Monday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 413
Reading 1
Ezekiel 1:2-5, 24-28c
On the fifth day of the fourth month of the fifth year,
that is, of King Jehoiachin's exile,
The word of the LORD came to the priest Ezekiel,
the son of Buzi,
in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar.—
There the hand of the LORD came upon me.
As I looked, a stormwind came from the North,
a huge cloud with flashing fire enveloped in brightness,
from the midst of which (the midst of the fire)
something gleamed like electrum.
Within it were figures resembling four living creatures
that looked like this: their form was human.
Then I heard the sound of their wings,
like the roaring of mighty waters,
like the voice of the Almighty.
When they moved, the sound of the tumult was like the din of an army.
And when they stood still, they lowered their wings.
Above the firmament over their heads
something like a throne could be seen,
looking like sapphire.
Upon it was seated, up above, one who had the appearance of a man.
Upward from what resembled his waist I saw what gleamed like electrum;
downward from what resembled his waist I saw what looked like fire;
he was surrounded with splendor.
Like the bow which appears in the clouds on a rainy day
was the splendor that surrounded him.
Such was the vision of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 148:1-2, 11-12, 13, 14
R. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights;
Praise him, all you his angels;
praise him, all you his hosts.
R. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the kings of the earth and all peoples,
the princes and all the judges of the earth,
Young men too, and maidens,
old men and boys,
R. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
His majesty is above earth and heaven.
R. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
And he has lifted up the horn of his people.
Be this his praise from all his faithful ones,
from the children of Israel, the people close to him.
Alleluia.
R. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia
See 2 Thessalonians 2:14
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God has called you through the Gospel
To possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Matthew 17:22-27
As Jesus and his disciples were gathering in Galilee,
Jesus said to them,
"The Son of Man is to be handed over to men,
and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day."
And they were overwhelmed with grief.
When they came to Capernaum,
the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and said,
"Does not your teacher pay the temple tax?"
"Yes," he said.
When he came into the house, before he had time to speak,
Jesus asked him, "What is your opinion, Simon?
From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax?
From their subjects or from foreigners?"
When he said, "From foreigners," Jesus said to him,
"Then the subjects are exempt.
But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook,
and take the first fish that comes up.
Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax.
Give that to them for me and for you.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Miracles of Hope
From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax? From their subjects or from foreigners?” When he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him, “Then the subjects are exempt. But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that to them for me and for you.” Matthew 17:25–27
Prior to this minor miracle, Jesus had just told His disciples for the second time about His coming passion. Again, this was difficult for them to hear. Recall that after the first prediction of Jesus’ coming passion and death, Jesus took Peter, James and John up the mountain and was Transfigured before them. The Transfiguration was meant, in part, to dispel the fear of the disciples and to give them hope for that which was to come. And now, after Jesus’ second prediction of His passion, another miracle was performed for Peter, personally, to help encourage him and give him hope.
Imagine if you were Peter. Imagine following through with Jesus’ instructions by going to the sea, dropping in a hook, pulling out a fish and then opening its mouth. Peter must have been filled with hope and excitement as he pulled this fish in, wondering if Jesus’ words would come true. And as soon as Peter saw the coin, just as Jesus said, he must have been in awe. Slowly, the fear and anxiety he was experiencing at this second prediction of Jesus’ passion and death would have begun to subside as Peter witnessed yet another incredible sign from his Lord.
God performs miracles in our lives every day. The problem is that we often fail to discern them. Any time His glorious power works within us to strengthen us or fills us with courage, hope, charity and every other virtue, this is a miracle of transforming grace. God always knows what we need in life. He knows our struggles and doubts. At times, He is silent so as to draw us deeper through intentional prayer and acts of faith. And at times, we suddenly find that we receive a new clarity in life that is the result of His grace at work.
Jesus knew that Peter needed this extra grace of this personal miracle so that he could move beyond his fears and struggles and place all of his trust in Jesus. Jesus was trustworthy. This is the conclusion Peter would have arrived at. He was trustworthy. Therefore, everything He said should be believed. What a wonderful conclusion for us all to arrive at.
Reflect, today, upon the ways that God has assured you of His divine presence and action in your life. Though the assuring miracles God has performed in your life may not be physical in their manifestation, God’s workings can be just as convincing if we clearly perceive them. What does God want to assure you of in your life? What struggle or doubt do you struggle with? If you struggle, turn your mind to the ways that God has been present and active in your life. Ponder His intervention and the ways He has cared for you and led you. Be grateful and allow the memory of what God has done to be your strength today and the source of hope when you need it the most.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
TELL-A-VISION
“Such was the vision of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.” —Ezekiel 1:28
Ezekiel experienced an overwhelmingly awesome vision of the Lord. In this vision, God called Ezekiel to prophesy to the hardened yet endangered Israelites. The king, Jehoiachin, was already in exile, and Ezekiel prophesied that the people would soon suffer the same fate (Ez 2:4ff).
