

Matthew 18:19: Prayer in common for the brother or sister who has left the community

This exclusion does not mean that the person is abandoned to his or her fate. Rather, he or she may be separated from the community, but will not be separated from God. Thus, if talking to the community has not borne results and if the person no longer wishes to be part of the life of the community, we still have the obligation to pray together to the Father to achieve reconciliation. And Jesus guarantees that the Father will listen.

Matthew 18:20: Jesus’ presence within the community

The reason for the certainty of being heard is Jesus’ promise: “Where two or three meet in my name, I am there among them!” Jesus says that he is the centre, the axle of the community and, as such, prays to the Father together with the community that he may grant the gift of the return of the brother or sister who has left.

c) A deepening:

- The community as alternative space of solidarity and fraternity:

Today’s neo-liberal society, marked by consumerism, is hard and heartless. It does not welcome the poor, the little ones, strangers and refugees. Money has no place for mercy. The society of the Roman Empire also was hard and heartless, with no room for the little ones. They sought a refuge for their hearts but found none. The synagogues too were demanding and did not offer them a place of rest. In the Christian communities, there were those who wished to introduce the rigour of the Pharisees in the observance of the Law. They brought into the fraternity the same unjust criteria of society and the synagogue. Thus within the communities there arose the same divisions as those in society and the synagogue between Jew and non Jew, rich and poor, rulers and ruled, word and silence, man and woman, race and religion. And instead of making the community a place of welcome, it became a place of judgement. Recalling the words of Jesus in the Discourse on the Community, Matthew wants to shed light on the journey of the Christian so that the community may be an alternative space of solidarity and fraternity. It must be Good News for the poor.

- Excommunication and exclusion from fraternal life:

Jesus does not wish to add to the exclusion. Rather, he wishes to promote inclusion. He did this all his life: He welcomed and reintegrated people who, in the name of a false idea of God, were excluded from the community. But he could not prevent that a person who disagreed with the Good News of the Kingdom would refuse to belong to the community and exclude him/herself from the community. This is what some Pharisees and doctors of the law did. Even then, the community must behave like the Father in the parable of the Prodigal Son. It must hold the brother or sister in its heart and pray for him/her so that he/she may change his/her mind and come back to the community.

6. Prayer: Psalm 32

Free admission of sin

How blessed are those whose offence is forgiven,

whose sin blotted out.

How blessed are those to whom Yahweh imputes no guilt,

whose spirit harbours no deceit.

I said not a word, but my bones wasted away

from groaning all the day;

day and night your hand lay heavy upon me;

my heart grew parched as stubble in summer drought.

I made my sin known to you,

did not conceal my guilt.

I said, 'I shall confess my offence to Yahweh.'

And you, for your part, took away my guilt,

forgave my sin.

That is why each of your faithful ones

prays to you in time of distress.

Even if great floods overflow,

they will never reach your faithful.

You are a refuge for me,

you guard me in trouble,

with songs of deliverance you surround me.

I shall instruct you and teach you the way to go;

I shall not take my eyes off you.

Be not like a horse or a mule;

that does not understand bridle or bit;

if you advance to master them,

there is no means of bringing them near.

Countless troubles are in store for the wicked,

but one who trusts in Yahweh is enfolded in his faithful love.

Rejoice in Yahweh, exult all you upright,

shout for joy, you honest of heart.

7. Final Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank for the word that has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May your Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice that which your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, your mother, not only listen to but also practise the Word. You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

First prophecy of the passion

The scandal of the cross

Matthew 16:21-27

1. Opening prayer

Spirit of truth, sent by Jesus to guide us to the whole truth, enlighten our minds so that we may understand the Scriptures. You, who overshadowed Mary and made her fruitful ground where the Word of God could germinate, purify our hearts from all obstacles to the Word. Help us to learn like her to listen with good and pure hearts to the Word that God speaks to us in life and in Scripture, so that we may observe the Word and produce good fruit through our perseverance.

