38. Holy Mary, Mother of Unity

FIRST READING

A                                               At the proper time I will gather you together.

Zephaniah 3:14-20

Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!

  Sing joyfully, O Israel!

Be glad and exult with all your heart,

  O daughter Jerusalem!

The LORD has removed the judgment against you

  and turned away your enemies;

the King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,

  you have no further misfortune to fear.

On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:

  Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!

The LORD, your God, is in your midst,

  a mighty savior;

the LORD will rejoice over you with gladness,

  and renew you in his love,

the LORD will sing joyfully because of you,

  as one sings at festivals.

I will remove disaster from among you,

  so that none may recount your disgrace.

Yes, at that time I will deal

  with all who oppress you:

I will save the lame,

  and assemble the outcasts;

I will give them praise and renown

  in all the earth, when I bring about their restoration.

At that time I will bring you home,

  and at that time I will gather you;

for I will give you renown and praise,

  among all the peoples of the earth,

when I bring about your restoration

  before your very eyes, says the LORD.

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Commentary on Zep 3:14-20

 

The Prophet Zephaniah begins this passage with an exaltation of praise to God. His invitation sounds in the present tense, but then he says: “On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem,” which places the event, the rejoicing over the Lord God being in their midst, in the future. In effect, this is a prediction of events to come. Zephaniah also includes the effects of God’s presence as he continues: “a mighty savior; he will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love.”

 

We hear the expectation of the Messiah: “The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst.” In this case the effects of the Messiah on the people are the focus. The prophet proclaims a renewal of God's loving adoption and the joy felt by the Father at his favorite creation.

 

The theme of reunion, "restoration" is driven home as is salvation promised to the those who are helpless (the lame and the outcasts; those presumed to have been punished because of sins).  The prophecy promises these poor ones a place of prominence in God's kingdom.  Above all, God promises to re-unite his people and establish their place in the world.

 

CCC: Zep 3:14 722, 2676; Zep 3:17a 2676; Zep 3:17b 2676

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B                                       There is one mediator between God and Humanity,
                                                           Christ Jesus, himself human.

1 Timothy 2:5-8

  There is one God.

  There is also one mediator between God and men,

  the man Christ Jesus,

  who gave himself as ransom for all.

This was the testimony at the proper time.

For this I was appointed preacher and Apostle

  (I am speaking the truth, I am not lying),

  teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

 

It is my wish, then, that in every place the men should pray,

  lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument.

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Commentary on 1 Tm 2:5-8

 

St. Paul instructs Timothy and his followers on the communal prayers of the Church. He reminds Timothy that there is only one God and only one who stands as both God and man as mediator - Jesus Christ.  His intentions make it clear that he came to bring the Gentiles the good news and that there should be unity in Christ.

 

The final verse is an instruction on the posture of communal prayer “every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument.”

 

CCC: 1 Tm 2:5-8 2634; 1 Tm 2:5 618, 1544, 2574

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RESPONSORIAL PSALM

 

Jeremiah 31:10, 11-12ab, 13-14

 

R. (see 10c) Lord, gather your scattered people.

 

Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,

proclaim it on distant isles, and say:

He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together,

he guards them as a shepherd his flock.

R. Lord, gather your scattered people.

 

The LORD shall ransom Jacob,

he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror.

Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,

they shall come streaming to the LORD's blessings:

The grain, the wine, and the oil,

the sheep and the oxen.

R. Lord, gather your scattered people.

 

Then the virgins shall make merry and dance,

and young men and old as well.

I will turn their mourning into joy,

I will console and gladden them after their sorrows.

I will lavish choice portions upon the priests,

and my people shall be filled with my blessings.

R. Lord, gather your scattered people.

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Commentary on Jer 31:10, 11-12ab, 13-14

 

The song from Jeremiah recalls the Diaspora, the exile of the Hebrews. In these strophes, the prophet sees the salvific work of God who shepherds his people as they return from exile in the “New Exodus,” and the reunification of the people. He prophesies their return to the land from which they had been driven, giving praise to God for his mercy.  God will provide sustenance and blessing upon his faithful as they return.

 

CCC: Jer 31 1611

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GOSPEL

 

May they be completely one.

