FIRST READING
2 Kings 19:9b-11, 14-21, 31-35a, 36
Sennacherib, king of Assyria, sent envoys to Hezekiah with this message: “Thus shall you say to Hezekiah, king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God on whom you rely deceive you by saying that Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria. You have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all other countries: they doomed them! Will you, then, be saved?’”
Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; then he went up to the temple of the LORD, and spreading it out before him, he prayed in the LORD’s presence: “O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned upon the cherubim! You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made the heavens and the earth. Incline your ear, O LORD, and listen! Open your eyes, O LORD, and see! Hear the words of Sennacherib which he sent to taunt the living God. Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, and cast their gods into the fire; they destroyed them because they were not gods, but the work of human hands, wood and stone. Therefore, O LORD, our God, save us from the power of this man, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God.”
Then Isaiah, son of Amoz, sent this message to Hezekiah: “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, in answer to your prayer for help against Sennacherib, king of Assyria: I have listened! This is the word the LORD has spoken concerning him:
“‘She despises you, laughs you to scorn, the virgin daughter Zion! Behind you she wags her head, daughter Jerusalem.
“‘For out of Jerusalem shall come a remnant, and from Mount Zion, survivors. The zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this.’
“Therefore, thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria: ‘He shall not reach this city, nor shoot an arrow at it, nor come before it with a shield, nor cast up siege-works against it. He shall return by the same way he came, without entering the city, says the LORD. I will shield and save this city for my own sake, and for the sake of my servant David.’”
That night the angel of the LORD went forth and struck down one hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. So Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, broke camp, and went back home to Nineveh.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 48:2-3ab, 3cd-4, 10-11
R. (see 9d) God upholds his city for ever.
Great is the LORD and wholly to be praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain, fairest of heights, is the joy of all the earth.
R. God upholds his city for ever.
Mount Zion, Athe recesses of the North,” is the city of the great King. God is with her castles; renowned is he as a stronghold.
R. God upholds his city for ever.
O God, we ponder your mercy within your temple. As your name, O God, so also your praise reaches to the ends of the earth. Of justice your right hand is full.
R. God upholds his city for ever.
ALLELUIA
John 8:12
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL
Matthew 7:6, 12-14
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.
“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the Law and the Prophets.
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.”
REFLECTIONS:
Why does Jesus contrast pearls and holiness with
dogs and swine? Pearls were of very great value and even considered
priceless. The same with holiness because God is all-holy and he invites
us to share in his holiness which is very precious and priceless as well.
The Talmud, a rabbinic commentary on the Jewish Scriptures, has a proverbial
saying for something which is inconguous or out of place: an ear-ring
in a swines snout. Jesus' expression about "pearls before swine" and
"not giving dogs what is holy" is very similar in thought (Matthew 7:6).
Jesus concern here is not with exclusivity (excluding other people from
our love, care, and concern), but with purity the purity of the faith
which has been entrusted to us by an all-holy and all-wise God. The early
church referenced this expression with the Eucharist or the Lords Table.
In the liturgy of the early church, a proclamation was given shortly before
communion: Holy things to the holy. The Didache, a first century
church manual stated:
Let no one eat or drink of your Eucharist except
those baptised into the name of the Lord; for, as regards this, the Lord
has said, 'Do not give what is holy to dogs.' The Lord Jesus invites
us to his table, but we must approach worthily.
Jesus summed up the teaching of the Old Testament law and prophets
So
whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them (Matthew
7:12) and in the same breath he raised it to a new level of perfection
and fulfillment. The law of love requires more than simply avoiding injury
or harm to one's neighbor. Perfect love a love which is unconditional
and which reaches out to all always seeks the good of others for their
sake and gives the best we can offer for their welfare. When we love our
neighbors and treat them in the same way we wish to be treated by God and
by others, then we fulfill the law and the prophets, namely what God requires
of us loving God with all that we have and are and loving our neighbor
as ourselves. How can we love our neighbor selflessly and and show them
kindness and concern for their welfare? If we empty our hearts of all unkind
and unloving thoughts and sentiments, then there will only be room for
kindness, goodness, charity, and mercy. Paul the Apostle reminds us that
"God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which
has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). It is the love of God that fuels our
unconditional love for others. Are you ready to let the Holy Spirit transform
your life with the purifying fire of God's love?
Jesus uses an image (Matthew 7:13-14) which is common in the Old Testament:
choosing between two divergent ways or paths the way that leads to fulfillment
and life versus the way that leads to destruction and death. The Book of
Psalms begins with an image of a person who has chosen to follow the way
of those who are wise and obedient to God's word and who refuse to follow
the way of those who think and act contrary to God's law : Blessed is
the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way
of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the
law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night (Psalm
1:1-2). When a path diverges, such as a fork in the road, each way leads
to a different destination. This is especially true when we encounter lifes
crossroads where we must make a choice that will affect how we will live
our lives. Do the choices you make help you move towards the goal of loving
God and obeying his will? The Lord gives us freedom to choose which way
we will go. Ask him for the wisdom to know which way will lead to life
rather than to death and destruction. See, I have set before you this
day life and good, death and evil. ...Therefore choose life that you and
your descendants may live (Deuteronmy 3:15-20). Choose this day
whom you will serve (Joshua 24:15). Behold I set before you the
way of life and the way of death (Jeremiah 21:8). If we allow God's
love and wisdom to rule our hearts, then we can trust in his guidance and
grace to follow the path of love and holiness.
"Let me love you, my Lord and my God, and see myself as I really am
a pilgrim in this world, a Christian called to respect and love all whose
lives I touch, those in authority over me or those under my authority,
my friends and my enemies. Help me to conquer anger with gentleness, greed
by generosity, apathy by fervor. Help me to forget myself and reach out
towards others." (Prayer attributed to Clement XI of Rome)
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