2. Reading

a) The context:

Mt 16:21-27 is after Peter’s profession of faith (16:13-20) and before the Transfiguration (17:1-8) and is strongly connected with these two events. Jesus asks the twelve to tell Him who people say He is and then wants to know who the twelve say He is. Peter replies, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (16:16). Jesus not only accepts this profession of faith, but also explicitly says that it is God who has revealed His true identity to Peter. Yet He insists that the disciples must not tell anyone that He is the messiah. Jesus knows well that this title can be misunderstood and He does not want to run the risk. "From that time" (16:21) He gradually begins to explain to the twelve what it means to be the messiah. He is the suffering messiah who will enter into His glory through the cross.

The text we are considering is divided into to parts. In the first part (vv. 21-23), Jesus foretells His death and resurrection and shows that He is completely determined to follow God’s plan for Him in spite of Peter’s protestations. In the second part (vv. 24-27), Jesus shows the consequences of recognizing Him as the suffering messiah for His disciples. No one can be His disciple unless he/she walks the same road.

But Jesus knows well that it is difficult for the twelve to accept His and their cross, and, to reassure them, He gives them a foretaste of His resurrection in His transfiguration (17:1-8).

b) The text:

21-23: From then onwards Jesus began to make it clear to His disciples that He was destined to go to Jerusalem and suffer grievously at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death and to be raised up on the third day. Then, taking Him aside, Peter started to rebuke Him. 'Heaven preserve You, Lord,' he said, 'this must not happen to You.' But He turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind Me, Satan! You are an obstacle in My path, because you are thinking not as God thinks but as human beings do.'

24-27: Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone wants to be a follower of Mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow Me. Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for My sake will find it. What, then, will anyone gain by winning the whole world and forfeiting his life? Or what can anyone offer in exchange for his life? 'For the Son of man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each one according to his behavior.

3. A moment of prayerful silence

so that the Word of God may enter into us and enlighten our life.

4. Some questions

to help us in our personal reflection.

a) Why does Peter try to deter Jesus from facing the Passion?

b) Why does Jesus call Peter Satan?

c) How do you confront life, with the logic of God and of Jesus or with human logic and that of Peter?

d) In your concrete everyday life, what does it mean to lose one’ls life for the sake of Jesus?

e) What are your crosses and who are your Peters?

5. A key to the reading

for those who wish to go deeper into the text.

"Destined to go to Jerusalem…"

The four verbs "go", "suffer", "be put to death" and "be raised" (v. 21) are governed by the word "destined" or "had to". This is a verb which, in the New Testament, has a precise theological meaning. It denotes that it is the will of God that something happens because it is part of God’s plan of salvation.

The death of Jesus may be seen as the consequence of the "logic" of the attitude He took towards the institutions of His people. Like every uncomfortable prophet He was removed. But the New Testament insists that His death (and resurrection) are part of God’s plan, which Jesus accepted freely.

"You are an obstacle in my path"

Obstacle means hold-up or trap. To be an obstacle means to confront someone with impediments that would divert that person from the way to follow. Peter is an obstacle for Jesus because he tries to swerve Him from the way of obedience to the will of the Father in order to go an easier way. That is why Jesus compares him to Satan, who at the beginning of His ministry had sought to divert Jesus from the path of His mission, proposing an easy messianic mission (see Mt 4:1-11).

"Anyone who loses his life… will find it"

Anyone who understands well the mystery of Jesus and the nature of His mission also understands what it means to be His disciple. The two things are intimately linked.

Jesus Himself lays down three conditions for those who wish to be His disciples: renunciation of self, the taking up of one’s cross and following Him (v.24). To renounce oneself means not to focus one’s life on one’s self but on God and on the plan of His Reign. This implies an acceptance of adversity and putting up with difficulties. Jesus Himself left us His example of how to deal with such circumstances. It suffices to imitate Him. He does not compromise His fidelity to the Father and to His Reign, and He remains faithful even to the point of giving His life. It was precisely thus that He came to the fullness of life in the resurrection.

6. Psalm 40

The invocation for help of one who has remained faithful to God

I waited patiently for the Lord;

He inclined to me and heard my cry.

