The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to accept that our practice of mercy and justice may need revision as we seek to model the witness of Jesus.
The reading from the Book of Exodus introduces the Departure of the Israelites from Egypt.
* [12:38] Mixed ancestry: not simply descendants of Jacob; cf. Nm 11:4; Lv 24:10–11.
* [12:40] In Egypt: according to the Septuagint and the Samaritan Pentateuch “in Canaan and Egypt,” thus reckoning from the time of Abraham. Cf. Gal 3:17. (Exodus, CHAPTER 12, n.d.)
Psalm 136 praises Israel’s God.
* [Psalm 136] The hymn praises Israel’s God (“the God of gods,” Ps 136:2), who has created the world in which Israel lives. The refrain occurring after every line suggests that a speaker and chorus sang the Psalm in antiphonal fashion. A single act of God is described in Ps 136:4–25. God arranges the heavens and the earth as the environment for human community, and then creates the community by freeing them and giving them land. In the final section (Ps 136:23–25) God, who created the people and gave them land, continues to protect and nurture them. (Psalms, PSALM 136 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus, The Chosen Servant, cites the Suffering Servant of Isaiah.
* [12:15–21] Matthew follows Mk 3:7–12 but summarizes his source in two verses (Mt 12:15, 16) that pick up the withdrawal, the healings, and the command for silence. To this he adds a fulfillment citation from the first Servant Song (Is 42:1–4) that does not correspond exactly to either the Hebrew or the LXX of that passage. It is the longest Old Testament citation in this gospel, emphasizing the meekness of Jesus, the Servant of the Lord, and foretelling the extension of his mission to the Gentiles.
* [12:15] Jesus’ knowledge of the Pharisees’ plot and his healing all are peculiar to Matthew.
* [12:19] The servant’s not contending is seen as fulfilled in Jesus’ withdrawal from the disputes narrated in Mt 12:1–14.
* [12:21] Except for a minor detail, Matthew here follows the LXX, although the meaning of the Hebrew (“the coastlands will wait for his teaching”) is similar. (Matthew, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)
Michele Bogard declares “His mercy endures forever.”
The beatitudes teach us blessed are the merciful, as mercy shall be theirs. I am choosing to focus on the corporal works of mercy as I navigate this less than hopeful time in our country’s history. Clothing the naked. Feeding the hungry… On July 5th my son and I went to our favorite community partner and volunteered with the food pantry. As SNAP benefits will be reduced in many ways, I’m finding that I need to find things that I can try to have a sense of control. Spending time volunteering was a very tiny, minuscule way that I could find hope that morning. I wonder how can you find a way that you can enact a small way to be that mercy to others? And then in turn, could we all feel God’s mercy. (Bogard, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “The Savior's meekness,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).
"The prophet celebrated in advance both the Savior's meekness right alongside his unspeakable power. Thereby he opened to the Gentiles a great and effective door. Isaiah also foretold the ills that were to overtake the Jews. He foreknew the Son's oneness with the Father: 'Israel is my chosen, my soul has accepted him; I have put my Spirit upon him' (Isaiah 42:1). For it is not as an adversary that Christ transcends the law, as if he were an enemy of the Lawgiver, but as though he were of one mind with the Lawgiver and held to the very same purposes. Then, proclaiming the Lord's meekness, Isaiah said, 'He shall not cry nor lift up his voice' (Isaiah 42:20). For his desire indeed was to enable healing in their presence. But since they pushed him away, he did not contend any further against their opposition." (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 40.2.1) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Exodus 12:37-42 comments that like the people of Israel, we, too, have been set free. On the cross, Jesus accomplished our deliverance by overcoming the power of sin and liberating us from death.
Jesus, your liberator, knows you intimately. He knows your strengths and weaknesses. He knows your desires—both the good ones and the not-so-good ones. And he loves you! He is committed to you! So place your life in his hands today. No matter what comes your way, stay close to the One who is journeying with you from slavery into freedom.
“Jesus, thank you for leading me into the freedom of your kingdom!” (Meditation on Exodus 12:37-42, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the Exodus passage where the freedom of Israelites are realized and they have to take unleavened bread. The night of Passover is celebrated to this day and we as Christians believe Eucharistic meal is a type of Passover meal. In the Gospel of Matthew the Pharisees try to kill Jesus who moves to a deserted spot. Jesus responds to hate with love. Friar Jude reminds us that Evil wants us to use its tools to fight. Love is the only way to destroy the power of evil.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Beth Norcross and Leah Rampy from the Center for Spirituality in Nature who invite us to seek to discover the spiritual wisdom of trees.
As we observe the patterns of trees, we might consider how to stretch toward the light. Our practice probably won’t look exactly like that of a tree, physically shaping ourselves to reach toward the sun. It might generate a similar feeling, however, as we listen for the places within us that are longing for more light and adapt our spiritual practices to respond to that need….
To embrace the practice of trees, we might notice the places within us where the light seldom shines. We may long to look away from our shadows, to ignore the ways we feel least connected to the holy. Yet the trees would tell us that those are the very places to which we must attend, lovingly stretching into the pain, misunderstanding, grief, or confusion. The trees remind us that if we refrain from growing in those difficult, shadowy places, our journey toward the light will be constrained. (Rohr, n.d.)
We ponder the way in which we are called to share Jesus' love and mercy as we implore the Spirit to guide our action to help the people we encounter on our journey.
References
Bogard, M. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved July 19, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-july-19-2025
Exodus, CHAPTER 12. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved July 19, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/exodus/12?
Matthew, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 19, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/12?14
Meditation on Exodus 12:37-42. (n.d.). Retrieved July 19, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/?utm_content=buffer5c902&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Psalms, PSALM 136 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 19, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/136?1
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 19, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-dance-of-darkness-and-light-weekly-summary/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Until Jesus Brings Justice to Victory. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 19, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=jul19
No comments:
Post a Comment