Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 8-23-03, Optional, St. Rose of Lima

Reading I
Ruth 2:1-3, 8-11; 4:13-17

Naomi had a prominent kinsman named Boaz,
of the clan of her husband Elimelech.
Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi,
"Let me go and glean ears of grain in the field
of anyone who will allow me that favor."
Naomi said to her, "Go, my daughter," and she went.
The field she entered to glean after the harvesters
happened to be the section belonging to Boaz
of the clan of Elimelech.

Boaz said to Ruth, "Listen, my daughter!
Do not go to glean in anyone else's field;
you are not to leave here.
Stay here with my women servants.
Watch to see which field is to be harvested, and follow them;
I have commanded the young men to do you no harm.
When you are thirsty, you may go and drink from the vessels
the young men have filled."
Casting herself prostrate upon the ground, Ruth said to him,
"Why should I, a foreigner, be favored with your notice?"
Boaz answered her:
"I have had a complete account of what you have done
for your mother-in-law after your husband's death;
you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth,
and have come to a people whom you did not know previously."

Boaz took Ruth.
When they came together as man and wife,
the LORD enabled her to conceive and she bore a son.
Then the women said to Naomi,
"Blessed is the LORD who has not failed
to provide you today with an heir!
May he become famous in Israel!
He will be your comfort and the support of your old age,
for his mother is the daughter-in-law who loves you.
She is worth more to you than seven sons!"
Naomi took the child, placed him on her lap, and became his nurse.
And the neighbor women gave him his name,
at the news that a grandson had been born to Naomi.
They called him Obed.
He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 128:1b-2, 3, 4, 5

R (4) See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.
Blessed are you who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.
R See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.
You wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
Your children like olive plants
around your table.
R See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.
Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
R See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
R See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.

Gospel
Mt 23:1-12

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
"The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people's shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.'
As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.'
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called ‘Master';
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

From: Matthew 23:1-12

Vices of the Scribes and Pharisees

[1] Then said Jesus to the crowds and to His disciples, [2] "The
scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; [3] so practice and
observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach,
but do not practice. [4] They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and
lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them
with their finger. [5] They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for
they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, [6] and they
love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues,
[7] and salutations in the market places, and being called rabbi by
men. [8] But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher,
and you are all brethren. [9] And call no man your father on earth,
for you have one Father, who is in Heaven. [10] Neither be called
masters, for you have one master, the Christ. [11] He who is greatest
among you shall be your servant; [12] whoever exalts himself will be
humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

Commentary:

1-39. Throughout this chapter Jesus severely criticizes the scribes and
Pharisees and demonstrates the sorrow and compassion He feels towards
the ordinary mass of the people, who have been ill-used, "harassed and
helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:36). His address
may be divided into three parts: in the first (verses 1-12) He
identifies their principal vices and corrupt practices; in the second
(verses 13-36) He confronts them and speaks His famous "woes", which in
effect are the reverse of the Beatitudes He preached in Chapter 5: no
one can enter the Kingdom of Heaven--no one can escape condemnation to
the flames--unless he changes his attitude and behavior; in the third
part (verses 37-39) He weeps over Jerusalem, so grieved is He by the
evils into which the blind pride and hardheartedness of the scribes and
Pharisees have misled the people.

2-3. Moses passed on to the people the Law received from God. The
scribes, who for the most part sided with the Pharisees, had the
function of educating the people in the Law of Moses; that is why they
were said to "sit on Moses' seat". Our Lord recognized that the
scribes and Pharisees did have authority to teach the Law; but He warns
the people and His disciples to be sure to distinguish the Law as read
out and taught in the synagogues from the practical interpretations of
the Law to be seen in their leaders' lifestyles. Some years later, St.
Paul--a Pharisee like his father before him--faced his former
colleagues with exactly the same kind of accusations as Jesus makes
here: "You then who teach others, will you not teach yourself? While
you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must
not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do
you rob temples? You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by
breaking the law? For, as it is written, `The name of God is
blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you'" (Romans 2:21-24).

5. "Phylacteries": belts or bands carrying quotations from sacred
Scripture which the Jews used to wear fastened to their arms or
foreheads. To mark themselves out as more religiously observant than
others, the Pharisees used to wear broader phylacteries. The fringes
were light-blue stripes on the hems of cloaks; the Pharisees
ostentatiously wore broader fringes.

