12TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
St. Irenaeus, bishop & martyr
Psalter: Week 4 / (Red)
Ps 79:1b-2, 3-5, 8, 9
For the glory of your name,
O Lord, deliver us.
1st Reading: 2 K 24:8-17*
Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he succeeded his father, and he reigned for three months in Jerusalem. His mother was Nehushta, daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. Jehoiachin treated Yahweh badly, as his father had done.
At that time, the officials of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to attack Jerusalem, surrounding the city. Nebuchadnezzar came while the city was being besieged by his men.
Jehoiachin, king of Judah, surrendered, together with his mother, his servants, his leaders and the palace officials. It was the eighth year of he reign of Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar captured them and he took away the treasures of the house of Yahweh and of the king’s house. He also destroyed all the objects of gold which Solomon, king of Israel, had made for the Sanctuary of Yahweh. So the word Yahweh had spoken, was fulfilled. (…) Nebuchadnezzar also carried away Jehoiachin, with his mother, his wives, the ministers of the palace, and the prominent men of the land. So all the prominent people, numbering seven thousand, the blacksmiths, numbering a thousand, and all the men fit for war were deported to Babylon by the king of Babylon. He made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king of Jerusalem, in place of Jehoiachin. And he changed his name to Zedekiah.
Gospel: Mt 7:21-29
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my heavenly Father. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not speak in your name? Did we not cast out devils and perform many miracles in your name?’ Then I will tell them openly, ‘I have never known you; away from me, you evil people!’
“Therefore, anyone who hears these words of mine, and acts according to them, is like a wise man, who built his house on rock. The rain poured down, the rivers flooded, and the wind blew and struck that house. But it did not collapse, because it was built on rock. But anyone who hears these words of mine, and does not act accordingly, is like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain poured, the rivers flooded, and the wind blew and struck that house; it collapsed, and what a terrible collapse that was!”
When Jesus had finished this discourse, the crowds were struck by the way he taught, because he taught with authority, unlike their teachers of the law.
Reflections
anyone who hears these words of mine, and acts according to them, is like
a wise man, who built his house on rock
The Book of Kings retells the story of the exile of the Israelites to Babylon. The Israelites lost their promised land. How could they not reflect about God's fidelity and promises to them? Or wonder whether their sinfulness caused their exile and enslavement? Whenever we suffer, we too search for God amidst the darkness. We too inquire into the cause of our suffering.
In the Gospel, Jesus encourages us to build our house upon solid rock; that is, to anchor our lives upon our faithful God that we not be buffeted by the challenges of life.
Daily Reflection 2018
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Biblical Texts are taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition (57th Edition) The New English Translation for the ROMAN MISSAL
With permission from the EPISCOPAL COMMISION ON LITURGY of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
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