March 6, 7 Sunday and Monday readings
31:2-3.3-4.17.25. Matthew 7:21-27:
Moses is not only a leader, he is also a prophet and a teacher. By
following his legacy which is so well expressed in Deuteronomy, the People
of Israel know how to do the will of God. They are to choose life over
death, blessings over curses, and good over evil. This book of Deuteronomy
is similar to the Fourth Gospel in that it gets to the heart of the matter
for the followers of Moses just as John's Gospel goes deep into the mystery
of God's love and our living faith in the very person of Jesus, God's Son.
Deuteronomy is a second torah or teaching, instruction, and revelation of
God's word to God's chosen people Israel.
Jesus bases his Sermon on the Mount on much of what is contained within
Deuteronomy. And now as we come to the end of the Sermon we see that the
first reading complements our listening to the final words of this great
discourse in Matthew, the first of five such discourses. The most sacred
prayer of the Jewish people is given in Deuteronomy the Shema (Deuteronomy
6:4) and the Lord's Prayer is found within the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew
6:9-15).
Jesus tells us that we have to do more than just pray to him saying, "Lord,
Lord!" It is not even enough to exorcise evil in his Name, or to cure
people with a miracle. We need to do what Moses and Jesus command us to
do, namely, to do daily the will of God. No excuse in asking ourselves what
that is. Both the message from Deuteronomy and the Sermon on the Mount give
us the blueprint for doing God's will. God loves us unconditionally; we
nee to respond to that love by saying, "Father, not my will but thine be
done." Our belief in God and Jesus needs to be put into action. That
action is a type of love that goes beyond the ordinary friendships we
cherish. It goes all out to others who are not friends and who even
persecute us for what we are convinced is the will of God. Perhaps, before
Lent starts this Wednesday, we could take the time to reread chapters five
to seven of Matthew: the Sermon on the Mount. Amen.
Scripture: Lectionary 353: Monday, March 7th. Tobit 1:1.2.2:1-9. Psalm
112:1-2,3-4,5-6. Mark 12:1-12:
Our first reading Tobit is an edifying story of a pious Israelite named
Tobit who is from the town of Ecbatana and is of the tribe of Naphtali
symbolized by a hind let loose (Genesis 30:8; 35:25. 49:21. Numbers
1:15,42).
The first verse sets the stage for a fascinating narrative showing the
struggles, tensions, and humor within family life during the third and
fourth centuries before Christ. The reading is swift and easy which makes
it an enjoyable task of reading this deuterocanonical work. It is meant to
foster our piety, our religious sensitivity, and our moral behavior. It is
a fictive work that may be classified as a theodicy depicting why do bad
things happen to good people. Since it depicts biblical life within the
centuries after the Exile and before the time of Judas Maccabeus we have
valuable information about the social behaviors, the religious devotions,
the corporal works of mercy, and the humor of that period of time.
The text was originally in Aramaic, the language used by Jesus. It is
attested to in the Dead Sea Scrolls and its complete narrative is in Greek.
Most scholars would date it around 200 B.C. There is no mention of the
hope of resurrection in it. Rather it is describing the life of a devout
Jew Tobit who suffers for his observance of Judaism (J.L.McKenzie).
It belongs more to the genre of Wisdom literature and is similar in some
ways to the tragic story of Job. We can gain some insight into our acts of
piety from it and perhaps this is its value this day being the Monday
before Mardi Gras! Some of the good works are: almsgiving, observance of
cleanliness laws thus an act of charity for our neighbors! Burying the
dead, many prayers, honoring God, and thanksgiving are within the contents
of the book. Raphael, the angel of healing, is also featured in this
biblical narrative.
The humor is seen in the interaction of Tobit with his wife and the rather
unusual situations in Sarah's life with her suitors. Eventually all ends
well like a good old Western movie. It is a fitting way to get ready for
Lent and a good transition from ordinary time and Mardi Gras. Have a good
Lent. Amen.
posted by Fr. Bert SM at 5:46 PM
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