Celebración de la palabra

Saturday July 18

Saturday of 15th Week in Ordinary Time

THE DISCREET SERVANT TO THE PROMISED LAND!

Introduction

The prophet Micah, a contemporary of Isaiah, scolds those who have exploited the poor. God will punish them by having their possessions divided among the pagan invaders.
Jesus is presented today as the servant of God who brings healing to the people without drawing attention to himself: He brings God’s tender care to people. He respects and heals what is little and brittle.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
you gave us Jesus, your Son,
as the wise and perfect servant
of you and of the people.
Put your Spirit on us too,
that like him and with him
we may bring your healing and justice
to the weak and the dispossessed,
without calling attention to ourselves,
that people may see that what we give them
is your tender care as taught us
by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Reading 1 MI 2:1-5

Woe to those who plan iniquity,
and work out evil on their couches;
In the morning light they accomplish it
when it lies within their power.
They covet fields, and seize them;
houses, and they take them;
They cheat an owner of his house,
a man of his inheritance.
Therefore thus says the LORD:
Behold, I am planning against this race an evil
from which you shall not withdraw your necks;
Nor shall you walk with head high,
for it will be a time of evil.

On that day a satire shall be sung over you,
and there shall be a plaintive chant:
"Our ruin is complete,
our fields are portioned out among our captors,
The fields of my people are measured out,
and no one can get them back!"
Thus you shall have no one
to mark out boundaries by lot
in the assembly of the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm 10:1-2, 3-4, 7-8, 14

R. (12b) Do not forget the poor, O Lord!
Why, O LORD, do you stand aloof?
Why hide in times of distress?
Proudly the wicked harass the afflicted,
who are caught in the devices the wicked have contrived.
R. Do not forget the poor, O Lord!
For the wicked man glories in his greed,
and the covetous blasphemes, sets the LORD at nought.
The wicked man boasts, "He will not avenge it";
"There is no God," sums up his thoughts.
R. Do not forget the poor, O Lord!
His mouth is full of cursing, guile and deceit;
under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.
He lurks in ambush near the villages;
in hiding he murders the innocent;
his eyes spy upon the unfortunate.
R. Do not forget the poor, O Lord!
You do see, for you behold misery and sorrow,
taking them in your hands.
On you the unfortunate man depends;
of the fatherless you are the helper.
R. Do not forget the poor, O Lord!

Alleluia 2 COR 5:19

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 12:14-21

The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus
to put him to death.

When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place.
Many people followed him, and he cured them all,
but he warned them not to make him known.
This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet:

Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,
my beloved in whom I delight;
I shall place my Spirit upon him,
and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
He will not contend or cry out,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
A bruised reed he will not break,
a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory.
And in his name the Gentiles will hope.

Commentary

An old saying goes, “Those who plot evil shall live to reap it.” Unjust scheming for personal gain is not a modern phenomenon but is at least as old as the biblical prophets. Micah in today’s reading sees greedy people who plot to dispossess the poor and underprivileged. It is a blatant disavowal of the Hebrew ethic and its concern for the needy.
But Micah sees sorrowful days of foreign invasion on the horizon, and it will be a day of woe for the greedy and misguided. Wealthy landowners will see their own property portioned out by the invaders, and they will find themselves among the dispossessed. What a contrast we have in today’s picture of Jesus, who goes about healing and comforting and asks only that he be able to act with quiet and discretion.
In our time crimes of every sort fill our daily papers. Even some public officials are guilty of working against the common good. Regrettably, not even the church is exempt. Religious leaders have freely helped themselves to parish funds until they are apprehended by the law. Rare indeed, but still a great misfortune.
We should pray each day for the grace of honesty and candor and live a life of concern for others that is at the heart of the New Testament message.

Points to Ponder

Dishonesty in public office
Sacred office and profane conduct
Christ as a social figure

Intercessions

– That we may learn from Jesus to be discreet in our love and service to the poor, we pray:
– That we may learn from Jesus to be very respectful of people and care especially for those wounded in life, we pray:
– That Jesus may give us his Holy Spirit to work for justice and righteousness in our world, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
this bread and wine we bring before you
will become among us
your beloved Son Jesus Christ.
Let your and his Spirit rest on us too
and let him renew us
as people who live without compromise
the message of justice and love
and the very life of your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
you have called us to be brothers and sisters
of Jesus, your Son,
and to share in his task
of serving and healing
Fill us with his compassion
and his discreet and tender love
that lifts up those broken in life
and those wounded by sin.
Help us to restore people in their human dignity
and to make them aware that they are
sons and daughters you love
in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Blessing

We have heard God say about Jesus that he is the servant he likes. Jesus makes us servants with him. May we too be pleasing to God, and may almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.