He drew me up from the desolate pit,

out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock,

making my steps secure.

He put a new song in my mouth,

a song of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear,

and put their trust in the Lord.

Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust,

who does not turn to the proud,

to those who go astray after false gods!

Thou hast multiplied, O Lord my God,

Thy wondrous deeds and Thy thoughts toward us;

none can compare with Thee!

Were I to proclaim and tell of them,

they would be more than can be numbered.

Sacrifice and offering Thou dost not desire;

but Thou hast given me an open ear.

Burnt offering and sin offering Thou hast not required.

Then I said, "Lo, I come;

in the roll of the book it is written of me;

I delight to do Thy will,

O my God; Thy law is within my heart."

I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation;

lo, I have not restrained my lips,

as Thou knowest, O Lord.

I have not hid Thy saving help within my heart,

I have spoken of Thy faithfulness and Thy salvation;

I have not concealed Thy steadfast love

and Thy faithfulness from the great congregation.

Do not Thou, O Lord,

withhold Thy mercy from me;

let Thy steadfast love

and Thy faithfulness ever preserve me!

For evils have encompassed me without number;

my iniquities have overtaken me,

till I cannot see;

they are more than the hairs of my head;

my heart fails me.

Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me!

O Lord, make haste to help me!

Let them be put to shame and confusion altogether

who seek to snatch away my life;

let them be turned back and brought to dishonor

who desire my hurt!

Let them be appalled because of their shame

who say to me, "Aha, Aha!"

But may all who seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee;

may those who love Thy salvation say continually,

"Great is the Lord!"

As for me, I am poor and needy;

but the Lord takes thought for me.

Thou art my help and my deliverer;

do not tarry, O my God!

7. Closing prayer

O God, your ways are not our ways and your thoughts are not our thoughts. In your plan of salvation there is also room for the cross. Your Son, Jesus, did not retreat before the cross, but "endured the cross and disregarded the shamefulness of it" (Heb 12:2). The hostility of His enemies could not distract Him from His firm intent to fulfill Your will and proclaim the Reign, cost what it may.

Strengthen us, Father, with the gift of Your Spirit. May the Spirit enable us to follow Jesus resolutely and faithfully. May He make us His imitators in deed and make Your Reign the center of our lives. May He give us strength to bear adversity and difficulties so that true life may blossom in us and in all humankind.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Peter, you are the rock!

Rock of support, Rock of obstacle

Matthew 16:13-20

1. Opening prayer

Lord Jesus, send Your Spirit to help us read the Scriptures with the same mind that You read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the Bible, You helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of Your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection.

Create silence in us so that we may listen to Your voice in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May Your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, may experience the force of Your resurrection and witness to others that You are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of You, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed the Father to us and sent us Your Spirit. Amen.

2. Reading

a) A division of the text to help in the reading:

Matthew 16:13-14: Jesus wants to know the opinion of the people

Matthew 16:15-16: Jesus challenges the disciples, and Peter responds in the name of all

Matthew16:17-20: Solemn response of Jesus to Peter

b) Key for the reading:

In the Gospel of this Sunday, Jesus questions concerning who people think He is: “Who do people say that I am?” After learning the opinion of the people, He wants to know the opinion of His disciples. Peter, in the name of all, makes his profession of faith. Jesus confirms Peter’s faith. In the course of the reading, let us pay attention to what follows: “Which type of confirmation does Jesus confer on Peter?”

c) The Text:

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi He put this question to His disciples, 'Who do people say the Son of man is?' 14 And they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' 15 'But you,' He said, 'who do you say I am?' 16 Then Simon Peter spoke up and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' 17 Jesus replied, 'Simon son of Jonah, you are a blessed man! It was no human agency that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. 18 So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my community. And the gates of the underworld can never overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of Heaven: whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.' 20 Then He gave the disciples strict orders not to tell anyone that He was the Christ.

3. A moment of prayerful silence

so that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.