In Ezekiel chapters 2 and 3, the Lord sends Ezekiel to speak His prophetic words of warning to “rebels...hard of face and obstinate of heart” who “will refuse to listen to” Ezekiel (Ez 2:3, 4; 3:7). God tells Ezekiel several times not to be afraid and to speak all His words to this stubborn people. Instead of being discouraged, Ezekiel was “spiritually stirred, while the hand of the Lord rested heavily upon” him (Ez 3:14).
If you received the Eucharist yesterday, you’ve seen the Lord — in a way far superior to Ezekiel’s vision. God called Isaiah and Ezekiel to prophesy in the midst of great visions. Likewise, God is calling you in the midst of your vision of Him. Some of you are called to be priests, others religious, others to the lay single vocation, and others to be faithful husbands and wives.
All are called to be prophets to a hardened, endangered age no less obstinate than Ezekiel’s. “Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks” (Ez 3:9), for God will make you stronger than they (see Ez 3:8-9; Jer 1:17-19). Accept your calling and vocation from the Lord. Speak His prophetic words. You are more than a conqueror in Jesus (Rm 8:37).
Prayer: Father, I will open wide my mouth so You can fill it with Your words (Ps 81:11). Use me to break open the hardest hearts.
Promise: “He will be raised up on the third day.” —Mt 17:23
Praise: St. Jane, though living with her cantankerous father-in-law, radiated the joy of the Lord.
Reflection 3
By Fr. Joaquim PETIT Llimona, L.C.
(Barcelona, Spain)
“Jesus and his disciples were gathering in Galilee”
Today, the liturgy offers different possibilities for us to consider. Amongst these we could, perhaps, stop in something implicit throughout the text: Jesus' familiar attitude with his disciples.
St. Matthew says that “Jesus and his disciples were gathering in Galilee” (Mt 17:22). Though it is quite evident, the fact the Evangelist deems it necessary to mention it seems to emphasize the nearness of Jesus Christ. Shortly afterwards, Jesus opens His heart to make them aware of his Passion, Death and Resurrection. That is, of something He had been keeping inside himself but He does not want to conceal any longer from those He loves so much. Still further, the text mentions the tax payment episode, and, here too, the Evangelist shows us Jesus' demeanor with them, by placing himself at Peter's level, and contrasting the tax-free sons (Jesus and Peter) to the others, who must pay. Finally, Christ shows Peter how to get the necessary monies to pay, not only for Him, but for both of them and, thus, avoid any scandal.
In all these traits we may discover a fundamental vision of our Christian life: Jesus' desire to remain with us. In the book of Proverbs the Lord says: “Playing over the whole of his earth, having my delight with human beings” (Pr 8:31). It is amazing how this reality may change our approach to our spiritual life where, at times, we only pay attention to what we do, as if that was the most important part of it…! Our interior life must be centered in Christ, in his love for us, in his dying on the Cross for me, in his constant search of our heart. Saint John Paul II expressed it very well back in 1982, in his meeting with the youth in Spain, when he said, out loud: “Look at Him!”
Prayers
My miraculous Lord, Your action in my life is truly glorious and amazing. You never fail to provide for me when I am in need. Help me to turn to You whenever I struggle so as to be filled with new hope in You. You are always faithful, dear Lord. I do place all my hope in You. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, your death brought true life and freedom. May I always walk in the freedom and power of your love and truth and reject whatever is contrary to your will for my life.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 224: To Speak or Not to Speak
One common human tendency is to talk excessively and to explain ourselves to others, especially to justify our actions in their minds. This is especially the case when we sense that others misunderstand us. But Jesus experienced this to the greatest degree as He stood before Herod and Pilate. In these cases, He remained silent. This is a lesson for us in that there are many times when our Lord calls us to remain silent in the face of misunderstanding. Sure, there are other times when He calls us to speak freely and openly to another about our soul and our inner thoughts, but we must strive to discern His Will in each situation and know that silence, in certain situations, is what He calls us to. Remaining silent, at times, will produce more good fruit than an excess of words. Seek to imitate the silence of our Lord in those moments, trusting that He sees your soul and is pleased with you as you endure false perceptions and misunderstandings (See Diary #1164).
Are there times when you sense that others do not understand you? This can be difficult and even painful. Notice that in these moments you may tend to look for ways to explain yourself to others and defend your honor. But silence in those moments may actually be what our Lord is calling you to embrace. Reflect upon Jesus, standing before Herod and Pilate, and ponder His silence in the face of judgment. Know that you will also be called to endure moments like this and, in accord with God’s mysterious Will, this act of silence will win more grace for the salvation of souls than all the words you could speak.
Lord, give me wisdom so that I know when to speak and when to remain silent. I desire to imitate Your perfect silence and to endure the misunderstandings that You endured. In these moments, give me grace to imitate Your humility as I imitate You. Jesus, I trust in You.
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