DAILY GOSPEL
"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." John 6:68
Tuesday, 05 July 2016
Tuesday of the Fourteenth week in Ordinary Time
Saint(s) of the day : St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria, Priest (1502-1539)
See commentary below or click here
Saint John Chrysostom : "Proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness"
Book of Hosea 8:4-7.11-13.
Thus says the LORD: They made kings, but not by my authority; they established princes, but without my approval. With their silver and gold they made idols for themselves, to their own destruction.
Cast away your calf, O Samaria! my wrath is kindled against them; How long will they be unable to attain innocence in Israel?
The work of an artisan no god at all, Destined for the flames-- such is the calf of Samaria!
When they sow the wind, they shall reap the whirlwind; The stalk of grain that forms no ear can yield no flour; Even if it could, strangers would swallow it.
When Ephraim made many altars to expiate sin, his altars became occasions of sin.
Though I write for him my many ordinances, they are considered as a stranger's.
Though they offer sacrifice, immolate flesh and eat it, the LORD is not pleased with them. He shall still remember their guilt and punish their sins; they shall return to Egypt.
Cast away your calf, O Samaria! my wrath is kindled against them; How long will they be unable to attain innocence in Israel?
The work of an artisan no god at all, Destined for the flames-- such is the calf of Samaria!
When they sow the wind, they shall reap the whirlwind; The stalk of grain that forms no ear can yield no flour; Even if it could, strangers would swallow it.
When Ephraim made many altars to expiate sin, his altars became occasions of sin.
Though I write for him my many ordinances, they are considered as a stranger's.
Though they offer sacrifice, immolate flesh and eat it, the LORD is not pleased with them. He shall still remember their guilt and punish their sins; they shall return to Egypt.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew9:32-38.
A demoniac who could not speak was brought to Jesus,
and when the demon was driven out the mute person spoke. The crowds were amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel."
But the Pharisees said, "He drives out demons by the prince of demons."
Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness.
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest."
and when the demon was driven out the mute person spoke. The crowds were amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel."
But the Pharisees said, "He drives out demons by the prince of demons."
Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness.
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest."
Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB
Commentary of the day :
Saint John Chrysostom (c.345-407), priest at Antioch then Bishop of Constantinople, Doctor of the Church
Homilies on Saint Matthew's Gospel, no.32
Jesus Christ, loaded with scorn and insults by his foes, set himself still more to doing them good... He went through towns, villages and synagogues, teaching us not to pay back calumny with calumny but with even greater generosity. If you have God's good pleasure and not other people's in mind when you do good to your neighbor, whatever they may do to you don't stop doing good to them. Your reward can only be all the greater... That is why Christ did not wait for the sick to come to him; he himself went to them, taking them two essential goods at the same time: the Good News of the Kingdom and the healing of their ills.
Nor even was that enough for him: he showed his concern in yet another way. “At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.'" Note, once again, his distancing himself from vainglory. Not wanting to draw everyone to follow him, he sent his disciples. He wanted to train them, not just for the struggles they were going to undergo in Judea, but also for the battles they will set in motion throughout the earth...
Jesus gives his disciples the power to heal bodies while waiting before confiding to them the equally important power to heal souls. Note how he demonstrates both the ease and the necessity of this work at the same time. What does he say, in fact? “The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.” I am not sending you out to sow but to harvest... In speaking like this our Lord gave them confidence and showed them that the most important work had already been achieved.
Nor even was that enough for him: he showed his concern in yet another way. “At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.'" Note, once again, his distancing himself from vainglory. Not wanting to draw everyone to follow him, he sent his disciples. He wanted to train them, not just for the struggles they were going to undergo in Judea, but also for the battles they will set in motion throughout the earth...
Jesus gives his disciples the power to heal bodies while waiting before confiding to them the equally important power to heal souls. Note how he demonstrates both the ease and the necessity of this work at the same time. What does he say, in fact? “The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.” I am not sending you out to sow but to harvest... In speaking like this our Lord gave them confidence and showed them that the most important work had already been achieved.
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