Commentary

Sunday, 9/15/2019, Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Because of God’s Mercy and Love

First Reading Commentary: Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14

The LORD told Moses to go down to the people because they had made a golden calf to which they were making sacrifices and worshipping. The people were crying out, “This is your God, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.”

The Israelites had become impatient waiting for Moses to come down from the mountain and turned away from the LORD who was the one who had brought them out of Egypt. Things were not going the way that they wanted them to go so they turned their backs on God forgetting what He had done for them, giving credit to a golden calf which they built and declared to be their god.

Many times, throughout history, we have seen people become impatient with God or not want to follow His way. So, they turn away from Him sometimes; completely forsaking religion and becoming atheists. Sometimes: only forsaking certain things which they disagreed with or did not want to follow. This is why and how Protestantism came into existence.

People still make this mistake today. Some of us are like spoiled little children who have a tantrum or defiant teenagers who rebel saying that their parents don’t know what they are talking about. We did it to our parents, our children do it to us and we do it to God. Some people say that they don’t need to go to church. Some people support abortion or capital punishment. Some of us allow greed and or lust to control our lives. In today’s world, I could give a litany of examples of how we have turned our backs on what God has done for us. We have become spoiled little brats.

Sometimes, our children push us to our limit just as we pushed our parents. The LORD had been pushed to His limit and said to Moses, “Let me alone, then, that my wrath may blaze up against them to consume them.” I hate to think of how close we have pushed God to His limit in today’s world. The good news is that God’s mercy and forgiveness are without limit and His ear is always open to intercessors like Moses.

Moses implored to the LORD, “Why, O LORD, should your wrath blaze up against your own people…Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and how you swore to them…‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky…’” So, the LORD relented in the punishment He had threatened.

When I look at what is going on in the world today, I am left to believe that our intercessors are very hard at work and those of us who pray to Mary and the saints need to say, “Thank you.” But the power of intercession is not the only message here.

Would the LORD have broken His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Israel if He had brought His wrath on the people? This was the question that Moses was using to make His case and the intercession of Moses was successful but not because the LORD would have broken His covenant. If we think that the LORD would have broken His covenant, then we are underestimating Him. God created all things from nothing, is capable of anything and everything and for Him, there would have been all kinds of ways that He could have kept His covenant.

The words, “your own people” in Moses’ intercession is the key. They reminded the LORD of His love for the people. It is because of God’s mercy and love for His people that He relented. It is because of God’s mercy and love that He sent the Son to die on the cross. For this to happen, the Son’s mother had to endure the great pain of Seven Dolors, one of which was the crucifixion. It is because of God’s mercy and love that He never turns away from us even though we sometimes turn away from Him.

God Has Faith in Us When We Have Faith in Him

Second Reading Commentary: 1 Timothy 1:12-17

In Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he says that he is grateful to Christ Jesus for strengthening him and considering him trustworthy to be appointed to his ministry.

Have you ever wondered whether or not God has faith in us? He does. Even if we are filled with sin, God has faith in us because He knows that we can come out of sin and He gives us help with the Sacrament of Confession and offers His abundant mercy and forgiveness.

When we think that we do not have what it takes to get the job done, God has faith in us and gives us what we need. When we think that we are not worthy, God has faith in us and makes us worthy. With God’s grace, we cannot loose because His grace will make us win.

Paul admits that he was a blasphemer and a persecutor and an arrogant man. Paul was a Pharisee and was determined to destroy the following of Christ. He was even involved in the stoning of St. Stephen who was the first martyr of the Church. Acts of the Apostles 7:54-8:3

But Paul also admits that his unbelief was out of ignorance and that he had been treated with mercy. Unlike most of the Pharisees who were stuck on their own pride, Paul was a devout Jew and believed that he was doing the right thing by persecuting anyone who criticized or did not live by the letter of the law. He was also a very zealous man.

So, Christ appeared to Paul, converted him and used Paul’s zeal for the good of the Church. Acts of the Apostles 9:1-22 For this, Paul was grateful and said, “Indeed, the grace of our Lord has been abundant, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.”

If you read what Paul said carefully, you will notice that Paul was acknowledging Jesus' grace and love and he was also acknowledging Jesus’ faith in him. Paul realized that Jesus had faith in his ability to become a minister for the Church. Granted, the method that Jesus used to capture Paul’s attention would make a believer out of most anyone. But we have to remember the zeal with which Paul was persecuting Christ and His followers. Once Paul was converted, his faith was fueled by the grace and love of Christ.

This is not the only place where Paul admitted to his wrong doings. Paul testified so that we may get the message that God loves all of us no matter how broken we may be. God will put His faith in us if we put our faith in Him and God’s grace and mercy are abundant. Paul writes, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these I am the foremost. But for that reason, I was mercifully treated, so that in me, as the foremost, Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example for those who would come to believe…”

Paul’s conversion was not just for Paul. His conversion was for all of us to see so that we might learn from Paul; God’s love, mercy and forgiveness. For this, we should do as Paul did by giving God honor and glory forever and ever.