John 17:20-26

 

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:

"Holy Father, I pray not only for these,

but also for those who will believe in me through their word,

so that they may all be one,

as you, Father, are in me and I in you,

that they also may be in us,

that the world may believe that you sent me.

And I have given them the glory you gave me,

so that they may be one, as we are one,

I in them and you in me,

that they may be brought to perfection as one,

that the world may know that you sent me,

and that you loved them even as you loved me.

Father, they are your gift to me.

I wish that where I am they also may be with me,

that they may see my glory that you gave me,

because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

Righteous Father, the world also does not know you,

but I know you, and they know that you sent me.

I made known to them your name and I will make it known,

that the love with which you loved me

may be in them and I in them."

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Commentary on Jn 17:20-26

 

Here is the final part of the “High Priestly Prayer” from the Lord’s final discourse. In this selection we are joined with the disciples as Jesus prays: “also for those who will believe in me through their word.” Again the theme of unity between the Father, the Son, and his followers is emphasized and brought to a conclusion with: “that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them.”

 

CCC: Jn 17 2604, 2746, 2758; Jn 17:21-23 260, 877; Jn 17:21 820; Jn 17:22 690; Jn 17:23-26 2750; Jn 17:24 2749, 2750, 2750; Jn 17:25 2751; Jn 17:26 589, 729, 2750

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37. The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Divine Hope

FIRST READING

 

I am the mother of divine hope.

 

Sirach 24:9-12,18-21

 

Before all ages, in the beginning. God created me,

and through all ages I shall not cease to be.

In the holy tent I ministered before him,

and in Zion I fixed my abode.

Thus in the chosen city God has given me rest,

in Jerusalem is my domain.

I have struck root among the glorious people,

in the portion of the LORD, his heritage.

Come to me, all you that yearn for me,

and be filled with my fruits.

You will remember me as sweeter than honey,

better to have than the honeycomb.

Whoever eats of me will hunger still,

whoever drinks of me will thirst for more;

whoever obeys me will not be put to shame,

whoever serves me will never fail.

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Commentary on Sir 24:9-12,18-21

 

This selection is the heart of the third part of the book of Sirach. Here it is stated that wisdom comes from God and is granted to those who are faithful.  Wisdom, in ancient texts, was seen as analogous to a mother nurturing her children.  In v. 18 of ancient texts we hear the following: "I am the mother of fair love, of reverence, of knowledge, and of holy hope; To all my children I give to be everlasting: to those named by Him." [1]  Those who find wisdom thirst for more.  Those who listen and take her to heart will be held in her arms and "never fail."

 

CCC: Sir 24 721

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RESPONSORIAL PSALM

 

Luke l:46-48a, 48b-49,50-51,52-53, 54-55*

 

R. Hail, Virgin Mary, hope of God's People.

 

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

my spirit rejoices in God my savior.

For he has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness;

R. Hail, Virgin Mary, hope of God's People.

 

Behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.

The Mighty One has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.

R. Hail, Virgin Mary, hope of God's People.

 

The Lord's mercy is from age to age

to those who fear him.

He has shown might with his arm,

dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.

R. Hail, Virgin Mary, hope of God's People.

 

He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones

but lifted up the lowly.

The hungry he has filled with good things;

the rich he has sent away empty.

R. Hail, Virgin Mary, hope of God's People.

 

The Lord has helped Israel his servant,

remembering his mercy,

according to his promise to our ancestors,

to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.

R. Hail, Virgin Mary, hope of God's People.

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Commentary on Lk 1:46-47, 48-49, 50 and 53, 54-55

 

The responsorial is the Magnificat, the beautiful Canticle of Mary. Her song of thanksgiving and humility captures the saintliness that has become synonymous with our image of Mary the Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven, and the Mother of the Church. In her dedication to service, she offers herself to God as vessel of the Messiah. She sets the stage for the humble birth of Jesus.

 

CCC: Lk 1:46-55 722, 2619, 2675; Lk 1:46-49 2097; Lk 1:48 148, 971, 2676, 2676; Lk 1:49 273, 2599, 2807, 2827; Lk 1:50 2465; Lk 1:54-55 706; Lk 1:55 422

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GOSPEL

 

The mother of Jesus was at the wedding feast with him.

