Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Wis 9:13-18b

Who can know God’s counsel,
or who can conceive what the LORD intends?
For the deliberations of mortals are timid,
and unsure are our plans.
For the corruptible body burdens the soul
and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns.
And scarce do we guess the things on earth,
and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty;
but when things are in heaven, who can search them out?
Or who ever knew your counsel, except you had given wisdom
and sent your holy spirit from on high?
And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17

R. (1) In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You turn man back to dust,
saying, “Return, O children of men.”
For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You make an end of them in their sleep;
the next morning they are like the changing grass,
Which at dawn springs up anew,
but by evening wilts and fades.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
And may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours;
prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Reading 2 Phmn 9-10, 12-17

I, Paul, an old man,
and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus,
urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus,
whose father I have become in my imprisonment;
I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you.
I should have liked to retain him for myself,
so that he might serve me on your behalf
in my imprisonment for the gospel,
but I did not want to do anything without your consent,
so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary.
Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while,
that you might have him back forever,
no longer as a slave
but more than a slave, a brother,
beloved especially to me, but even more so to you,
as a man and in the Lord.
So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me.

Alleluia Ps 119:135

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let your face shine upon your servant;
and teach me your laws.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 14:25-33

Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,
and he turned and addressed them,
“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters,
and even his own life,
he cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple.
Which of you wishing to construct a tower
does not first sit down and calculate the cost
to see if there is enough for its completion?
Otherwise, after laying the foundation
and finding himself unable to finish the work
the onlookers should laugh at him and say,
‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’
Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down
and decide whether with ten thousand troops
he can successfully oppose another king
advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?
But if not, while he is still far away,
he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.
In the same way,
anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple.”

From: Wisdom 9:13-18

Wisdom essential for discerning God’s will

[13] For what man can learn the counsel of God?
Or who can discern what the Lord wills?
[14] For the reasoning of mortals is worthless,
and our designs are likely to fail,
[15] for a perishable body weighs down the soul,
and this earthly tent burdens the thoughtful mind.
[16] We can hardly guess at what is on earth,
and what is at hand we find with labour;
but who has traced out what is in the heavens?
[17] Who has learned thy counsel, unless thou hast given wisdom
and sent thy holy Spirit from on high?
[18] And thus the paths of those on earth were set right,
and men were taught what pleases thee,
and were saved by wisdom.”

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Commentary:

9:13-18. These verses conclude the survey of wisdom, which as we saw is some-
times identified with the “holy Spirit” that God sends from on high (v. 17). The last
verse says that thanks to wisdom men are saved (v. 18), for through it they have
learned to understand God’s purposes. Left to himself, man cannot attain wisdom
because his reasoning powers are quite limited and he is often side-tracked (v.
14); moreover, the cares of life get in the way (v. 15); in the last analysis, man is
really quite limited (v. 16). In speaking like this, the writer is not saying that we
cannot discover truth; all he means is that God’s purposes, the Wisdom of God,
cannot be discovered by man on his own. But now that the Word has become
man, we can manage to know the mystery of God: “Because God did not wish
to be known any longer through the image and sign of living wisdom to be found
in created things, as happened in former times, it was his will that Wisdom itself
would become flesh, and that, having been made man, he would suffer death on
the cross; so that in all the days to come, everyone who believed in him could
be saved through their faith in the cross. In former times, the Wisdom of God
stamped his seal on all created things – and the presence of his sign is the rea-
son why we called them ‘created’ – to reveal himself and so make his Father
known. But later, this same Wisdom, who is the Word, was made flesh, as St
John says; and having overcome death and saved the human race, he revealed
himself in a clearer way and, through himself, revealed the Father” (St Athana-
sius, Contra arianos, 2, 81-82).

Verse 15 seems to contain the Platonic idea of the body being the prison of the
soul, but the sacred writer does not think that the soul pre-existed the body: all
he is doing is making the point that the physical part of man blinds him to spiri-
tual things. St Paul will expand on this when he talks about how his members
contend with his “inmost self”: “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me
from this body of death?” (Rom 7:24).

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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: Philemon 9-10, 12-17

A Plea on Onesimus’ Behalf

[9] [Y]et for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an ambassador and
now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus—[10] I appeal to you for my, child, Onesi-
mus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment.

[12] I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. [13] I would have been
glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during
my imprisonment for the gospel; [14] but I preferred to do nothing without your
consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own
free will.