4. Some questions

to help us in our personal reflection.

a) Which is the point which struck you the most? Why?

b) What are the opinions of people concerning Jesus? What is the opinion of the disciples and of Peter concerning Jesus?

c) What is my opinion concerning Jesus? Who am I for Jesus?

d) Peter is rock in two ways. Which? (Mt 16:21-23)

e) What type of rock am I for others? What type of rock is our community?

f) In the text there are many opinions concerning Jesus and several ways of expressing faith. Today, also there are many diverse opinions concerning Jesus. Which are the opinions of our community concerning Jesus? What mission results for us from this?

5. For those who wish to deepen more into the theme

a) Context in which our text appears in the Gospel of Matthew:

* The conversation between Jesus and Peter receives diverse interpretations and even opposite ones in the several Christian Churches. In the Catholic Church, this is the foundation for the primacy of Peter. This is why, without, in fact, diminishing the significance of the text, it is convenient to place it in the context of the Gospel of Matthew, in which, in other texts, the same qualities conferred on Peter are almost all, attributed to other persons. They do not belong exclusively to Peter.

* It is always well to keep in mind that the Gospel of Matthew was written at the end of the first century for the community of the converted Jews who lived in the region of Galilee and Syria. They were communities which suffered and were victims of many doubts concerning their faith in Jesus. The Gospel of Matthew tries to help them to overcome the crisis and to confirm them in faith in Jesus, the Messiah, who came to fulfill the promises of the Old Testament.

b) Commentary on the text:

Matthew 15:13-16: The opinions of the people and of the disciples concerning Jesus.

Jesus asks the opinion of the people and of His disciples concerning Himself. The answers are quite varied: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the Prophets. When Jesus questions about the opinion of His own disciples, Peter becomes the spokesman and says, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” Peter’s answer signifies that he recognizes in Jesus the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Old Testament and that in Jesus we have the definitive revelation of the Father for us. This confession of Peter is not new. First, after having walked on the water, the other disciples had already made the same profession of faith: “Truly You are the Son of God!” (Mt 14:33). In the Gospel of John, Martha makes this same profession of Peter: “You are the Christ, the Son of God who has come into the world” (Jn 11:27).

Matthew 16: 17: Jesus’ reply to Peter: “Blessed are you, Peter!”

Jesus proclaims Peter as “Blessed!” because he has received a revelation from the Father. In this case also, Jesus’ response is not new. First Jesus had made an identical proclamation of joy to the disciples for having seen and heard things which before nobody knew (Mt 13:16), and had praised the Father for having revealed the Son to little ones and not to the wise (Mt 11:25). Peter is one of these little ones to whom the Father reveals Himself. The perception of the presence of God in Jesus does not come “from the flesh nor from the blood”, that is, it is not the fruit of the merit of a human effort, but rather it is a gift which God grants to whom He wants.

Matthew 16:18-20: the attributions of Peter

Peter receives three attributions from Jesus: (i) To be a rock of support, (ii) to receive the keys of the Kingdom, and (iii) to be foundation of the Church.

i) To be Rock: Simon, the son of Jonah, receives from Jesus a new name which is Cephas, and that means Rock. This is why he is called Peter. Peter has to be Rock, that is, he has to be a sure foundation for the Church so that the gates of the underworld can never overpower it. With these words from Jesus to Peter, Matthew encourages the communities of Syria and Palestine, which are suffering and are the victims of persecutions, to see in Peter a leader on whom to find support, to base themselves concerning their origin. In spite of being weak and persecuted communities, they had a secure basis, guaranteed by the word of Jesus. At that time, the communities had very strong affective bonds with the persons who had begun, who were at the origin of the community. Thus, the community of Syria and Palestine fostered their bond of union with the person of Peter, the community of Greece with the person of Paul, some communities of Asia with the person of the Beloved disciple and others with the person of John of the Apocalypse. Identifying themselves with these leaders of their origin helped the communities to foster their identity and spirituality better. But this could also be a cause of dispute, as in the case of the community of Corinth (1 Cor 1:11-12).