John 2:1-11

 

There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee,

and the mother of Jesus was there. ,

Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.

When the wine ran short,

the mother of Jesus said to him,

"They have no wine."

And Jesus said to her,

"Woman, how does your concern affect me?

My hour has not yet come."

His mother said to the servers,

"Do whatever he tells you."

Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings,

each holding twenty to thirty gallons.

Jesus told them,

"Fill the jars with water."

So they filled them to the brim.

Then he told them,

"Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter."

So they took it.

And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine,

without knowing where it came from

(although the servers who had drawn the water knew),

the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him,

"Everyone serves good wine first,

and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one;

but you have kept the good wine until now."

Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee

and so revealed his glory,

and his disciples began to believe in him.

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Commentary on Jn 2:1-11

 

The author gives us the story of Jesus' first revelatory action following his baptism by St. John the Baptist in the Jordan. Jesus and his disciples are invited to a wedding and the wine runs out. Jesus’ mother lets her son know that the time has come for his revelation, even though Jesus does not think so. The Greek in the exchange between Jesus and his mother is ambiguous; some would interpret it, ‘What concern is that of mine or yours?’, but it is more probably to be understood as a Hebrew idiom, ‘What have I to do with you?’, that is, ‘Leave me alone, do not interfere with me’, as in Matthew 8.29, and in many passages of the Old Testament. [2]

Significantly the stone water jars were there for the ceremonial cleansing, the very Hebrew custom John the Baptist used in his call to repentance. The Hebrew custom was symbolic (as was St. John's invitation to be baptized in the Jordan); the Lord would later make baptism efficacious as sins were forgiven. We also note the Hebrew numerology applied to this scene. The number six represents one less than the perfect number seven. It was not yet Jesus’ time. The water became wine, not his blood which was yet to be poured out for the salvation of mankind.

The final statement in this story: “his disciples began to believe in him,” is the only time in the Gospel of St. John where there was any doubt about the Lord’s true identity on their part.

 

CCC: Jn 2:1-12 2618; Jn 2:1-11 1613; Jn 2:1 495; Jn 2:11 486, 1335

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Reflection:

Mother of Hope by Alan Lathwell

I have always seen a direct link between what the Hebrews of the Old Testament saw as “Wisdom” and the Divine Advocate, the Holy Spirit.  And between these the personification of grace and image of wisdom is the Mother of God.  As we hear in the Magnificat used as the responsorial psalm, she effortlessly becomes a conduit for grace and wisdom, giving us hope because she has brought our Savior into the world, and through him opened once more the gates of the Heavenly Kingdom.

 

A favorite passage from the Book of Wisdom is: “The souls of the just are in the hand of God and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace.” (Wisdom 3:1-3)

 

This is the hope for us, hope in the resurrection, hope in eternal life with our Father, who is in Heaven. Mother Mary becomes an image of the hope we hold.  Her confidence in God’s mercy and recognition that his mercy flows through her Son, Jesus, is evident from the very beginning of his public ministry, exemplified in the story of the wedding feast at Cana. 

 

It is there we first see her expectation of God’s love poured out in the wine her son provided. We, the children of the Church and therefore her children, accept this hope as part of our worship.  Our confidence is bolstered by Mary’s wisdom, pointing as always to the gift she bore for us, Christ Jesus.

 

Pax

 

 *Citation in the Lectionary is incorrect. Should include vv. 54-55.

[1] See NAB footnote on Sirach 24:18.

[2] Knox Bible footnote on Jn 2:4.

36. The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Fairest Love

FIRST READING

I am the mother of fairest love.

Sirach 24:17-21

 

I bud forth delights like the vine,

   my blossoms become fruit fair and rich.

Come to me, all you that yearn for me,

   and be filled with my fruits.

You will remember me as sweeter than honey,

   better to have than the honeycomb.

Whoever eats of me will hunger still,

   whoever drinks of me will thirst for more;

whoever obeys me will not be put to shame,

   whoever serves me will never fail.

