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Memorial: St Lucy, Virgin and Martyr

From: Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13

Salvation of the remnant of Israel

Thus says the LORD:
[1] Woe to her that is rebellious and defiled,
the oppressing city!
[2] She listens to no voice,
she accepts no correction.
She does not trust in the LORD,
she does not draw near to her God.

[9] “Yea, at that time I will change
the speech of the peoples
to a pure speech,
that all of them may call
on the name of the LORD
and serve him with one accord.
[10] From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia
my suppliants, the daughter
of my dispersed ones,
shall bring my offering.

[11] “On that day you shall not be put to shame
because of the deeds
by which you have rebelled against me;
for then I will remove from your midst
your proudly exultant ones,
and you shall no longer be haughty
in my holy mountain.
[12] For I will leave in the midst of you
a people humble and lowly.
They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord,
[13] those who are left in Israel;
they shall do no wrong
and utter no lies,
nor shall there be found in their mouth
a deceitful tongue.
For they shall pasture and lie down,
and none shall make them afraid.”

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Commentary:

3:1-5. The oracles against the nations are followed by this one against Jerusa-
lem. It is similar to Amos 1-2, and Isaiah 1:21-26, in the sense that both diatribes
are directed against community leaders — officials, judges, prophets and priests
(vv. 3-4). Where once Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, was called an “exultant ci-
ty”, a city full of pride, now Jerusalem is accused of being “rebellious”, “oppres-
sing”, and of having rejected four graces — not listening to the voice of the Lord,
not accepting conversion, not trusting in the Lord, not drawing near to her God
(v. 2). But unlike the Nineveh oracle, the one about Jerusalem ends on a note of
hope, for in spite of everything, “the Lord within her is righteous” and he will put
things right (v. 5).

3:9-20. The Lord is still speaking here, but there is a total change of focus — from
destruction to salvation, which is the intention behind divine punishment. The ope-
ning verses proclaim the purification of the nations (vv. 9-10), in a reversal of what
happened to Babel of old (Gen 11:1-9). Those scattered abroad after God con-
fused the language of the sons of men (Gen 11:8-9) — they are called “the daugh-
ter of my dispersed ones” in v. 10 — will return, bringing offerings with them. Then
the text speaks of the purification of Judah (vv. 11-13), of the survival of a “humble”
remnant, who will hope in the Lord, will act rightly and will live in peace. As a
consequence of the conversion of Judah and Israel, great will be the joy of Zion
(vv. 14-18a). The faithful remnant is called “daughter of Zion” and “daughter of Je-
rusalem” (v. 14), somewhat paralleling the “daughter of my dispersed ones” (v.
10). In v. 14 there are four calls to rejoice — “sing aloud”, “shout”, “rejoice”, “ex-
ult”. The source of all this joy is the Lord’s presence in their midst (v. 17), which
brings with it all kinds of advantages (vv. 17-18). At the end of the passage (vv.
18-20), Zion’s joy is made complete by the return of the exiles and Israel’s pres-
tige among the nations.

3:11-13 The oracle becomes very tender at this point. The prophet is able to see
a “remnant” of Israel who will be saved and become the core of the great restora-
tion. Through the prophet, God describes this remnant as “a people humble and
lowly”, but the catalogue of their qualities (vv. 12-13) shows that poverty and hu-
mility here do not refer to social status but to the people’s inner attitude towards
God. In fact, these terms (”humble and lowly”), through the Greek of the Septua-
gint, which translates them as “praiis” (meek) and “tapeinos” (humble), will be-
come part of the vocabulary of Jesus preaching: “learn from me; for I am gentle
and lowly in heart” (Mt 11:29; cf. Mt 5:3, 5; 21:5).

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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.

From: Matthew 21:28-32

The Parable of the Two Sons

(Jesus told the chief priests and the elders,) [28] “What do you think? A man had
two sons; and he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard to-
day.’ [29] And he answered, ‘I will not’; but afterwards he repented and went. [30]
And he went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but
did not go. [31] Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the harlots go in-
to the kingdom of God before you. [32] For John came to you in the way of righ-
teousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the harlots be-
lieved him; and even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe
him.”

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Commentary:

32. St. John the Baptist had shown the way to sanctification by proclaiming the
imminence of the Kingdom of God and by preaching conversion. The scribes and
Pharisees would not believe him, yet they boasted of their faithfulness to God’s
teaching. They were like the son who says “I will go” and then does not go; the
tax collectors and prostitutes who repented and corrected the course of their
lives will enter the Kingdom before them: they are like the other son who says “I
will not”, but then does go. Our Lord stresses that penance and conversion can
set people on the road to holiness even if they have been living apart from God
for a long time.

*********************************************************************************************
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.

Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible by Darton, Longman & Todd

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Red.

First reading
Zephaniah 3:1-2,9-13 ©

Trouble is coming to the rebellious, the defiled,

the tyrannical city!

She would never listen to the call,

would never learn the lesson;

she has never trusted in the Lord,

never drawn near to her God.

Yes, I will then give the peoples lips that are clean,

so that all may invoke the name of the Lord

and serve him under the same yoke.

From beyond the banks of the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants

will bring me offerings.

When that day comes

you need feel no shame for all the misdeeds

you have committed against me,

for I will remove your proud boasters

from your midst;

and you will cease to strut

on my holy mountain.

In your midst I will leave

a humble and lowly people,

and those who are left in Israel will seek refuge in the name of the Lord.

They will do no wrong,

will tell no lies;

and the perjured tongue will no longer

be found in their mouths.

But they will be able to graze and rest

with no one to disturb them.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 33(34):2-3,6-7,16,18-19,23 ©