Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A 2023

Title

Living As a Christian

Outline

I have two habits that are helpful spiritually

First, I try to read the Bible through yearly, either on paper or audibly via an app

Second, I likewise try to read through the catechism of the Catholic Church every year or so, again audibly or on paper. (This year the app from Ascension.com)

I need to refresh my grasp of truth, but I also need to refresh my grasp and practice of the good. I find that each time through I go deeper.

Jesus sums up this learning in our Gospel

In Matthew he is being tested, but in Mark the question seems genuine and the response to Jesus’ answer earns his approbation. What is the greatest commandment?

He starts with total commitment to or seeking the good of God with heart, soul, and mind. That sums up the first four commandments of the Decalogue; see the Catechism of the Catholic Church for a complete exposition.

But one cannot love the God who is love without loving what he loves and doing so out of love for God. So Jesus goes on to the second greatest commandment, love your neighbor as yourself. Here one has the next 6 commandments of the Decalogue; again see the CCC.

This is what makes one a true Christian and witness

Paul said that the Spirit had so transformed the Thessalonians that “you became imitators of us and of the Lord, receiving the word in great affliction, with joy from the holy Spirit, so that you became a model for all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.” They received and committed to the truth, despite persecution, and modeled Christian love to others. This resulted not only in devotion, the waiting for the Lord from heaven, but also in visible deeds of love so that the people around them “themselves openly declare about us what sort of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to await his Son from heaven, whom he raised from [the] dead, Jesus, who delivers us from the coming wrath.” There was truth which led to a lifestyle of serving God.

Finally, Exodus, two chapters after the 10 commandments, gives us concrete examples.

This, is, of course, a foundational passage for Catholic social teaching. There were four classes of landless that one must care for: the immigrant, the widow, the orphan, and (in other texts) the Levite. God takes this seriously, very seriously.

One is to lend without interest to the poor (versus investing in a trade venture or business project). One can take the person’s outer garment as a pledge, but not keep it overnight, for it is their blanket. (Story of Rabbi Akiba) The Hebrew Scriptures are filled with such examples and the prophets excoriate people for not taking them seriously. This is the law and the prophets.

So Sisters/Brothers and Sisters, if we know these things, blessed are we if we do them.

What practical steps can we take to keep such teaching in our minds?

What practical steps can me take to focus our devotion more, loving the Lord our God totally and all else for his sake? It may be as simple as setting an alarm.

Where in life is God calling us deeper? I have a Facebook friend who was a student I taught in Croatia. He is Ukrainian. Since he is without work and has a family and is at risk, he asked me to sponsor him as a refugee to the USA. Now I could say, that risks what little savings we have for old age. But I realized that that is just the point with God - he wants to draw me into more love of and trust of him. So I filled out the forms: a brother is in need; he needs to be an immigrant; and I hear God saying, “Do you love me?” I have no idea if the USA will laugh at my application for this family or will eventually accept it, but it is in doing it that I grow more like my Lord.

For others it may be other areas of the commandments that is the growing point, but, my friends, if we are not growing we are dying.

What are the two greatest commandments? First, we need to learn them in detail and then we need to live them so that we live in the God who is love and as models of the life Jesus lived before us.

Readings

Catholic Daily Readings 10-29-2023: Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

FIRST READING

Exodus 22:20–26

20 You shall not oppress or afflict a resident alien, for you were once aliens residing in the land of Egypt. 21 You shall not wrong any widow or orphan. 22 If ever you wrong them and they cry out to me, I will surely listen to their cry. 23 My wrath will flare up, and I will kill you with the sword; then your own wives will be widows, and your children orphans.

24 If you lend money to my people, the poor among you, you must not be like a money lender; you must not demand interest from them. 25 If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, you shall return it to him before sunset; 26 for this is his only covering; it is the cloak for his body. What will he sleep in? If he cries out to me, I will listen; for I am compassionate.

Catholic Daily Readings 10-29-2023: Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

RESPONSE

Psalm 18:2

2 He said:

I love you, LORD, my strength,

PSALM

Psalm 18:2–4, 47, 51

2 He said:

I love you, LORD, my strength,

3 LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer,

My God, my rock of refuge,

my shield, my saving horn, my stronghold!

4 Praised be the LORD, I exclaim!

I have been delivered from my enemies.

47 The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock!

Exalted be God, my savior!

51 You have given great victories to your king,

and shown mercy to his anointed,

to David and his posterity forever.

Catholic Daily Readings 10-29-2023: Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

SECOND READING

1 Thessalonians 1:5c–10

5 For our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the holy Spirit and [with] much conviction. You know what sort of people we were [among] you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, receiving the word in great affliction, with joy from the holy Spirit, 7 so that you became a model for all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth not only in Macedonia and [in] Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. 9 For they themselves openly declare about us what sort of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God 10 and to await his Son from heaven, whom he raised from [the] dead, Jesus, who delivers us from the coming wrath.

Catholic Daily Readings 10-29-2023: Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

John 14:23

23 Jesus answered and said to him, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.

GOSPEL

Matthew 22:34–40

34 When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, 35 and one of them [a scholar of the law] tested him by asking, 36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and the first commandment. 39 The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40  The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

Notes

Catholic Daily Readings 10-29-2023: Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2023 | ORDINARY TIME

THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

YEAR A | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

First Reading Exodus 22:20–26

Response Psalm 18:2

Psalm Psalm 18:2–4, 47, 51

Second Reading 1 Thessalonians 1:5c–10

Gospel Acclamation John 14:23

Gospel Matthew 22:34–40

GREEN