Friday
17th Week of Ordinary Time
(I) 1st Reading: Leviticus 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34b-37
Celebration of the Sabbath
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[1] The Lord said to Moses, [4] "These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, the
holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them."
Celebration of the Passover and the Feast of the Unleavened Bread
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[5] "In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening, is the
Lord's passover. [6] And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of
unleavened bread to the Lord; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. [7]
0n the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious
work. [8] But you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord seven days; on
the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work."
Celebration of the First Fruits
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[9] And the Lord said to Moses, [10] "Say to the people of Israel, When you
come into the land which I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the
sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest; [11] and he shall wave the
sheaf before the Lord, that you may find acceptance; on the morrow after the
sabbath the priest shall wave it."
Celebration of the Feast of Weeks
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[15] "And you shall count from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that
you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven full weeks shall they be, [16]
counting fifty days to the morrow after the seventh sabbath; then you shall pre-
sent a cereal offering of new grain to the Lord."
Celebration of the Day of Atonement
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[27] "On the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be
for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present
an offering by fire to the Lord."
Celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles
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[34b] "On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the feast
of booths to the Lord. [35] On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall
do no laborious work. [36] Seven days you shall present offerings by fire to the
Lord; on the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present an offering
by fire to the LORD; it is a solemn assembly; you shall do no laborious work."
[37] "These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim as
times of holy convocation, for presenting to the Lord offerings by fire, burnt offe-
rings and cereal offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its proper day."
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Commentary:
23:1-4. Some of the feats mentioned in this calendar are also to be found in
other books (cf. Ex 23:14-19; 34:18-26; Deut 16:1). It deals first with the sabbath,
which becomes the paradigm for all the other feasts, especially as far as rest is
concerned. Such importance was given to what could or could not be done on
the sabbath that all sorts of absurd and formalistic exaggerations developed.
More than once Jesus criticized the severe interpretations devised by the
scribes--a complicated and intolerable casuistry (cf. Mt 15:1-9; 23:41 Acts
15:10).
23:5-8. The Passover is also dealt with in Exodus 12:1-14:21-28 and 13:3-10.
The first month was called Nisan; earlier on it was called Abib, "spring" or "ears
(of grain)". The feast began at sundown. Here it is depicted as a preparation for
the feast of the unleavened bread, which began the following day, 15 Nisan, and
lasted seven days, during which bread was eaten unleavened. The religious as-
sembly took place on the first day and the last. During these assemblies various
sacrifices were offered and a sacred meal took place. We recall that it was du-
ring this feast that Jesus instituted the Eucharist, doing so in the context of the
passover supper. And it was during the Passover that Jesus was sacrificed on
he altar of the cross. St John tells us that the sacrifice of Christ began at the
sixth hour on the day of Preparation, the exact time that the passover lambs
were sacrificed. This makes the beginning of a new Passover, in which a new
victim is sacrificed, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (cf.
Jn 1:29, 36; 19:14).
23:9-14. The feast of the first fruits, although the date is not a fixed one, is con-
nected with the Passover. In the Jordan valley grain was already ripe for harvest
by this time (cf. Num 28:26-31). The offering of first fruits is based on the convic-
tion that everything comes from God. In recognition of that divine sovereignty the
first sheaf to ripen was offered in sacrifice--a tradition which developed to the
point that no one could eat the crop without first making this offering to God. The
"morrow" after the sabbath was thought by some to have been the first sabbath
after 14 Nisan. Other scholars think that the sabbath was 15 Nisan and then the
offering of the first fruits took place on 16 Nisan. The "morrow" was the base day
for reckoning the start of feast of Pentecost, seven weeks later. The offering of
the first sheaves was accompanied by the sacrifice of a year-old lamb and two
tenths of an ephah of flour (cf. the note on Ex 29:38-46) that is, approximately
4.2 liters, and a quarter of a hin of wine (approximately one litre or two pints).
23:15-22. This feast, too, has elements connected with the grain harvest. Later
on it became linked with the giving the Law at Sinai. It was called Pentecost be-
cause it came fifty days after Passover. In Hebrew it was called Aseret, the
"great convocation" or assembly. Another name for it is the feast of Weeks (a
reference to the seven weeks which had passed since the Passover). The offe-
ring of the loaves of bread made from the first sheaf expressed thanksgiving and
joy for the harvest recently completed. The various sacrifices were offered as a
sign of repentance for and as an act of adoration for the greatness of God who
had blessed the work of his people.