To be rock as the basis of faith evokes the Word of God to the people who are in exile in Babylonia: “Listen to Me you who pursue saying injustice, you who seek Yahweh. Consider the rock from which you were hewn, the quarry from which you were dug. Consider Abraham your father, and Sarah who gave you birth; when I called him, he was the only one, but I blessed him and made him numerous” (Isa 51:1-2). Applied to Peter, this quality of peter-foundation indicates a new beginning of the people of God.

ii) The keys of the Kingdom: Peter receives the keys of the Kingdom to bind and to loosen, that is, to reconcile the persons among themselves and with God. Behold, that here again the same power to bind and to loosen, is given not only to Peter, but also to the other disciples (Jn 20:23) and to their own communities (Mt 18:18). One of the points on which the Gospel of Matthew insists more is reconciliation and forgiveness (Mt 5:7, 23-24, 38, 42-48; 6:14-15:35). In the years 80’s and 90’s, in Syria, because of faith in Jesus, there were many tensions in the communities and there were divisions in the families. Some accepted Him as Messiah and others did not, and this was the cause for many tensions and conflicts. Matthew insists on reconciliation. Reconciliation was and continues to be one of the most important tasks of the coordinators of the communities at present. Imitating Peter, they have to bind and loosen, that is, do everything possible so that there be reconciliation, mutual acceptance, building up of the true fraternity “Seventy times seven!” (Mt 18:22).

iii) The Church: The word Church, in Greek eklésia, appears 105 times in the New Testament, almost exclusively in the Acts of the Apostles and in the Letters, only three times in the Gospels, and once only in the Gospel of Matthew. The word literally means “convoked” or “chosen”. It indicates the people who get together convoked by the Word of God, and who seek to live the message of the Kingdom which Jesus came to bring to us. The Church or the community is not the Kingdom, but an instrument or an indication of the Kingdom. The Kingdom is much greater. In the Church, in the community, what happens when a human group allows God to reign and allows God to be ‘Lord’ in one’s life, should be rendered present to the eyes of all.

c) Deepening:

i) A picture of Saint Peter:

Peter, who was a fisherman of fish, became fisherman of men (Mk 1:17). He was married (Mk 1:30). He was a good man, very human. He was a natural leader among the twelve first disciples of Jesus. Jesus respects this leadership and makes Peter the animator of His first community (Jn 21:17). Before entering into the community of Jesus, Peter was called Simäo Bar Jona (Mt 16:17), that is, Simon, son of Jonah. Jesus calls him Cefas or Rock (Jn 1:42), who later becomes Peter (Lk 6:14).

By his nature and character, Peter could be everything, except pietra – rock. He was courageous in speaking, but in the moment of danger he allows himself to be dominated by fear and flees. For example, the time in which Jesus walked on the sea, Peter asks, “Jesus, allow me also to walk on the sea”. Jesus says: “You may come, Peter!” Peter got off from the boat and walked on the sea. But as soon as he saw a high wave, he was taken with panic, lost trust, and began to sink and cry out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus assured him and saved him (Mt 14: 28-31).

In the Last Supper, Peter tells Jesus, “I will never deny You, Lord!” (Mk 14:31), but a few hours later, in the Palace of the High Priest, in front of a servant , when Jesus had already been arrested, Peter denied, swearing that he had nothing to do with Jesus (Mk 14:66-72).

When Jesus is in the Garden of Olives, Peter takes out the sword (Jn 18:10), but ends fleeing, leaving Jesus alone. (Mk 14:50). By nature, Peter was not rock!

But this Peter, so weak and human, so similar to us, becomes rock, because Jesus prays for him and says, “Peter, I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail, and once you have recovered, you in your turn must strengthen your brothers!” (Lk 22: 31-32). This is why Jesus could say, “You are Peter and on this rock I will build My Church” (Mt 16:18). Jesus helps him to be rock. After the Resurrection, in Galilee, Jesus appears to Peter and asks him two times, “Peter, do you love Me?” And Peter responds twice, “Lord, you know that I love you!” (Jn 21:15, 16). When Jesus repeats the same question a third time, Peter becomes sad. Perhaps he remembered that he had denied Jesus three times. To this third question he answers: “Lord, you know all things! You know that I love You very much!” And it is then that Jesus entrusted to him the care of His sheep, saying, “Peter, feed My lambs!” (Jn 21:17). With the help of Jesus, the firmness of the rock grows in Peter and is revealed on the day of Pentecost.