[15] Perhaps this is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have
him back for ever, [16] no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a beloved
brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the
Lord. [17] So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive
me.

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Commentary:

8-12. At this point St Paul gives his main reason for writing—to intercede for One-
simus. Typically, he appeals to Philemon’s charity, rather than demanding his
cooperation (cf. 2 Cor 1:23), and to support this appeal he refers to his (Paul’s)
being “an old man” and a “prisoner” for love of Jesus Christ (v. 9).

The Apostle’s generosity of spirit is plain to see: in spite of being imprisoned he
is self-forgetful and he uses every opportunity that presents itself to win converts
— as was the case with Onesimus; and now he intercedes on his behalf. If once
he was “useless” to his master, Onesimus can now be very “useful”; there is
here a play on words, because the name Onesimus means “useful”: it is as if he
were saying that maybe Onesimus did not formerly live up to his name, but now
he does; he has been very useful to Paul and now that he is going back he will
also be useful to Philemon, who should receive him as if he were the Apostle
himself (v. 12).

We should never have fixed ideas about people; despite mistakes and short-
comings, everyone can improve and, with God’s grace, undergo a true change
of heart.

The New Testament writings clearly show that the first Christians’ apostolate ex-
tended to all sectors of society with the result that Christians were to be found
everywhere. St John Chrysostom points this out as follows: “Aquila worked at a
manual wade; the lady who sold purple ran a workshop, another [Christian] was
in charge of a gaol; another a centurion, like Cornelius; another was sick, like
Timothy; another, Onesimus, was a slave and a fugitive; yet none of them found
any of this an obstacle, and all shone for their holiness—men and women, young
and old, slaves and free, soldiers and civilians” (”Hom. on St Matthew”, 43).

13-14. This is another example of the Apostle’s typical refinement. Although his
first idea was to keep Onesimus with him to help him during his imprisonment,
he prefers that he who has the force of law on his side (Roman law, in this in-
stance) should freely decide what action to take (cf. his approach to making
collections: 2 Cor 9:7).

In line with the teaching of Christ and his Apostles, the Second Vatican Council
“urges everyone, especially those responsible for educating others, to try to form
men and women with a respect for the moral order and who will obey lawful au-
thority and be lovers of true freedom — men, and women, who direct their activi-
ties with a sense of responsibility, and strive for what is true and just in willing
cooperation with others” (”Dignitatis Humanae”, 8).

St Paul’s refinement was not inspired only by reasons of friendship nor was it a
mere tactic: he wants people—in this case, Philemon—to come to free personal
decisions, for freedom is a great gift which God has given to every person. “If
only we lived like this, if only we knew how to imbue our behavior with generosi-
ty with a desire for understanding and peace! We would encourage the rightful
independence of all. Everyone would take a responsible approach to the tasks
that correspond to him in temporal matters” (St. J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing
By”, 124).

15-16. At this point Paul’s thinking becomes exceptionally theological and inci-
sive. What at first sight could have been seen as something bad—Onesimus’ run-
ning away — can now be viewed in another light, the sharper light of divine provi-
dence: God can draw good out of evil, for “in everything, God works for good with
those who love him” (Rom 8:28); he has allowed this incident to happen so as
to give Onesimus the chance to discover the Christian faith.

Therefore, Philemon should now recognize him as a brother, for faith in Jesus
Christ makes us all children of the same Father (cf. Gal 3:27-28; Eph 6:9). “Look
at Paul writing on behalf of Onesimus, a runaway slave; he is not ashamed to
call him his child, his very heart, his brother, his partner. What can I say?”, St
John Chrysostom asks; “Jesus Christ lowered himself to the point of making our
slaves his brothers. If they are brothers of Jesus Christ, then they are also our
brothers” (”Hom. on Philem”, 2, ad loc.).

Due to this teaching slavery gradually died out. The teaching of the Church’s
Magisterium has contributed to a growing realization that all workers have innate
dignity and rights as men and as sons and daughters of God. In an early ency-
clical of modern times Leo XIII called on employers to see that “it is truly shame-
ful and inhuman to misuse men as though they were mere things designed just
to be used in the pursuit of gain”, and reminded them of their duties never “to
look upon workers as their bondsmen but to respect in every man his dignity
and worth as a man and a Christian” (”Rerum Novarum”, 16).

Christianity, then, elevates and gives a new dignity to interpersonal relationships,
thereby helping produce changes and improvements in social structures. Every
Christian insofar as he can should contribute to bringing these changes about,
but the methods used to do so must always be moral. Neglect to play one’s part
in social reform could even constitute a grave sin, a “social” sin against the virtue
of justice.

