for February 1, 2007: Fourth Week, Thursday (Ordinary Time)
Scripture: Hebrews 12:18-19.21-24. Psalm 48:2-4,9-11. Mark 6:7-13
Hebrews is addressed to a Jewish-Christian community which has
separated from the mother community of Judaism probably before the first
century ends. Its author is a very learned Jew who probably lived in the
Diaspora (outside the Holy Land or Israel) and most likely in Alexandria
where Greek was the language of the people and of the synagogue. It is
there that the Scriptures were translated from Hebrew into Greek (probably
150 B.C.) and what we call the deuterocanonical books of the Catholic
version of the Bible were written and accepted by both Jews and Jewish
Christians as divinely inspired. Later Jewish councils and Church writers
would start to enumerate which books were divinely inspired. The
Chrisitans of today accept 27 books for the New Testament but do not accept
the deuterocanonical books of the Catholic Church since for them only those
writings originally written in Hebrew were divinely inspired,that is , in
the Old Testament or Hebrew Scriptures. St. Jerome agreed with such an
enumeration, but the Council of Trent enumerated the deuterocanonical as
inspired. This is where we differ from other Christians and also from the
Jews. Pope Sixtus the Fifth of Siena gaven the term deutercanonical to the
following books of the Catholic Bible: Sirach, Baruch, Tobit, Judith, Greek
version of Esther, Greek parts of Daniel, I Maccabees, II Maccabees, and
Wisdom. Getting back to our texts for today, we learn that Jesus is the
mediator and high priest who has redeemed us by his blood. We have heard
and read this theme throughout Hebrews and it continues as we near the end
of this essay. Zion is symbolic of the heavenly Jerusalem (also this is
the same in the Apocalypse or Book of Revelation) and all are destined to
became citizens of this heavenly Jerusalem or Zion. The Psalm is fitting
since it extols Zion as a city surrounded by God's loving providence.
Turning to the Gospel selection from Mark we learn that Jesus is now
appointing the Twelve to go out on their own and preach, witness, and cure
people as he has done. I see this "sending" as the apostolic commission
and perhaps the use of the term apostle (one who is sent). They are no
longer just disciples of Jesus they are apostles with his authority and
delegation to do what he has done. They are to be simple in their behavior
and clothing and not to be encombered by any worldly trappings of wealth.
Fleet of foot they are to move on to new cities and villages. Today we
realize that we are called to be in tune with doing God's will and be
apostles and witnesses of justice, peace, and holiness. This call to
universal holiness is stressed in Vatican II where we all are considered as
the People of God with a mission to become the hands and voice of God and
Jesus in a world which needs healing. We are to be dedicated to helping
release people from fear and liberated from being isolated or persecuted.
We are all in this together. Amen.
Hebrews is addressed to a Jewish-Christian community which has
separated from the mother community of Judaism probably before the first
century ends. Its author is a very learned Jew who probably lived in the
Diaspora (outside the Holy Land or Israel) and most likely in Alexandria
where Greek was the language of the people and of the synagogue. It is
there that the Scriptures were translated from Hebrew into Greek (probably
150 B.C.) and what we call the deuterocanonical books of the Catholic
version of the Bible were written and accepted by both Jews and Jewish
Christians as divinely inspired. Later Jewish councils and Church writers
would start to enumerate which books were divinely inspired. The
Chrisitans of today accept 27 books for the New Testament but do not accept
the deuterocanonical books of the Catholic Church since for them only those
writings originally written in Hebrew were divinely inspired,that is , in
the Old Testament or Hebrew Scriptures. St. Jerome agreed with such an
enumeration, but the Council of Trent enumerated the deuterocanonical as
inspired. This is where we differ from other Christians and also from the
Jews. Pope Sixtus the Fifth of Siena gaven the term deutercanonical to the
following books of the Catholic Bible: Sirach, Baruch, Tobit, Judith, Greek
version of Esther, Greek parts of Daniel, I Maccabees, II Maccabees, and
Wisdom. Getting back to our texts for today, we learn that Jesus is the
mediator and high priest who has redeemed us by his blood. We have heard
and read this theme throughout Hebrews and it continues as we near the end
of this essay. Zion is symbolic of the heavenly Jerusalem (also this is
the same in the Apocalypse or Book of Revelation) and all are destined to
became citizens of this heavenly Jerusalem or Zion. The Psalm is fitting
since it extols Zion as a city surrounded by God's loving providence.
Turning to the Gospel selection from Mark we learn that Jesus is now
appointing the Twelve to go out on their own and preach, witness, and cure
people as he has done. I see this "sending" as the apostolic commission
and perhaps the use of the term apostle (one who is sent). They are no
longer just disciples of Jesus they are apostles with his authority and
delegation to do what he has done. They are to be simple in their behavior
and clothing and not to be encombered by any worldly trappings of wealth.
Fleet of foot they are to move on to new cities and villages. Today we
realize that we are called to be in tune with doing God's will and be
apostles and witnesses of justice, peace, and holiness. This call to
universal holiness is stressed in Vatican II where we all are considered as
the People of God with a mission to become the hands and voice of God and
Jesus in a world which needs healing. We are to be dedicated to helping
release people from fear and liberated from being isolated or persecuted.
We are all in this together. Amen.
posted by Fr. Bert SM at 9:27 AM
<< Home