Lost and Found

Gospel Commentary: Luke 15:1-32

In today’s gospel, Jesus tells three parables; the Parable of the Lost Sheep, the Parable of the Lost Coin and the Parable of the Lost Son (the Prodigal Son). Each parable is a gospel but they are put together as one gospel today because there is a profound common message within them.

The man with the one hundred sheep leaves the ninety-nine in the desert to go and find the one that is lost and Jesus says, “I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.”

The woman with ten coins lights a light and sweeps the house and when she finds the one that was lost, she invites her friends to rejoice with her and Jesus says, “I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The common message in all of today’s parables is that when we sin, we stray from God and become lost. Nothing will make God happier than for us to confess and repent for our sins. God wants nothing less than to greet us with open arms and welcome us home to His Kingdom of heaven.

When I was a young man, still living at home with my parents, my father gave me a hard way to go. He was constantly on my back about something. Life was miserable—or at least so I thought. I just had to get away.

So, I finally took off, left Philadelphia and moved to Pittsburgh. After a few months, I went home to visit. I knew that mom would be happy to see me but I did not know what to expect from dad. I was quite surprised when my father approached me with open arms, gave me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.

At that moment, I realized that I had been set-up. I realized that my father wanted me to go and spread my wings. He wanted me to learn things about life that I could only learn by being on my own. He wanted me to fall, not because he meant me harm, but because he wanted me to learn and grow up. The hug and kiss on the cheek that I received that night let me know that dad loved me more than he could say and that he was proud of his son.

I share this in this commentary because that is exactly what the father did with the son in today’s Parable of the Lost Son. It is also the same thing that God does with all of us.

When we are consumed with remorse for our sins, we often times feel shame. That shame is exactly what the devil wants us to feel. So, when this happens, and it will because we all sin, we should remember the Prodigal Son and turn our backs to the shame. Instead, we should turn toward our God with humility, confess our sins and receive the kind of hug that only God can give.

The prodigal son became lost when he left home, strayed from his father’s ways and squandered all of his inheritance. But recognizing his sins, he went home with humility and remorse for his sins and was greeted by the father with open arms and his place in the household was renewed.

But in the parable of the Prodigal Son, the older brother (the one who always did as the father wished) complained to the father. He was upset with the father for welcoming his brother with such a grand celebration. So, the father said to him, “My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.”

The ninety-nine sheep were no less important, the nine coins that were not lost had no greater value and the older son was loved no less. We are all God’s prodigal children and God loves all of us, one just as much as the other. God wants so much for us to be with Him, that whenever anyone of us who may be dead in sin, confesses and repents, thereby being born to new life, He celebrates with great joy.

Reading 1          Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14

The LORD said to Moses, “Go down at once to your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, for they have become depraved.
They have soon turned aside from the way I pointed out to them, making for themselves a molten calf and worshiping it, sacrificing to it and crying out, ‘This is your God, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!’
“I see how stiff-necked this people is, ” continued the LORD to Moses.
Let me alone, then, that my wrath may blaze up against them to consume them.
Then I will make of you a great nation.”

But Moses implored the LORD, his God, saying, “Why, O LORD, should your wrath blaze up against your own people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with such great power and with so strong a hand?
Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and how you swore to them by your own self, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky; and all this land that I promised, I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage.’”
So the LORD relented in the punishment he had threatened to inflict on his people.

Responsorial Psalm          Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 17, 19

R. (Lk 15:18) I will rise and go to my father.

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me.
R. I will rise and go to my father.

A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. I will rise and go to my father.

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R. I will rise and go to my father.

Reading 2          1 Timothy 1:12-17

Beloved:
I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord,
because he considered me trustworthy
in appointing me to the ministry.
I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and arrogant,
but I have been mercifully treated
because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief.
Indeed, the grace of our Lord has been abundant,
along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance:
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
Of these I am the foremost.
But for that reason I was mercifully treated,
so that in me, as the foremost,
Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example
for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life.
To the king of ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only God,
honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Alleluia          2 Corinthians 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          Luke 15:1-32

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So to them he addressed this parable.
“What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it?
And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’
I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.

“Or what woman having ten coins and losing one would not light a lamp and sweep the house, searching carefully until she finds it?
And when she does find it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’
In just the same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Then he said, “A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’
So the father divided the property between them.
After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.
When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need.
So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.
And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any.
Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger.
I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’
So he got up and went back to his father.
While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion.
He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.
His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’
But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.
Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’
Then the celebration began.
Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing.
He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.
The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him.
He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns, who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’
He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours.
But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’”