8-10. Jesus comes to teach the truth; in fact, He is the Truth (John
14:6). As a teacher, therefore, He is absolutely unique and
unparalleled. "The whole of Christ's life was a continual teaching:
His silences, His miracles, His gestures, His prayer, His love for
people, His special affection for the little and the poor, His
acceptance of the total sacrifice on the cross for the redemption of
the world, and His resurrection are the actualization of His word and
the fulfillment of revelation. Hence for Christians the crucifix is one
of the most sublime and popular images of Christ the Teacher.

"These considerations are in line with the great traditions of the
Church and they all strengthen our fervor with regard to Christ, the
Teacher who reveals God to man and man to himself, the Teacher who
saves, sanctifies and guides, who lives, who speaks, rouses, moves,
redresses, judges, forgives, and goes with us day by day on the path of
history, the Teacher who comes and will come in glory" (John Paul II,
"Catechesi Tradendae", 9).

11. The Pharisees were greedy for honor and recognition: our Lord
insists that every form of authority, particularly in the context of
religion, should be exercised as a form of service to others; it must
not be used to indulge personal vanity or greed. "He who is the
greatest among you shall be your servant".

12. A spirit of pride and ambition is incompatible with being a disciple
of Christ. Here our Lord stresses the need for true humility, for
anyone who is to follow Him. The verbs "will be humbled", "will be
exalted" have "God" as their active agent. Along the same lines, St.
James preaches that "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the
humble" (James 4:6). And in the "Magnificat", the Blessed Virgin
explains that the Lord "has put down the mighty from their thrones, and
exalted those of low degree [the humble]" (Luke 1:52).

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

FEAST OF THE DAY

St. Rose of Lima was born in Lima, Peru in the year 1586. Her birth
name was Isabel de Oliva but she was given the nickname Rose
because of her beauty. Even though Rose was quite beautiful, she
did nothing to try to show this off. Rose preferred to save her beauty
only for Jesus. Once Rose was so disturbed by all the attention that
her beauty drew so she rubbed pepper into her face to change her
complexion from smooth and beautiful to blistered and sore.

Rose's family was poor and she was needed to help support them.
During the day, she grew flowers to sell and at night, she sewed and
made fine embroidery. When Rose earned enough extra money for
herself, she bought a silver headband, studded with nails around the
inside to wear as a personal penance.

St. Rose came into contention with her parents when they tried to get
her to marry. Rose preferred to enter the convent but her parents
forbade this. Instead, Rose lived a single life and later entered the
Third Order of St. Dominic.

St. Rose died in 1617 at the age of thirty-one and was canonized the
first saint of the New World by Pope Clement X in 1671. She is the
patroness of the Philippines, South America, Peru, florists and
gardeners.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

No tongue can express the greatness of the love which Jesus Christ
bears to our soul. He did not wish that between Him and His
servants there should be any other pledge than Himself, to keep
alive the remembrance of Him. -St. Peter of Alcantara

TODAY IN HISTORY

1285 Death of St. Philip Benizi
1586 Death of St. Rose of Lima

TODAY'S TIDBIT

Examination of conscience is self-examination to determine one's
spiritual state before God, regarding one's sins and faults. It is
recommended as a regular practice and is practically necessary in
preparing for the sacrament of penance. A regular examination of
assists the individual in overcoming specific faults and imperfections.

INTENTION FOR THE DAY

Please pray for increased vocations to the priesthood and religious
life.

The Word Among Us

Saturday, August 23, 2003

Meditation
Matthew 23:1-12

What if a baker preheated the oven, greased the pans, meticulously followed a recipe, placed the cake on the center rack, set the timer—yet didn’t plug in the oven? What a futile exercise! While it may not be so obvious, efforts to follow God without relying on his grace are just as futile. In fact, they quickly become “heavy burdens” (Matthew 23:4).

In Jesus’ day, the Pharisees had made many additions to the commandments handed down by Moses. Jesus commented that these were “hard to bear.” What’s worse, the Pharisees were “unwilling to lift a finger” to lighten the load (Matthew 23:4). Undoubtedly, not all the scribes and Pharisees were blameworthy. But many were making it harder—not easier—for people to follow God. These religious leaders should have understood that loving service is at the heart of God’s law. Instead, they emphasized outward observances and appearances.