From a Christian point of view, it is interesting that it was on the feast of Pente-
cost that the Holy Spirit came down on the apostles. For one thing, that Pente-
cost marked the start of a new stage with another Law, a much more perfect
one, written not on stones but in the depths of men's hearts (cf. 2 Cor 3:3). For
another, because it also seems significant that it was at the moment when the
fruits of the earth were being harvested that the Church should receive the most
precious fruit of Christ's death on the cross, the strength of the Spirit who puri-
fies and sanctities men with his divine grace.
23:23-44. In the Bible the number seven had a sacred character; symbolizing in
some way the perfection of God. Therefore the seventh month, as also the se-
venth year, had special significance in Israel. Thus, in the seventh month (in He-
brew, Tishre) three feasts were held. The first was the feast of Trumpets, which
took place on the seventh day. It began with the sounding of trumpets; hence
its name. Trumpets were also used to greet the appearance of the new moon.
These details probably reflect traces of astral cults; however, by becoming in-
corporated into the liturgy, they became purified and raised to a new plane, to
express at different times and different ways a deep feeling of attachment to the
Creator of heaven and earth.
On the tenth of the same month the day of atonement was celebrated--Yom Kip-
pur. It was a day of penance and expiation. It began at sundown, with the start
of the sabbath rest. The grave penalties imposed for transgressions show the im-
portance this day had, and still has today, in Jewish liturgy.
The other great feast is that of Tabernacles, celebrated over seven days, begin-
ning on 15 Tisre. In the Code of the Covenant it is called the feast of ingathering
(cf. Ex 23:16). The last of the harvest was saved around this time, particularly
the grape harvest. The feast marked the close of the agricultural year; it was a
most joyful least. It was also regarded as preparation for the new period which
would start immediately with the new sowing. Prayers were offered for early rains,
which were so crucial to starting the work. This was why the rite of water was so
much to the fore. Water was borne in procession from the pool of Siloe and then
poured round the altar of the temple. In Jesus' time a bunch of myrtle and acacia
branches (from trees growing on the river bank) was shaken during the proces-
sion, thereby invoking the divine blessing of rain. In the times of Ezra and Nehe-
miah. in the middle of the 5th century BC, huts made from branches of trees
were set up on the terfaces of houses or in the countryside, and the people
camped in them over the days of the feast, in memory of the pilgrimage of the
people of Israel in the desert, when they lived in tents. This custom still survives
in the Jewish religion.
The Gospel of St John has much to say about this feast and about Jesus' acti-
vity in connection with it (cf. Jn 7:2ff), including the, important revelations our
Lord made apropos of its rites: it was on this feast that Jesus proclaimed that
from his heart rivers of living water would flow, a reference to "the Spirit, which
those who believed in him were to receive" (Jn 7:39).
(II) 1st Reading: Jeremiah 26:1-9
Jeremiah arraigned
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[1] In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah,
this word came from the Lord, [2] ”Thus says the Lord: Stand in the court of the
Lord’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah which come to worship in the
house of the Lord all the words that I command you to speak to them; do not
hold back a word. [3] It may be they will listen, and every one turn from his evil
way, that I may repent of the evil which I intend to do to them because of their
evil doings. [4] You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: If you will not listen
to me, to walk in my law which I have set before you, [5] and to heed the words
of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently, though you have not
heeded, [6] then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a
curse for all the nations of the earth.’”
[7] The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking
these words in the house of the Lord. [5] And when Jeremiah had finished spea-
king all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the
priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, “You shall
die! [9] Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘This house
shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant’?” And all
the people gathered about Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.
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Commentary:
26:1-45:4. The first part of the book was a lengthy collection of oracles, usually
in verse form, interspersed with narrative passages; this second part consists
largely of prose narratives. It is very likely that most of them were written down
by Baruch, Jeremiah’s secretary, a person who was very close to him from the
year 605 on (cf. 32:12, 16; 36:4-20; 45:15 and the Introduction to this book).
They tell us about Jeremiah’s preaching and about the difficulties he encountered
in the fulfillment of his ministry. The entire account, only occasionally interrupted
by the inclusion of oracles, culminates in the so-called “Sufferings of Jeremiah”
(37:1-44:30), in which we are told in some detail about what Jeremiah underwent
in the period after the first deportation to Babylon, in 597. It was not only that
people misunderstood him; he was ill-treated by those still living in the land of
Judah and eventually, after the second conquest and deportation in the year 587,
he was forcibly taken to Egypt, where he died.
These pages describe his clashes -- first with the people, priests and prophets
(26:1-29:32) and then with the kings who occupied the throne during those years
of turmoil (34:1-36:32). The episodes are not in chronological order, and they
derive from a number of separate collections of documents. One collection con-
tains narratives of events in the reign of Jehoiakim (chaps. 26; 35-36; and 45);
another, events in the time of Zedekiah (chaps. 27-29). In the centre of this part
comes what is called the “Book of Consolation” (30:1-33:26), highly poetic and
theological pages.
