Monday, 16 November 2009

Monday of the Thirty-third week in Ordinary Time

Today the Church celebrates : St. Margaret of Scotland (c. 1046-1093),  St. Gertrude the Great, Abbess (+ c. 1302)

See commentary below or click here
Saint Gregory the Great : “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!”

2nd book of Maccabees 1:10-15.41-43.54-57.62-64.

There sprang from these a sinful offshoot, Antiochus Epiphanes, son of King Antiochus, once a hostage at Rome. He became king in the year one hundred and thirty-seven of the kingdom of the Greeks. In those days there appeared in Israel men who were breakers of the law, and they seduced many people, saying: “Let us go and make an alliance with the Gentiles all around us; since we separated from them, many evils have come upon us.” The proposal was agreeable; some from among the people promptly went to the king, and he authorized them to introduce the way of living of the Gentiles. Thereupon they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem according to the Gentile custom. They covered over the mark of their circumcision and abandoned the holy covenant; they allied themselves with the Gentiles and sold themselves to wrongdoing. Then the king wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people, each abandoning his particular customs. All the Gentiles conformed to the command of the king, and many Israelites were in favor of his religion; they sacrificed to idols and profaned the sabbath. On the fifteenth day of the month Chislev, in the year one hundred and forty-five, the king erected the horrible abomination upon the altar of holocausts, and in the surrounding cities of Judah they built pagan altars. They also burnt incense at the doors of houses and in the streets. Any scrolls of the law which they found they tore up and burnt. Whoever was found with a scroll of the covenant, and whoever observed the law, was condemned to death by royal decree. But many in Israel were determined and resolved in their hearts not to eat anything unclean; they preferred to die rather than to be defiled with unclean food or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die. Terrible affliction was upon Israel.ä»…

Psalms 119:53.61.134.150.155.158.

Rage seizes me because of the wicked; they forsake your teaching.
Though the snares of the wicked surround me, your teaching I do not forget.
Free me from human oppression, that I may keep your precepts.
Malicious persecutors draw near me; they are far from your teaching.
Salvation is far from sinners because they do not cherish your laws.
I view the faithless with loathing, because they do not heed your promise.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 18:35-43.

Now as he approached Jericho a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging, and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” He shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” The people walking in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent, but he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me!” Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him, What do you want me to do for you? He replied, “Lord, please let me see.” Jesus told him, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.” He immediately received his sight and followed him, giving glory to God. When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.

Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB

Commentary of the day :

Saint Gregory the Great (c.540-604), Pope, Doctor of the Church
Homily 13 on the Gospel (©Cistercian publications)

“Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!”

We must note that the blind man was enlightened while Jesus is said to be drawing near Jericho. Jericho is interpreted ‘moon’.  In sacred scripture the moon symbolizes the weakness of our body, since as it wanes in its monthly changes it depicts the weakness of our mortal nature. The blind man came to the light when our Creator drew near Jericho, because when a divine person undertook the weakness of body the human race recovered the light that it had lost. God suffered as a human being, and humans are raised up to divinity.

The humanity represented by this blind man is rightly described as sitting at the wayside and as begging. Truth himself told us: «I am the way» (Jn 14,6). Anyone ignorant of the brightness of eternal light is blind. If he already believes in his Redeemer he is «sitting at the
wayside». If he already believes but only pretends to ask for eternal light, if he refrains from praying, he is indeed a blind man sitting at the wayside… If anyone recognizes the darkness of his blindness, if anyone understands that the light of truth is wanting to him, ket him cry from the bottom of his heart, let him cry also with his whole mind, let him say: «Jesus, son of David, have pity on me!»