Some scribes and Pharisees became puffed up in their roles as leaders and teachers. “They do all their deeds to be seen by others,” Jesus said. “They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues” (Matthew 23:5-6). Jesus urged his disciples not to follow their example but to practice another kind of leadership. “The greatest among you will be your servant,” he said (23:11). Then, he modeled this call by his own life. In doing so, Jesus revealed that the true servant of God fulfills the law by becoming a servant of all and helping shoulder people’s burdens.

On another occasion, Jesus promised, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). Although the Christian life has seasons of difficulty, God’s grace and mercy are always there to help us move through it peacefully. We are not called to bear sufferings and crises on our own strength. Rather, we can turn to Jesus. Then the Holy Spirit will change our perspective, enabling us to see our situations differently. This transformation brings peace, joy, and freedom. Do you know this joy? Seek it today by surrendering and relying on Christ in all things, big and small.

“Lord Jesus, I sing your praises. You have taken on the burdens of my sin and sufferings. Where human love ends, yours is just beginning! I love you.”

One Bread, One Body

<< Saturday, August 23, 2003 >>

St. Rose of Lima

Ruth 2:1-3, 8-11; 4:13-17

Psalm 128

Matthew 23:1-12

View Readings

TESTING FOR PRIDE

“Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, but whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” —Matthew 23:12

Are you humble? Are you proud? We human beings have always had the proclivity to deceive ourselves on these matters. Jesus gives us several signs of pride.

They preach but they do not practice (see Mt 23:3, RNAB).
“They bind up heavy loads” for others to carry without giving them any help (Mt 23:4).
“All their works are performed to be seen” (Mt 23:5).
“They are fond of places of honor” (Mt 23:6).
They want to be acknowledged publicly (see Mt 23:7).

If you see in your life three of these five signs of pride, you should:

Go to Confession.
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you ways to humble yourself (see Mt 23:12).
Study and pray Scriptures regarding humility.
Pray daily for humility.
Fast and do other sacrifices to ask for the grace of humility.
Forgive others and apologize if you have been slow to forgive.

Humble yourself.

Prayer: Father, make me humble so that I will not be destroyed by pride.

Promise: “Blessed is the Lord Who has not failed to provide you today with an heir! May he become famous in Israel! He will be your comfort and the support of your old age, for his mother is the daughter-in-law who loves you. She is worth more to you than seven sons!” —Ru 4:14-15

Praise: St. Rose learned humility by serving the sick and the homeless.

From the writings of Saint Rose of Lima, virgin

Let us know the love of Christ which surpasses all knowledge

Our Lord and Savior lifted up his voice and said with incomparable majesty:"Let all men know that grace comes after tribulation. Let them know that without the burden of afflictions it is impossible to reach the height of grace. Let them know that the gifts of grace increase as the struggles increase. Let men take care not to stray and be deceived. This is the only true stairway to paradise, and without the cross they can find no road to climb to heaven."

When I heard these words, a strong force came upon me and seemed to place me in the middle of a street, so that I might say in a loud voice to people of every age, sex and status:"Hear, O people; hear, O nations. I am warning you about the commandment of Christ by using words that came from his own lips: We cannot obtain grace unless we suffer afflictions. We must heap trouple upon trouble to attain a deep participation in the divine nature, the glory of the sons of God and perfect happiness of soul."

That same force urged me to proclaim the beauty of divine grace. It pressed me so that my breath came slow and forced me to sweat and pant. I felt as if my soul could no longer be kept in the prison of the body, but that it had burst its chains and was free and alone and was going very swiftly through the whole world saying:"If only mortals would learn how great it is to possess divine grace, how beautiful, how noble, how precious. How many riches it hides within itself, how many joys and delights! Without doubt they would devote all their care and concern to winning for themselves pains and afflictions. All men throught the world would seek trouble, infirmities and torments, instead of good fortune, in order to attain the unfathomable treasure of grace. This is the reward and the final gain of patience. No one would complain about his cross or about troubles that may happen to him, if he would come to know the scales on which they are weighed when they are distributed to men."

Taken from the "Office of Readings" in the Divine office

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