On the day of Pentecost, after the descent of the Holy Spirit, Peter opens the door of the room where all were meeting together, locked with a key because of fear of the Jews (Jn 20:19), he takes courage and begins to announce to the people the Good News of Jesus (Acts 2:14-40). And he did not stop doing it! Thanks to this courageous announcement of the Resurrection, he was imprisoned (Acts 4:3). During the trial, he was forbidden to announce the Good News (Acts 4:18), but Peter does not obey this prohibition. He says, “We know that we have to obey God more than men!” (Acts 4: 19; 5:29). He was arrested again (Acts 5:18-26). He was tortured (Acts 5:40). But he says, “Thank you. But we shall continue!” (cf. Acts 5:42).

Tradition says that, towards the end of his life, in Rome, Peter was arrested and condemned to death, and death on the cross. He asked to be crucified with his head down. He believed he was not worthy to die like Jesus. Peter was faithful to himself up to the end!

ii) Completing the context: Matthew 16:21-23

Peter had confessed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” He had imagined a glorious Messiah, and Jesus corrects him: “It is necessary for the Messiah to suffer and to die in Jerusalem”. By saying that “it is necessary”, He indicates that suffering has already been foreseen in the prophecies (Isa 53:2-8). If Peter accepts Jesus as Messiah and Son of God, he has to accept Him also as the servant Messiah who will be put to death: not only the triumph of the glory, but also the journey to the cross! But Peter does not accept the correction and seeks to dissuade Him.

Jesus’ response is surprising: “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path because you are thinking not as God thinks but as human beings do”. Satan is the one who separates us from the path which God has traced for us. Literally, Jesus says, “Get behind Me” (Get away!). Peter wanted to place himself in front and indicate the direction. Jesus says, “Get behind Me!” He who indicates the course and direction is not Peter, but Jesus. The disciple has to follow the Master. He has to live in continuous conversion.

The Word of Jesus is also a reminder for all those who guide or direct a community. They have “to follow” Jesus and not place themselves in front of Him as Peter wanted to do. No, only they can indicate the direction or the route. Otherwise, like Peter, they are not rock of support, but they become a rock of obstacle. Thus were some of the leaders of the communities at the time of Matthew, full of ambiguity. Thus, it also happens among us even today!

6. Psalm 121

The Lord is my support

I lift up my eyes to the mountains;

where is my help to come from?

My help comes from Yahweh

who made heaven and earth.

May He save your foot from stumbling;

may He, your guardian, not fall asleep!

You see -- He neither sleeps nor slumbers,

the guardian of Israel.

Yahweh is your guardian, your shade,

Yahweh, at your right hand.

By day the sun will not strike you,

nor the moon by night.

Yahweh guards you from all harm.

Yahweh guards your life.

Yahweh guards your comings and goings,

henceforth and for ever.

7. Final Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank You for the word that has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May your Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice what Your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, Your mother, not only listen to but also practice the Word, You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

Welcoming the excluded

The Canaanite woman helps Jesus

discover the will of the Father

Matthew 15:21-28

1. Opening prayer

Lord Jesus, send Your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind that You read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the Bible, You helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of Your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection.

Create silence in us so that we may listen to Your voice in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May Your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, may experience the force of Your resurrection and witness to others that You are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of You, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed the Father to us and sent us Your Spirit. Amen.

2. Reading

a) A key to guide the reading:

In today’s text, Jesus meets a foreign woman, something forbidden by the religion of that time. At first Jesus would not pay attention to her, but the woman insisted and got what she wanted. This text helps us to understand how Jesus went about knowing and putting into practice the will of God.

b) A division of the text to help with the reading:

Mt 15: 21-22: The pained cry of the woman

Mt 15: 23-24: The strange silence of Jesus and the reaction of the disciples

Mt 15: 25-26: The repeated request of the woman and Jesus’ renewed refusal

Mt 15: 27-28: The third try of the woman who obtains the healing of her daughter.

c) The text:

21-22: Jesus left that place and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And suddenly out came a Canaanite woman from that district and started shouting, 'Lord, Son of David, take pity on me. My daughter is tormented by a devil.'