John Paul II teaches that “the term ‘social’ applies to every sin against justice in
interpersonal relationships, committed either by the individual against the commu-
nity or by the community against the individual. Also ‘social’ is every sin against
the rights of the human person, beginning with the right to life and including the
life of the unborn, or against a person’s physical integrity. Likewise ‘social’ is eve-
ry sin against others’ freedom, especially against the supreme freedom to believe
in God and adore him; ‘social’ is every sin against the dignity and honor of one’s
neighbor. Also ‘social’ is every sin against the common good and its exigencies
in relation to the whole broad spectrum of the rights and duties of citizens. The
term ‘social’ can be applied to sins of commission or omission on the part of po-
litical, economic or trade union leaders, who though in a position to do so do not
work diligently and wisely for the improvement and transformation of society ac-
cording to the requirements and potential of the given historic moment; as also
on the part of workers who through absenteeism or non-cooperation fail to en-
sure that their industries can continue to advance the well-being of the workers
themselves, of their families, and of the whole of society” (”Reconciliatio Et Pae-
nitentia”, 16).

17-21. Paul identifies himself with Onesimus because they share the same faith
— and Paul is an extremely generous person. Here we can clearly see his great
charity which leads him to love everyone much more than is his strict duly. “Be
convinced that justice alone is never enough to solve the great problems of man-
kind. When justice alone is done, do not be surprised if people are hurt: the dig-
nity of man, who is a son of God, requires much more. Charity must penetrate
and accompany justice because it sweetens and deifies everything: ‘God is love’
(1 Jn 4:16). Our motive in everything we do should be the Love of God, which
makes it easier for us to love our neighbor and which purifies all earthly love and
raises it on to a higher level” (St. J. Escriva, “Friends of God”, 172). It is not sur-
prising, then, that the Apostle should ask Philemon to charge it to his account
if Onesimus has wronged him or owes him anything (v. 18). And as if to confirm
this commitment with affection and good humor he as it were signs a docket pro-
mising to pay any charge there may be. However, he immediately goes on to re-
mind Philemon that if they worked out their accounts Philemon would be found
to be in debt to Paul, because it was due to Paul that he became a Christian (v.
l9). On this account Paul feels that he can ask him to forgive Onesimus: that
sign of love and affection would really do Paul good in his present circumstan-
ces. But, he goes on to say (it is a suggestion that delicately respects Phile-
mon’s decision) that he hopes Philemon’s obedience will lead him to do “even
more” (v. 21). As suggested in the Introduction to this letter he is probably ho-
ping that he will set Onesimus free. In the eyes of the law Onesimus is still a
slave; but as a Christian he is already a free man.

St Paul does not directly ask for Onesimus’ freedom, although he does hint at it,
encouraging his old master to set him free but leaving it up to him to decide (and
thereby merit). He reminds Philemon how generous he, Paul, was towards him
(vv. 18-19), in the hope that Philemon will reciprocate. “This is a repetition of the
same testimony he expressed earlier in his letter”, St John Chrysostom points
out; “’knowing that you will do even more than I say’: it is impossible to imagine
anything more persuasive, any more convincing argument than this tender regard
of his generosity which St Paul expresses; Philemon cannot but agree to his de-
mand” (”Hom. on Philem, ad loc.”).

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Luke 14:25-33

Conditions For Following Jesus

[25] Now great multitudes accompanied Him (Jesus); and He turned and said to
them, [26] “If any one comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother
and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he
cannot be My disciple. [27] Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after
Me, cannot be My disciple. [28] For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does
not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? [29]
Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see
it begin to mock him, [30] saying, ‘This man began to build, and was not able to
finish.’ [31] Or what king, going to encounter another king in a war, will not sit
down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him
who comes against him with twenty thousand? [32] And if not, while the other
is yet a great way off, he sends an embassy and asks terms of peace. [33] So
therefore, whoever of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be My disci-
ple.”

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Commentary:

26. These words of our Lord should not disconcert us. Love for God and for Je-
sus should have pride of place in our lives and we should keep away from any-
thing which obstructs this love: “In this world let us love everyone,” St. Gregory
the Great comments, “even though he be our enemy; but let us hate him who
opposes us on our way to God, though he be our relative [...]. We should then,
love, our neighbor; we should have charity towards all — towards relative and to-
wards strangers — but without separating ourselves from the love of God out of
love for them” (”In Evangelia Homiliae”, 37, 3). In the last analysis, it is a mat-
ter of keeping the proper hierarchy of charity: God must take priority over every-
thing.

