Readings for July 29, 2020 annotated, lectionary 403/607

This translation is from the New American Bible. The bolded hyperlinks will take you to additional translations, other relevant scriptures, and to collections of scriptures addressing the same principles. Text highlighted in yellow tells us something about God’s nature or our relationship to Him. Text in green tells us about something God wants us to do. Text in red tells describes what God wants us to avoid. Commentary is in blue.

Reading 1: Jeremiah 15:10, 16-21  

Woe to me, mother, that you gave me birth! a man of strife and contention to all the land! I neither borrow nor lend, yet all curse me.

When I found your words, I devoured them; they became my joy and the happiness of my heart, because I bore your name, O LORD, God of hosts. I did not sit celebrating in the circle of merrymakers; under the weight of your hand I sat alone because you filled me with indignation.

Why is my pain continuous, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You have indeed become for me a treacherous brook, whose waters do not abide!

Thus the LORD answered me: If you repent, so that I restore you, in my presence you shall stand; if you bring forth the precious without the vile, you shall be my mouthpiece.  Then it shall be they who turn to you, and you shall not turn to them; and I will make you toward this people a solid wall of brass. Though they fight against you, they shall not prevail, for I am with you, to deliver and rescue you, says the LORD.I will free you from the hand of the wicked, and rescue you from the grasp of the violent.

This passage, like today’s (and yesterday's) gospel, shows that we will face tough, difficult, things in this life. We are not exempted from such things by sincere belief in/service to God.  That dynamic is frankly acknowledged in John 16:33,  1 Peter 4:12-13, and Sirach 2.  See also 1 Corinthians 10:13.  

As in today’s gospel and psalm, a true believer responds to difficult circumstances by pouring his concerns/emotions/feelings out to God.

As in today’s gospel, it appears that the believer does not fully understand what is going on, why he is going through what he is going through.

As in today’s gospel, God does not recoil from or get angry with the believer, but instead helps him understand/deal with what he is facing. 

As in today’s (and yesterday's) gospel, God encourages the believer by focusing him on the good that is on the other side of the current difficulty.  We see that same dynamic in Romans 8:18 and 2 Corinthians 4:17-18.

As in today’s gospel, God turns the believer’s distress to the good:

-      By instructing/encouraging/refocusing him.

-      By using this incident to instruct/console/encourage many, many, more folks since then through this scripture. 

As in today’s gospel, most of the good that God brings forth from this difficult situation flowed to folks other than the believer.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 59: 2-4, 10-11, 17-18 

R.     (17d) Godis my refuge on the day of distress.
Rescue me from my enemies, O my God; from my adversaries defend me.
Rescue me from evildoers; from bloodthirsty men save me.
R.     God is my refuge on the day of distress.
For behold, they lie in wait for my life; mighty men come together against me, Not for any offense or sin of mine, O LORD.
R.     God is my refuge on the day of distress.
O my strength! for you I watch; for you, O God, are my stronghold,
As for my God, may his mercy go before me; may he show me the fall of my foes.
R.     God is my refuge on the day of distress.
But I will sing of your strength and revel at dawn in your mercy;
You have been my stronghold, my refuge in the day of distress.
R.     God is my refuge on the day of distress.
O my strength! your praise will I sing; for you, O God, are my stronghold, my merciful God!
R.     God is my refuge on the day of distress.

As in today’s gospel and first reading, a true believer responds to difficult circumstances by pouring his concerns/emotions/feelings out to God.

Other scriptures discussing the fact that God is our refuge are collected at Wisdom Principles—God is a Refuge for Those Who Love Him.

Alleluia: John 8:12  

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: John 11:19-27  

Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother [Lazarus, who had died]. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home.

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.”

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise.”

Martha said to him, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.” 

Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”

Martha gives us a good example of how to respond to difficult circumstances:

-      She went to Jesus, she sought Him out

-      She poured out her thoughts, feelings, to Him

-      She engaged with Him, letting Him lead her in her processing/understanding/responding to the situation

Jesus is gracious to her. He does not get upset about her accusatory/complaining statement or upbraid her about her lack of understanding of what is going on. Instead, He helps her to understand and deal with the situation.

Martha’s confusion and emotions show that even those very close to Jesus (as she was) can be confused about and upset by what He is doing.

the LORD answered me

repent, so that I restore you, in my presence you shall stand

I am with you, to deliver and rescue you, says the LORD

I will free you from the hand of the wicked, and rescue you from the grasp of the violent.