23-24: But He said not a word in answer to her. And His disciples went and pleaded with Him, saying, 'Give her what she wants, because she keeps shouting after us.' He said in reply, 'I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.'

25-26: But the woman had come up and was bowing low before Him. 'Lord,' she said, 'help me.' He replied, 'It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to little dogs.'

27-28: She retorted, 'Ah yes, Lord; but even little dogs eat the scraps that fall from their masters' table.' Then Jesus answered her, 'Woman, you have great faith. Let your desire be granted.' And from that moment her daughter was well again.

3. A moment of prayerful silence

so that the Word of God may enter into us and enlighten our life.

4. Some questions

to help us in our personal reflection.

a) What caught my attention most and what did I like most in this episode?

b) Four characters appear in the text: the woman, the daughter, the disciples and Jesus. What does the text say about each one’s attitude? With which of the four do you identify yourself most? Why?

c) Jesus says that His mission does not permit Him to listen to the woman’s request. However, soon after, He grants her request. How do you explain this sudden change in Jesus’ attitude?

d) How did the woman’s reply concerning the dogs and the scraps influence Jesus?

e) Why do those words reveal the woman’s great faith?

f) How can Jesus’ words help our community to grow in faith?

5. A key to the reading

for those who wish to go deeper into the text.

a) The context within which Matthew preserves the words of Jesus:

* Matthew’s Gospel, written about 85 AD, is addressed to a community of pious and observant Jews, converted to faith in Jesus. After Jesus’ example, they continued to live according to the traditions of the Jewish people, observing the Law of Moses in its fullness. But now in the 80s they find themselves in an ambivalent situation. After the destruction of Jerusalem (70 AD), the Pharisees, their racial brothers, had started to reorganize Judaism, and, in the name of fidelity to that same Law of Moses, sought to block the ever increasing spread of Christianity. They came to the point of expelling them from the synagogues. This unforeseen hostility brought the community of Christian Jews into deep crisis. Both the Pharisees and the Christians claimed to be faithful to the law of God. Who was right? On whose side was God? To whom did the inheritance of the Jewish people belong, to the synagogue or to the ecclesia?

* It is precisely to encourage and support this group of Jewish-Christians that Matthew writes his Gospel. He writes to confirm them in the faith by showing that Jesus is indeed the Messiah, the culmination of the whole history of the Old Testament. He writes to strengthen them in the midst of hostility, helping them to overcome the trauma of the break with the brothers. He writes to call them to a new practice of life, showing them the way to a new form of justice, better than that of the Pharisees.

* In this context, the episode of the Canaanite woman served to show the community how this same Jesus took concrete steps to go beyond the limitations of a religion turned in on itself and how He went about discerning the will of God beyond the traditional scheme.

b) A commentary on the words of Jesus as preserved in Matthew:

Matthew 15: 21: Jesus moves away from the Jewish territory.

In the discussion concerning what is pure and what is not, Jesus had taught that which was contrary to the tradition of the ancients, declaring all foods to be clean, and helped the people and the disciples free themselves of the chains of the laws on purity (Mt 15:1-20). Now, in this episode of the Canaanite woman, He moves away from Galilee, goes beyond the frontiers of the national territory and welcomes a foreign woman who did not belong to the people and with whom it was forbidden to talk. The Gospel of Mark informs us that Jesus did not want to be known. He wanted to remain anonymous. But it is evident that His fame had already preceded Him (Mk 7:24). The people knew Him and a woman begins to present Him with a request.

Matthew 15:22: The anguished cry of the woman.

The woman was from another race and religion. She begins to beg for the healing of her daughter who was possessed by an unclean spirit. The pagans had no problem having recourse to Jesus. The Jews, however, had problems co-existing with the pagans! The Law forbade them to make contact with a person of another religion or race.

