Texts taken from the Missalette “On Your Word” September-October 2022
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)
4th week, alternate cycle
FIRST READING
From the Book of Exodus (Ex 32:7-11, 13-14)
In those days, the Lord said to Moses: “Go down at once, because your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have become corrupt. They have been quick to turn aside from the way I pointed out to them! They have made for themselves a molten calf, then bowed down before it, offered sacrifices to it, and said: ‘Here is your God, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.’” The Lord said to Moses: “I have observed this people: see, they are a stiff-necked people. Now let me alone, so that my anger may blaze against them and consume them. Of you, however, I will make a great nation.” Moses then pleaded with the Lord, his God, and said: “Why, Lord, should your anger blaze against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by yourself and said: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven, and I will give your descendants all this land of which I have spoken, and they will possess it forever.’” The Lord relented from the evil he had threatened to bring upon his people. - The word of the Lord.
Commentary on the First Reading
The people of Israel sin in a truly serious way, imitating the idols of the neighboring peoples, which were worshiped in the form of statues or figures made of precious materials. Israel still does not accept being uniquely and specially chosen by Almighty God. Thus, God’s anger is kindled, but a man (certainly a figure and image of Jesus Christ) intercedes for the people. Moses does not justify Israel or try to minimize its sin, but appeals to God himself, asking him to be faithful to his love and his promises. The power of intercessory prayer brings forth God’s mercy, his goodness, and his heartfelt tenderness. Our salvation does not depend on our merits, our strength, or our ability to perform virtuous actions, but on God’s faithfulness, on his infinite and freely given love for each one of us. With the refrain of the Responsorial Psalm (Ps 51), which - as always - offers guidance for understanding the entire Sunday liturgy, we place our trust in God: “Remember me, Lord, in your love.”
SECOND READING
From the first letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to Timothy (1 Tim 1:12-17)
My son, I give thanks to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me trustworthy and appointed me to his service, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man. But mercy was shown to me, because I acted out of ignorance, far from the faith, and so the grace of our Lord overflowed for me along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these I am the foremost. But for that reason I was shown mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Christ Jesus might display all his patience, making me an example for those who would come to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. - The word of the Lord.
Commentary on the Second Reading
“Mercy was shown to me, because I acted out of ignorance, far from the faith, and so the grace of our Lord overflowed for me along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” Saint Paul, referring to his own story, makes concrete and profound the key word of this Sunday: “Mercy.” It is presented as the forgiveness of sins, kindness toward all those who, for a thousand reasons, do not know God, and the ever-abundant gift of grace. Certainly Saint Paul was a man of very strong character: his letters tell us this, and the facts speak for themselves. From being an ardent persecutor, he becomes, thanks to God, a preacher of the Gospel and of Jesus, aflame with faith and charity. This leads us to meditate on mercy, which gently and together with our freedom leads us to conversion. Conversion to God is not weakness of spirit, fear of punishment, or lack of personality: all these are prejudices of the contemporary world, which, especially in some regions of the world, seems to have forgotten God. Accepting mercy is the true strength that saves.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY
From the Gospel according to Luke (Lk 15:1-32)
At that time, all the tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to Jesus to listen to him. The Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses 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 coming home, 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, if she has ten coins and loses one, would not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she does find it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says, ‘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. The younger of them 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 by living recklessly. When he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in need. So he went to work for one of the local inhabitants, who sent him to his fields to tend the swine. He longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but no one 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 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 far 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.’” - The Gospel of the Lord.
Commentary on the Gospel of the Day
This Sunday’s Gospel presents us with three parables featuring three protagonists: the Good Shepherd, the woman searching for the lost coin, and the Merciful Father. It is important to emphasize that Jesus speaks these words, so extraordinary and so full of trust in God’s mercy, during a banquet, while sharing the table with sinners. This situation provokes two opposing reactions toward Jesus: one of withdrawal on the part of the scribes and Pharisees, who consider themselves “righteous” and therefore the only ones worthy of God’s benevolence; and the other of approach on the part of all the tax collectors and sinners, who by definition are those far from God. Yet it is precisely the latter who eagerly draw near to Jesus to listen to him and eat with him. The astonishing power of these events is confirmed by the fact that, especially in the Jewish world, sitting down to eat with someone means establishing the deepest communion. So I ask myself: What is my situation before God? Do I consider myself righteous or a sinner? The three stories invite us to change our way of thinking, to enter into God’s way of seeing, to try to understand his actions, and to enter into communion with him.
