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From: Nehemiah 2:1-8

Nehemiah is authorized to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem

[1] In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Ar-taxerxes, when wine
was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been
sad in his presence. [2] And the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, seeing
you are not sick? This is nothing else but sadness of the heart.” Then I was very
much afraid. [3] I said to the king, “Let the king live for ever! Why should not my
face be said, when the city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchers, lies waste, and
its gates have been destroyed by fire?” [4] Then the king said to me, “For what do
you make request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. [5] And I said to the king,
“If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favour in your sight, that you
send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ sepulchers, that I may rebuild it.” [6]
And the king said to me (the queen sitting beside him), “How long will you be
gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him
a time. [7] And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given to me
to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass
through until I come to Judah; [8] and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s
forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of
the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house which I shall occupy.”
And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon
me.

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Commentary:

2:1-20. Putting his trust entirely in the Lord, Nehemiah used every resource avail-
able to him to help his compatriots. He prayed for four months – from Chislev
(1:1) to Nisan (v. 1) – and then used an opportunity that presented itself to outline
his plans to the king; he managed not only to get Artaxerxes’ authorization to go
to Judah and rebuild Jerusalem, but also to requisition the necessary materials
(vv. 1-9). The king referred to (v. 1) was probably Artaxerxes 1 (465-425 BC);
and the twentieth year of his reign was 445 BC.

When Nehemiah reached the city of his ancestors, he initially met with opposition
from the governor of Samaria, Sanbalat, and from Tobiah, a rich landowner who
was related to priestly families (cf. 6:17-18). However, he did manage to get
influential people in Jerusalem (vv. 16ff) to join in his project. Acting prudently
and yet boldly, he was confident that God would help him in his endeavours
(v. 20).

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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 18:1-5, 10

The “Little Ones” and the Kingdom. The Lost Sheep

[1] At that time, the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the
greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” [2] And calling to Him a child,
He put him in the midst of them, [3] and said, “Truly, I say to you,
unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the
Kingdom of Heaven. [4] Whoever humbles himself like this child,
he is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

[5] “Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me.

[10] “See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell
you that in Heaven their angels always behold the face of My Father
who is in Heaven.

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Commentary:

1-35. The teachings of Jesus recorded in chapter 18 of St. Matthew
are often called the “discourse on the Church” or “ecclesiastical
discourse” because they are a series of instructions on the way in
which His Church is to be administered.

The first passage (Matthew 18:1-5), addressed to leaders, that is, the
future hierarchy of the Church, warns them against natural tendencies
to pride and ambition: even though they have positions of government,
they must act with humility. In verses 6-10 Jesus emphasizes the
fatherly care which pastors of the Church should have for the “little
ones”—a term which covers everyone in need of special care for what-
ever reason (because they are recent converts, or are not well groun-
ded in Church teaching, or are not yet adults, etc.)... God takes
special care of the weak and will punish those who harm them.

Our Lord shows similar concern for those who are experiencing
spiritual difficulties. Every effort, even an heroic effort, must be made
to seek out the “lost sheep” (verses 12-14). If the Church in general
and each Christian in particular should be concerned to spread the
Gospel, all the more reason for them to try and see that those who
already embraced the faith do not go astray...

Thus, the whole of Chapter 18, the “discourse of the Church”, is a
survey of the future history of the Church during its earthly stage,
and a series of practical rules for conduct for Christians—a kind of
complement to the Sermon on the Mount, (Chapters 5-7), which is
a “magna carta” for the new Kingdom established by Christ.

1-6. Clearly the disciples still suffer from human ambition: they want
to occupy key positions when Jesus comes to establish the Kingdom
on earth (cf. Acts 1:6). To correct their pride, our Lord shows them a
child and tells them that if they want to enter the Kingdom of Heaven,
they must decide to be like children: children are incapable of hating
anyone and are totally innocent of vice, particularly of pride, the worst
vice of all. They are simple and full of trust.

Humility is one of the main pillars of the Christian life. “If you ask
me”, St. Augustine says, “what is the essential thing in the religion
and discipline of Jesus Christ, I shall reply: first humility, second
humility and third humility” (”Letter 118”).

3-4. Applying these words to our Lord’s virtues, Fray Luis de Granada
makes the point that humility is superior to virginity: “If you cannot
imitate the virginity of the humble, then imitate the humility of the
virgin. Virginity is praiseworthy, but humility is more necessary. The
former is recommended to us, the latter is an obligation for us; to the
former we are invited, to the latter we are obliged [...]. And so we see
that the former is celebrated as voluntary sacrifice, the latter required
as an obligatory sacrifice. Lastly, you can be saved without virginity,
but not without humility” (”Summa De La Vida Cristiana”, Book 3,
Part 2, Chapter 10).

5. Receiving a child in Jesus’ name is the same as receiving Jesus
Himself. Because children reflect the innocence, purity, simplicity
and tenderness of our Lord, “In children and in the sick a soul in love
sees Him” ([St] J. Escriva, “The Way”, 419).

10. Jesus warns that giving scandal to little children is a very serious
matter, for they have angels who guard them, who will plead a case
before God against those who led them to commit sin.

In this context He speaks of children having guardian angels. However,
everyone, adult or child, has a guardian angel. “By God’s providence
angels have been entrusted with the office of guarding the human race
and of accompanying every human being so as to preserve him from
any serious dangers [...]. Our Heavenly Father has placed over each
of us an angel under whose protection and vigilance we are” (”St. Pius
V Catechism”, IV, 9, 4).

This means that we should have a trusting relationship with our guar-
dian angel. “Have confidence in your guardian Angel. Treat him as
a lifelong friend—that is what he is—and he will render you a thousand
services in the ordinary affairs of each day” ([St] J. Escriva, “The Way”,
562).

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

Readings at Mass

First reading

Nehemiah 2:1-8 ©

In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, the wine being my concern, I took up the wine and offered it to the king. Now I had never been downcast before. So the king said, ‘Why is your face so sad? You are not sick, surely? This must be a sadness of the heart.’ A great fear came over me and I said to the king, ‘May the king live for ever! How could my face be other than sad when the city where the tombs of my ancestors are lies in ruins, and its gates have been burnt down?’ ‘What’ the king asked ‘is your request?’ I called on the God of heaven and made this reply to the king, ‘If it pleases the king, and if you are satisfied with your servant, give me leave to go to Judah, to the city of my ancestors’ tombs, and rebuild it.’ The king, with the queen sitting there beside him, said, ‘How long will your journey take, and when will you return?’ So I named a date that seemed acceptable to the king and he gave me leave to go. I spoke to the king once more, ‘If it please the king, could letters be given me for the governors of Transeuphrates to allow me to pass through to Judah? And also a letter for Asaph, keeper of the king’s park, to supply me with timber for the gates of the citadel of the Temple, for the city walls and for the house I am to occupy?’ This the king granted me, for the kindly favour of my God was with me.

Psalm

Psalm 136:1-6 ©