Godis my refuge on the day of distress.
God is my refuge on the day of distress.
God is my refuge on the day of distress.
O my strength! 

you, O God, are my stronghold,
his mercy

God is my refuge on the day of distress.
your strength

God is my refuge on the day of distress.
my strength! 

you, O God, are my stronghold,
my merciful God!
God is my refuge on the day of distress.

I am the light of the world

whoever follows me will have the light of life.
I am the resurrection and the life

whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die. 

you are the Christ

the Son of God

the one who is coming into the world

When I found your words, I devoured them; they became my joy and the happiness of my heart

I bore your name

Repent

bring forth the precious without the vile,

for you I watch

you, O God, are my stronghold,sing of your strength 

your praise will I sing

you, O God, are my stronghold,

follows me

she went to meet him

Martha said to Jesus

celebrating in the circle of merrymakers

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Readings for July 28, 2020 annotated, lectionary 402

This translation is from the New American Bible. The bolded hyperlinks will take you to additional translations, other relevant scriptures, and meditations on the principles raised by today’s readings. Text highlighted in yellow tells us something about God’s nature or our relationship to Him. Text in green tells us about something God wants us to do. Text in red tells describes what God wants us to avoid. Commentary is in blue.

Reading 1: Jeremiah 14:17-22  

Let my eyes stream with tears day and night, without rest, over the great destruction which overwhelms the virgin daughter of my people, over her incurable wound.
If I walk out into the field, look! those slain by the sword; if I enter the city, look! those consumed by hunger.
Even the prophet and the priest forage in a land they know not.

Have you cast Judah off completely?
Is Zion loathsome to you?
Why have you struck us a blow that cannot be healed?
We wait for peace, to no avail; for a time of healing, but terror comes instead.

We recognize, O LORD, our wickedness, the guilt of our fathers; that we have sinned against you.
For your name’s sake spurn us not, disgrace not the throne of your glory; remember your covenant with us, and break it not.
Among the nations’ idols is there any that gives rain?

Or can the mere heavens send showers? Is it not you alone, O LORD, our God, to whom we look?
You alone have done all these things.

Responsorial Psalm:Psalm 79:8, 9, 11, and 13

R.     (9)  For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Remember not against us the iniquities of the past; may your compassion quickly come to us, for we are brought very low.
R.     For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Help us, O God our savior, because of the glory of your name; deliver us and pardon our sins for your name’s sake.
R.     For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Let the prisoners’ sighing come before you; with your great power free those doomed to death.
Then we, your people and the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; through all generations we will declare your praise.
R.     For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower; all who come to him will live forever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Matthew 13:36-43  

Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world,the good seed the children of the Kingdom.

The weeds are the children of the Evil One, and the enemy who sows them is the Devil.

The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his Kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father.

Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

Jesus is the source of all good and desires good for us. 

The sad, unavoidable, fact is that the Devil desires the opposite and actively tries to thwart the good Jesus desires/sows. Some folks side with the Devil and aid him in his efforts. 

 At some point Jesus will undo the effects of their efforts.  

We will then fully manifest the goodness Jesus planted in us, we “will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father.” That sounds a lot like what is described in Colossians 3:1-4.

So what do we do in the meantime? 

-      Do not lose sight of the fact that Jesus will ultimately deliver and fulfill us.

-      Focus on growing into the best crop we can be, in spite of the weeds around us. That, rather than the weeds, should be our focus. Psalm 37  provides some great guidance on this. 

-      As described in today’s first reading, we should recognize, confess, and repent of our own sin. That will help us grow into what Jesus wants from us; that’s why He gave us the sacrament of reconciliation. See A good confession is like restarting your computer, Confession is a Lot Like Weeding,Confession also seems to be a lot like composting, and the scriptures collected in Wisdom Principles—Confessing Sin. 

-      As exemplified by today’s psalm, pray for God’s mercy. He is more than able to help us through whatever we face and promises to give us wisdom for dealing with the hard things around us. See 1 Corinthians 10:13and James 1:5.   See also Another Rosary Based Prayer About the Pandemic: Seeking God’s Mercy. 

the glory of your name

your compassion

the glory of your name

the glory of your name

the glory of your name

He who sows good seed is the Son of Man

the good seed the children of the Kingdom

The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his Kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers

the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father.

We recognize, O LORD, our wickedness, the guilt of our fathers; that we have sinned against you

Is it not you alone, O LORD, our God, to whom we look?
Whoever has ears ought to hear

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cause others to sin