From: Luke 9:46-50:
Humility and Tolerance
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Commentary:
46-48. Jesus takes a child in His arms to give His Apostles example and to cor-
rect their too-human ambitions, thereby teaching all of us not to make ourselves
important. “Don’t try to be a grown-up. A child, always a child, even when you are
dying of old age. When a child stumbles and falls, nobody is surprised; his father
promptly lifts him up. When the person who stumbles and falls is older, the imme-
diate reaction is one of laughter. Sometimes this first impulse passes and the
laughter gives way to pity. But older people have to get up by themselves.
“Your sad experience of each day is full of stumbles and falls. What would be-
come of you if you were not continually more of a child? Don’t want to be grown-
up. Be a child; and when you stumble, may you be lifted by the hand of your
Father-God” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 870).
49-50. Our Lord corrects the exclusivist and intolerant attitude of the Apostles.
St. Paul later learned this lesson, as we can see from what he wrote during his
imprisonment in Rome: “Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but
others from good will [...]. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pre-
tense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in that I rejoice” (Philippians 1:15, 18).
“Rejoice, when you see others working in good apostolic activities. And ask God
to grant them abundant grace and that they may respond to that grace. Then,
you, on your way: convince yourself that it’s the only way for you” (St. J. Escriva,
“The Way”, 965).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
First reading | Job 1:6-22 © |
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Psalm | Psalm 16:1-3,6-7 © |
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Gospel Acclamation | Jn14:6 |
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Or | Mk10:45 |
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Gospel | Luke 9:46-50 © |
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