This verse must be understood, therefore, in the context of all of our Lord’s tea-
chings (cf. Luke 6:27-35). These are “hard words. True, ‘hate’ does not exactly
express what Jesus meant. Yet He did put it very strongly, because He doesn’t
just mean ‘love less,’ as some people interpret it in an attempt to tone down the
sentence. The force behind these vigorous words does not lie in their implying
a negative or pitiless attitude, for the Jesus who is speaking here is none other
than that Jesus who commands us to love others as we love ourselves and who
gives up His life for mankind. These words indicate simply that we cannot be
half-hearted when it comes to loving God. Christ’s words could be translated as
‘love more, love better’, in the sense that a selfish or partial love is not enough:
we have to love others with the love of God” (St. J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing
By”, 97). See the notes on Matthew 10:34-37; Luke 2:49.

As the Second Vatican Council explains, Christians “strive to please God rather
than men, always ready to abandon everything for Christ” (Vatican II, “Apostoli-
cam Actuositatem”, 4).

27. Christ “by suffering for us not only gave us an example so that we might fol-
low in His footsteps, but He also opened up a way. If we follow that way, life and
death becomes holy and acquire a new meaning” (Vatican II, “Gaudium Et Spes”,
22).

The way the Christian follows is that of imitating Christ. We can follow Him only
if we help Him bear His cross. We all have experience of suffering, and suffering
leads to unhappiness unless it is accepted with a Christian outlook. The Cross
is not a tragedy: it is God’s way of teaching us that through sin we can be sanc-
tified, becoming one with Christ and winning Heaven as a reward. This is why it
is so Christian to love pain: “Let us bless pain. Love pain. Sanctify pain....Glori-
fy pain!” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 208).

28-35. Our Lord uses different examples to show that if mere human prudence
means that a person should try to work out in advance the risks he may run,
with all the more reason should a Christian embrace the cross voluntarily and
generously, because there is no other way he can follow Jesus Christ. “’Quia
hic homo coepit aedificare et non potuit consummare! He started to build and
was unable to finish!’ A sad commentary which, if you don’t want, need be
made about you: for you possess everything necessary to crown the edifice of
your sanctification — the grace of God and your own will.” (St. J. Escriva, “The
Way”, 324).

33. Earlier our Lord spoke about “hating” one’s parents and one’s very life; now
He equally vigorously requires us to be completely detached from possessions.
This verse is a direct application of the two foregoing parables: just as a king is
imprudent if he goes to war with an inadequate army, so anyone is foolish who
thinks he can follow our Lord without renouncing all his possessions. This re-
nunciation should really bite: our heart has to be unencumbered by anything ma-
terial if we are able to follow in our Lord’s footsteps. The reason is, as He tells us
later on, that it is impossible to “serve God and Mammon” (Luke 16:13). Not in-
frequently our Lord asks a person to practice total, voluntary poverty; and He
asks everyone to practice genuine detachment and generosity in the use of ma-
terial things. If a Christian has to be ready to give up even life itself, with all the
more reason should he renounce possessions: If you are a man of God, you will
seek to despise riches as intensely as men of the world seek to possess them”
(St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 633). See the note on Luke 12:33-34.

Besides, for a soul to become filled with God it must first be emptied of every-
thing that could be an obstacle to God’s indwelling: “The doctrine that the Son
of God came to teach was contempt for all things in order to receive as a reward
the Spirit of God in himself. For, as long as the soul does not reject all things, it
has no capacity to receive the Spirit of God in pure transformation” (St. John of
the Cross, “Ascent of Mount Carmel”, Book 1, Chapter 5, 2).

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: Green.

First reading	Wisdom 9:13-18 ©

Who can divine the will of God?

What man indeed can know the intentions of God?

Who can divine the will of the Lord?

The reasonings of mortals are unsure

and our intentions unstable;

for a perishable body presses down the soul,

and this tent of clay weighs down the teeming mind.

It is hard enough for us to work out what is on earth,

laborious to know what lies within our reach;

who, then, can discover what is in the heavens?

As for your intention, who could have learnt it, had you not granted Wisdom

and sent your holy spirit from above?

Thus have the paths of those on earth been straightened

and men been taught what pleases you,

and saved, by Wisdom.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 89(90):3-6,12-14,17 ©