26:1-29:32. The connecting thread in the first section of prose accounts of the
life of Jeremiah is the prophet’s fidelity to the mission entrusted to him by the
Lord, despite ever-increasing opposition from his fellow citizens.
26:1-24. This chapter deals with the same incident in the temple that was nar-
rated in 7:1-8:3 (see note), and which occurred in 608 BC. It contains a sum-
mary of what the prophet said on that occasion, and people’s reactions to it (vv.
7-24). The religious life of the nation hinged on the temple, whose importance
had increased further as a result of Josiah’s recent reforms; but Jeremiah pro-
claims that the temple will be destroyed; it will he reduced to rubble, like the
old shrine at Shiloh (vv. 2-6). This prophecy so angered people, priests and pro-
phets that they called for Jeremiah’s death (vv. 7-9), but the authorities managed
to calm them down and Jeremiah escaped with his life (vv. 10-19), probably be-
cause his sincerity impressed the rulers: he was a man ready to risk his life in
order to be faithful to his prophetic mission. Although one cannot he sure where
the New Gate (v. 10) was, the rulers’ intervention clearly had a judicial character
to it, since legal proceedings took place at the city gates. The New Testament
contains clear echoes of this account -- in the deliberations of the Sanhedrin on
what to do with Jesus after he was arrested (cf. Mt 26:5-68 and par.), in the sen-
tence handed down by Pilate (cf. Lk 23:22), and also in the account of the mar-
tyrdom of St Stephen (cf. Acts 6: 12—14).
This episode dramatically illustrates the sort of clashes that Jeremiah became
involved in when carrying out his mission from the Lord. He has harsh things to
say, and meets resistance from the people, who have even begun to think that
nothing that offends their sensibilities or contradicts their desires can come from
God. Even so, Jeremiah does not back down, for the Lord gives him the strength
to stay true to his calling (cf. 1:7-10).
Gospel Reading: Matthew 13:54-58
No One is a Prophet in His Own Country
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[54] And coming to His (Jesus') own country He taught them in their synagogue,
so that they were astonished, and said, "Where did this Man get this wisdom
and these mighty works? [55] Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother
called Mary? And are not His brethren James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?
[56] And are not all His sisters with us? Where then did this Man get all this?"
[57] And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not
without honor except in his own country and in his own house." [58] And He did
not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.
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Commentary:
53-58. The Nazarenes' surprise is partly due to people's difficulty in recognizing
anything exceptional and supernatural in those with whom they have been on fa-
miliar terms. Hence the saying, "No one is a prophet in his own country." These
old neighbors were also jealous of Jesus. Where did He acquire this wisdom?
Why Him rather than us? They were unaware of the mystery of Jesus' conception;
surprise and jealousy cause them to be shocked, to look down on Jesus and not
to believe in Him: "He came to His own home, and His own people received Him
not" (John 1:11).
"The carpenter's son": this is the only reference in the Gospel to St. Joseph's
occupation (in Mark 6:3 Jesus Himself is described as a "carpenter"). Probably
in a town like Nazareth the carpenter was a general tradesman who could turn
his hand to jobs ranging from metalwork to making furniture or agricultural imple-
ments.
For an explanation of Jesus' "brethren", see the note on Matthew 12:46-47.
[The note of Matthew 12:46-47 states:
46-47. "Brethren": ancient Hebrew, Aramaic and other languages had no special
words for different degrees of relationship, such as are found in more modern lan-
guages. In general, all those belonging to the same family, clan and even tribe
were "brethren".
In the particular case we have here, we should bear in mind that Jesus had dif-
ferent kinds of relatives, in two groups--some on His mother's side, others on St.
Joseph's. Matthew 13:55-56 mentions, as living in Nazareth, James, Joseph,
Simon and Judas ("His brethren") and elsewhere there is reference to Jesus' "sis-
ters" (cf. Matthew 6:3). But in Matthew 27:56 we are told that James and Joseph
were sons of a Mary distinct from the Blessed Virgin, and that Simon and Judas
were not brothers of James and Joseph, but seemingly children of a brother of St.
Joseph.
Jesus, on the other hand, was known to everyone as "the son of Mary" (Mark
6:3) or "the carpenter's son" (Matthew 13:55).
The Church has always maintained as absolutely certain that Jesus had no
brothers or sisters in the full meaning of the term: it is a dogma that Mary was
ever-Virgin (cf. note on Matthew 1:25).]
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase
The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
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