Matthew 15:23-24: The strange silence of Jesus and the reaction of the disciples.

The woman shouts, but Jesus does not respond. A strange attitude! Because, if there is one sure thing throughout the Bible, from beginning to end, it is that God always listens to the cry of the oppressed. But here Jesus does not listen. He does not want to listen. Why? Even the disciples are surprised by Jesus’ attitude and ask Him to say something to the woman. They want to get rid of that shouting: "Give her what she wants, they said, because she is shouting after us". Jesus explains His silence, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel". His silence is connected to an awareness of His mission and His fidelity to the law of God. The passive form shows that the subject of the verb’s action is the Father. It is as though He had said, "The Father does not want Me to listen to this woman, because He has sent Me only to the lost sheep of Israel!" For the same reason, at the time of Matthew’s writing of the Gospel, the Pharisees were saying, "We cannot have contact with pagans!"

Matthew 15:25-26: The woman repeats her request and Jesus again refuses her.

The woman is not worried by Jesus’ refusal. The love of a mother for her sick daughter does not take notice of religious rules or other people’s reactions, but seeks healing wherever her intuition leads her to a solution, namely, in Jesus! She draws closer. She throws herself at Jesus’ feet and goes on begging, "Lord, help me". Faithful to the rules of His religion, Jesus answers with a parable and says that it is not right to take the bread of one’s children and give it to dogs. The parallel is taken from everyday life. Even today, we find many children and dogs in the houses of the poor. Jesus says that no mother will take bread from the mouths of her children and give it to dogs. Concretely, the children are the Jewish people and the dogs are the pagans. End of story! Obedient to the Father and faithful to His mission, Jesus goes on His way and takes no notice of the woman’s pleading!

Matthew 15:27-28: At the third attempt, the woman obtains the healing of her daughter.

The woman will not yield. She agrees with Jesus, but she amplifies the parallel and applies it to her case, "Ah, yes, sir; but even house-dogs can eat the scraps that fall from their master’s table". She simply draws the conclusion from that image, showing that in the houses of the poor (and so also in the house of Jesus) the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of the children. Most probably, Jesus Himself as a young boy would have given bits of bread to dogs that roamed under the table where He ate with His parents. And in "Jesus’ house", that is, in the Christian community of Matthew’s time, at the end of the first century, there were "twelve baskets full" left over (Mt 14:20) for the "dogs", that is, for the pagans!

Jesus’ reaction is immediate, "Woman, you have great faith!" The woman got what she asked for. From that moment her daughter was healed. The reason Jesus responded was that He understood that the Father wanted Him to grant the woman’s request. The meeting with the Canaanite woman freed Him from the racial prison and opened Him to the whole of humanity. This means that Jesus discovered the will of the Father by listening to the reactions of people. This pagan woman’s attitude opened new horizons for Jesus and helped Him take an important step in the fulfillment of the Father’s plan. The gift of life and salvation is for all who seek life and who try to free themselves from the chains that bind vital energy. This episode helps us to perceive a little of the mystery that surrounded the person of Jesus, the manner in which He was in communion with the Father and how He discovered the will of the Father in the events of life.

6. Psalm 6

Let us unite ourselves to the shouts of all mothers

for their sons and daughters

O Lord, rebuke me not in Thy anger,

nor chasten me in Thy wrath.

Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;

O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.

My soul also is sorely troubled.

But Thou, O Lord, how long?

Turn, O Lord, save my life;

deliver me for the sake of Thy steadfast love.

For in death there is no remembrance of Thee;

in Sheol who can give Thee praise?

I am weary with my moaning;

every night I flood my bed with tears;

I drench my couch with my weeping.

My eye wastes away because of grief,

it grows weak because of all my foes,

from me, all you workers of evil;

for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.

The Lord has heard my supplication;

the Lord accepts my prayer.

All my enemies shall be ashamed and sorely troubled;

they shall turn back, and be put to shame in a moment.

7. Final Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank You for the word that has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May Your Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice what Your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, Your mother, not only listen to but also practice the Word, You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.