Commentary on the Readings for Sunday – February 14, 2010
The Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Readings for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time compare spiritual attitudes and relationships and the result of the positive versus the negative. Attitudes often reflect the success or failure of our relationships and end up affecting our whole being, both spiritual and physical. Relationships are often based on personal needs and expectations – without regard to the needs and expectations of the other person, thereby setting up an in balance that is bound to fail. Let us see how this works out in the Readings today.
The First Reading is from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah (17:5 – 8). This is a teaching from the Prophet who, in the early 5th century BC, is trying to revive the spirits and attitudes of the Jews shortly after the end of the Babylonian Exile. They were demoralized and had lost hope in themselves, in God and everyone else. Jeremiah uses an example from nature: of trees planted near streams or rivers that survive even in times of severe heat or drought. In this example, he is saying that the Jews (represented by the trees) need to stay close to God (nourishing waters) and when they do, they will survive and flourish, but if they turn away from God and try to survive on their own, they will surly perish.
The Responsorial Psalm is (1:1 – 6).This Psalm picks up the same theme, using almost the same words. Psalms are often meditations on an event or teaching from an earlier part of the Bible and can often be a support or verification of the earlier work. Because the point being made in Jeremiah’s teaching is so important to everyone, even today, it needs to be repeated.
The Second Reading is taken from St. Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians (15:12, 16 – 20). At the time of Christ, as it is today, the Jews were, and still are, divided in their belief about life after death. Here, Paul is teaching those Jews and Greeks who have become Christians that to believe in the resurrection of the dead is necessary to being a true Christian because it reflects our belief in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ – the hallmark of all Christian beliefs. To not believe in life after death is to be like the tree that is not being watered or nourished; it will perish.
The Gospel Reading is from the Gospel of St. Luke (6:17, 20 – 26). In this passage, we hear Luke’s version of the Beatitudes, similar to those in Matthew’s Gospel, but with the negative side (the woes) added. These statements of blessing and woe are to help people, then and now, to make wise decisions and relationships based on positive attitudes and objectives, or suffer the consequences for acting alone, that is, without the counsel of the Holy Spirit.
The greatest relationship we can have is a firm prayerful relationship with our Lord, Jesus Christ, but if we don’t believe that He rose from the dead, what good would that relationship be to us? Therefore, we must reexamine the tenets of our faith to better understand what we believe and why? Could you, right at this moment, sit down and write out what you do believe about Christ? Every Catholic should be able to do this, if you cannot, then re-read the last sentence from the comments on the passage from Jeremiah above. Something to think about during your Prayer time this week!
If you have questions or comments regarding the above, please send them, in writing, to the Parish Office. We will try to respond as quickly as possible.
Sunday Commentary
Commentary on the Readings for Sunday – February 14, 2010
The Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Readings for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time compare spiritual attitudes and relationships and the result of the positive versus the negative. Attitudes often reflect the success or failure of our relationships and end up affecting our whole being, both spiritual and physical. Relationships are often based on personal needs and expectations – without regard to the needs and expectations of the other person, thereby setting up an in balance that is bound to fail. Let us see how this works out in the Readings today.
The First Reading is from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah (17:5 – 8). This is a teaching from the Prophet who, in the early 5th century BC, is trying to revive the spirits and attitudes of the Jews shortly after the end of the Babylonian Exile. They were demoralized and had lost hope in themselves, in God and everyone else. Jeremiah uses an example from nature: of trees planted near streams or rivers that survive even in times of severe heat or drought. In this example, he is saying that the Jews (represented by the trees) need to stay close to God (nourishing waters) and when they do, they will survive and flourish, but if they turn away from God and try to survive on their own, they will surly perish.
The Responsorial Psalm is (1:1 – 6). This Psalm picks up the same theme, using almost the same words. Psalms are often meditations on an event or teaching from an earlier part of the Bible and can often be a support or verification of the earlier work. Because the point being made in Jeremiah’s teaching is so important to everyone, even today, it needs to be repeated.
The Second Reading is taken from St. Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians (15:12, 16 – 20). At the time of Christ, as it is today, the Jews were, and still are, divided in their belief about life after death. Here, Paul is teaching those Jews and Greeks who have become Christians that to believe in the resurrection of the dead is necessary to being a true Christian because it reflects our belief in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ – the hallmark of all Christian beliefs. To not believe in life after death is to be like the tree that is not being watered or nourished; it will perish.
The Gospel Reading is from the Gospel of St. Luke (6:17, 20 – 26). In this passage, we hear Luke’s version of the Beatitudes, similar to those in Matthew’s Gospel, but with the negative side (the woes) added. These statements of blessing and woe are to help people, then and now, to make wise decisions and relationships based on positive attitudes and objectives, or suffer the consequences for acting alone, that is, without the counsel of the Holy Spirit.
The greatest relationship we can have is a firm prayerful relationship with our Lord, Jesus Christ, but if we don’t believe that He rose from the dead, what good would that relationship be to us? Therefore, we must reexamine the tenets of our faith to better understand what we believe and why? Could you, right at this moment, sit down and write out what you do believe about Christ? Every Catholic should be able to do this, if you cannot, then re-read the last sentence from the comments on the passage from Jeremiah above. Something to think about during your Prayer time this week!
If you have questions or comments regarding the above, please send them, in writing, to the Parish Office. We will try to respond as quickly as possible.
MFB