Saturday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year 1 2023

Title

one must declare the works of God and give thanks with due honor

Outline

Divine Providence is difficult to talk about

First, it may not appear providential until well afterward or unless one has God’s perspective - if ever

Second, it calls on us to praise God and not ourselves, and that goes counter to our turned in nature: the scribes are dangerous, “Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in the marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation.” - they are dangerous to themselves and others for life is about them.

The poor widow’s life is all about God: she will experience divine providence, but may not care or notice. He desire is all about God, giving her all to God.

For the outside world all of this is nonsense, if not exploitation. It does not compute.

But the purpose of providence is praise

We get to experience the character of God and can spread that reputation outward and declare it upward in thanksgiving. It is often then public, “Oh, now I see. Thanks be to God.”

The Tobit narrative has been laid out with two stories of doing good, receiving unexpected evil, and the apparent collapse of hope. All they have left is a desperate prayer for death to relieve their pain in a way that God not be shamed.

Now we are at the end with the “happy ending,” and yet the one thing lacking is the paying of Raphael who is in every part of the narrative and yet unknown.

But then, after months and months of pain and uncertainty, Raphael says, ““Bless God and give him thanks before all the living for the good things he has done for you, by blessing and extolling his name in song. Proclaim before all with due honor the deeds of God, and do not be slack in thanking him. A king’s secret should be kept secret, but one must declare the works of God and give thanks with due honor.” You can and should keep a king’s secret secret, but not God’s: his works must be declared to give him glory.

And so we now learn that Raphael it was who presented both Tobit’s and Sarah’s prayers before the Glory of the Lord and who was sent to test their good works, and to heal both of them, ending with the revelation, “I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand and serve before the Glory of the Lord.”

We did not know you, but God has been using you in our lives day by day. We did not recognize providence when it was staring us in the face.

Sisters, the response is simple:

First, in your examen each day ask if perhaps you have experienced some of the providence of God in the negative or positive things that have happened to you. As God to show you so that you can reveal his glory.

Second, pray prayers of giving yourselves over to divine providence, to abandonment, expecting to see fulfillment.

Third, develop patience, as James calls us to. Something we will not see the pattern of providence for a long time, and sometimes we will only see it as we enter heaven. If our praise is read to hand, God will give us a change to use it, even if it may not be seen in our lifetime.

Readings

Catholic Daily Readings 6-10-2023: Saturday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

FIRST READING

Tobit 12:1, 5–15, 20

CHAPTER 12

1 When the wedding celebration came to an end, Tobit called his son Tobiah and said to him, “Son, see to it that you pay his wages to the man who made the journey with you and give him a bonus too.”

5 So Tobiah called Raphael and said, “Take as your wages half of all that you have brought back, and farewell!”

6 Raphael called the two of them aside privately and said to them: “Bless God and give him thanks before all the living for the good things he has done for you, by blessing and extolling his name in song. Proclaim before all with due honor the deeds of God, and do not be slack in thanking him. 7 A king’s secret should be kept secret, but one must declare the works of God and give thanks with due honor. Do good, and evil will not overtake you. 8 Prayer with fasting is good. Almsgiving with righteousness is better than wealth with wickedness. It is better to give alms than to store up gold, 9 for almsgiving saves from death, and purges all sin. Those who give alms will enjoy a full life, 10 but those who commit sin and do evil are their own worst enemies.

11 “I shall now tell you the whole truth and conceal nothing at all from you. I have already said to you, ‘A king’s secret should be kept secret, but one must declare the works of God with due honor.’ 12 Now when you, Tobit, and Sarah prayed, it was I who presented the record of your prayer before the Glory of the Lord; and likewise whenever you used to bury the dead. 13 When you did not hesitate to get up and leave your dinner in order to go and bury that dead man, 14 I was sent to put you to the test. At the same time, however, God sent me to heal you and your daughter-in-law Sarah. 15 I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand and serve before the Glory of the Lord.”

20 So now bless the Lord on earth and give thanks to God. Look, I am ascending to the one who sent me. Write down all that has happened to you.” And he ascended.

Catholic Daily Readings 6-10-2023: Saturday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

RESPONSE

Tobit 13:1b

CHAPTER 13

1 Then Tobit spoke and composed a song of joyful praise; he said:

Blessed be God who lives forever,

because his kingship lasts for all ages.

2 For he afflicts and shows mercy,

casts down to the depths of Hades,

brings up from the great abyss.

What is there that can snatch from his hand?

PSALM

Tobit 13:2, 6e

2 For he afflicts and shows mercy,

casts down to the depths of Hades,

brings up from the great abyss.

What is there that can snatch from his hand?

6 When you turn back to him with all your heart,

and with all your soul do what is right before him,

Then he will turn to you,

and will hide his face from you no longer.

Now consider what he has done for you,

and give thanks with full voice.

Bless the Lord of righteousness,

and exalt the King of the ages.

In the land of my captivity I give thanks,

and declare his power and majesty to a sinful nation.

According to your heart do what is right before him:

perhaps there will be pardon for you.

Catholic Daily Readings 6-10-2023: Saturday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Matthew 5:3

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

GOSPEL

Mark 12:38–44

38 In the course of his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in the marketplaces, 39 seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. 40 They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation.”

41 He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. 43 Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, “Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. 44 For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.”

Notes

Catholic Daily Readings 6-10-2023: Saturday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

SATURDAY, JUNE 10, 2023 | ORDINARY TIME

SATURDAY OF THE NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

YEAR 1 | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

First Reading Tobit 12:1, 5–15, 20

Response Tobit 13:1b

Psalm Tobit 13:2, 6e

Gospel Acclamation Matthew 5:3

Gospel Mark 12:38–44

GREEN