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Commentary on Sir 24:17-21

 

“In this chapter Wisdom speaks in the first person, describing her origin, her dwelling place in Israel, and the reward she gives her followers. As in Proverbs 8 Wisdom is described as a being who comes from God and is distinct from him. While we do not say with certainty that this description applies to a personal being, it does foreshadow the beautiful doctrine of the Word of God later developed in St. John's Gospel (John 1:1-14). In the liturgy this chapter is applied to the Blessed Virgin because of her constant and intimate association with Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom.”[1]

 

CCC: Sir 24 721

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RESPONSORIAL PSALM

 

Song of Songs 2:10bc and 14ef; 4:8a and 9a,11cd and 12,15

 

R. (See 4:7) O Mary, you are all fair; there is no blemish in you.

 

Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, and come!

For your voice is sweet,

and you are lovely.

R. O Mary, you are all fair; there is no blemish in you.

 

Come from Lebanon, my bride,

you have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride.

R. O Mary, you are all fair; there is no blemish in you.

 

And the fragrance of your garments

is the fragrance of Lebanon.

You are an enclosed garden, my sister, my bride,

an enclosed garden, a fountain sealed.

R. O Mary, you are all fair; there is no blemish in you.

 

You are a garden fountain, a well of water

flowing fresh from Lebanon.

R. O Mary, you are all fair; there is no blemish in you.

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Commentary on Sgs 2:10bc and 14ef; 4:8a and 9a,11cd and 12,15

This selection contains two different voices from the Song of Songs.  In the verses from the second chapter (the first strophe) the woman expresses her wish to come away with her love.  In the final three strophes from the fourth chapter, the bridegroom proclaims his love for the woman comparing her to a fragrant garden with fresh flowing streams of water. Used in the context of Marian devotion, we see the love of the bride of Christ, his Church for his mother and his own love for her as well.

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GOSPEL

 

Hail, full of grace.



Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God

to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,

to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,

of the house of David,

and the virgin’s name was Mary.

And coming to her, he said,

“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”

But she was greatly troubled at what was said

and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

Then the angel said to her,

“Do not be afraid, Mary,

for you have found favor with God.

Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,

and you shall name him Jesus.

He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,

and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,

and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,

and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”

But Mary said to the angel,

“How can this be,

since I have no relations with a man?”

And the angel said to her in reply,

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,

and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

Therefore the child to be born

will be called holy, the Son of God.

And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,

has also conceived a son in her old age,

and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;

for nothing will be impossible for God.”

Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.

May it be done to me according to your word.”

Then the angel departed from her.

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Commentary on Lk 1:26-38

 

This passage, from St. Luke’s Gospel, is the story of Mary being informed by the archangel Gabriel that she has been chosen for the great privilege of bearing the Savior of the world. St. Mary graciously accepts this honor, although with very human fear, indicating that her free will is at play. This response makes her obedience to God’s will more powerful. It is proposed that, with this acceptance, Mary entered into a vow of perpetual virginity because of the demands of Isaiah 7:14: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel."

 

In St. Luke’s story of the Annunciation, the archangel Gabriel comes to Mary and tells her she will bear a son and name him Jesus (the eternal implication of this statement is made clear in the greeting which presupposes knowledge of Mary’s entire existence). Mary confirms the title “Virgin” as she questions Gabriel saying: “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” Even though she does not understand, Mary accepts her role and is told that the Holy Spirit will be the agent of the life within her. She then utters those amazing words: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."

 

This announcement parallels Zechariah’s news about John the Baptist (Luke 1:5-23), also delivered by the archangel Gabriel. This passage clearly identifies Jesus as Son of David and Son of God, thus linking it with the messianic predictions from the Old Testament.

 

CCC: Lk 1:26-38 497, 706, 723, 2571; Lk 1:26-27 488; Lk 1:26 332; Lk 1:28-37 494; Lk 1:28 490, 491; Lk 1:31 430, 2812; Lk 1:32-33 709; Lk 1:32 559; Lk 1:34 484, 497, 505; Lk 1:35 437, 484, 486, 697; Lk 1:37-38 494; Lk 1:37 148, 269, 273, 276; Lk 1:38 64, 148, 510, 2617, 2677, 2827, 2856

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[1] See NAB footnote on Sirach 24:1-27