Saturday of the Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Title

Unwalled is not Unprotected

Outline

Our culture measures both its success and its security

On the one hand, these are related, for a flourishing society draws out envy from others and cannot enjoy its success without feeling secure

On the other hand, these work against each other, for security demands resources, money/goods, time/energy, and people - walls are not built without all of these, nor is the army maintained that mans these walls.

Our texts take these social measures and explode them

Zechariah sees a divine messenger going to measure the physical security of Jersualem,

a measure of both security and success (the larger, the more doing on within and the greater the economy)

Then another divine messenger comes and says, in effect, your measurements are irrelevant

Walls/military might will be useless, because Jerusalem will spill out over the countryside

Furthermore, walls will be irrelevant for their protective function will be God (a wall of fire) and their “glory” function will be God - “I will be the glory in its midst.”

Finally nationalism will be irrelevant for “Many nations will bind themselves to the LORD on that day. They will be my people, and I will dwell in your midst.” What a contrast to nations coming to Jerusalem to conquer it!

The key is that rather than hoards of gold and herds of livestock meaning success and a huge wall protected by a powerful army meaning security, God’s presence means both. Human measures are turned on their head.

In our gospel Jesus turns success on its head

Jesus seems to be successful and the full advent of the kingdom seems to be about to break in:

The Twelve had a successful preaching mission, Herod is amazed at Jesus’ success, then Jesus fed the 5000, an economic miracle, which was followed by Peter’s open confession of what his core group believed.

But this is punctuated by a passion prediction and a call, not to reign with Christ or fight with Christ, but to take up one’s cross and die with Christ

That, however, is forgotten in the transfiguration, which ends with a confession of Jesus by God himself. Surely the kingdom is at hand.

Right afterwards, leading into our gospel reading, Jesus casts out a demon that even his otherwise successful disciples could not cast out. No wonder “all were astonished at the majesty of God.”

But in the midst of this excitement, an excitement shared by his disciples, Jesus breaks in with “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” This is Luke’s second passion prediction.

In other words, Jesus takes their eyes off their measures of success and declares a different way to success, one in which metaphorically the walls are broken down, the army defeated, and the glory departed, i.e. Jesus dies. And that will usher in success in God’s book. No wonder the disciples are so dumbfounded that they fear even to ask Jesus about this.

But that is the reverse parabola of the kingdom - it is precisely through the willing giving up of all human hope and possibility that God brings about his kingdom

So, Sisters, we are called to look at success and security through God’s eyes

All around us people look at GPD, stock markets, economic indexes, and other such measures and talk about success

All around us people look at police and military might, strategic alliances, and, on the personal level various means of personal economic and personal security as that in which they put their trust as once they did in mutually assured destruction and job security.

Jesus turns this on its head. Our only security is God, and our God died naked for us, and yet the nations are still streaming to his new Jerusalem, call by people who follow the way of Jesus.

A poor young Palestinian woman gives up her hopes and dreams and simply says “Yes” to God - and surely there were negative words said about her in her town - and she follows her son to the foot of his cross and Satan and all his minions tremble while the gates of the new Jerusalem open wide. That is success and security.

The same still happens for those who follower her - I thought of Mother Theresa who bowed in worship knowing where her security and success were - in God present to her on the altar - and then going out to do the worst sort of work for the poorest of the poor, the equivalent of going to the foot of the cross.

But there are many others down the centuries, some in the dramatic manner of martyrdom, some in much less dramatic ways, all following the way of Jesus, all crowed with success and security in the new Jerusalem.

And that is the company with Mary at the head that we in our way aim to join following the way God calls us - just forget about this world’s measures of success, for they will not work for those headed to the new Jerusalem.

Readings

Catholic Daily Readings 9-25-2021: Saturday of the Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

FIRST READING

Zechariah 2:5–9, 14–15a

5 I raised my eyes and looked, and there was a man with a measuring cord in his hand. 6 I asked, “Where are you going?” And he said, “To measure Jerusalem—to see how great its width is and how great its length.”

7 Then the angel who spoke with me advanced as another angel came out to meet him 8 and he said to the latter, “Run, speak to that official: Jerusalem will be unwalled, because of the abundance of people and beasts in its midst. 9 I will be an encircling wall of fire for it—oracle of the LORD—and I will be the glory in its midst.”

14 Sing and rejoice, daughter Zion! Now, I am coming to dwell in your midst—oracle of the LORD. 15 Many nations will bind themselves to the LORD on that day. They will be my people, and I will dwell in your midst. Then you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.

Catholic Daily Readings 9-25-2021: Saturday of the Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

RESPONSE

Jeremiah 31:10d

10 Hear the word of the LORD, you nations,

proclaim it on distant coasts, and say:

The One who scattered Israel, now gathers them;

he guards them as a shepherd his flock.

PSALM

Jeremiah 31:10–12b, 13

10 Hear the word of the LORD, you nations,

proclaim it on distant coasts, and say:

The One who scattered Israel, now gathers them;

he guards them as a shepherd his flock.

11 The LORD shall ransom Jacob,

he shall redeem him from a hand too strong for him.

12 Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,

they shall come streaming to the LORD’s blessings:

The grain, the wine, and the oil,

flocks of sheep and cattle;

They themselves shall be like watered gardens,

never again neglected.

13 Then young women shall make merry and dance,

young men and old as well.

I will turn their mourning into joy,

I will show them compassion and have them rejoice after their sorrows.

Catholic Daily Readings 9-25-2021: Saturday of the Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

2 Timothy 1:10

10 but now made manifest through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

GOSPEL

Luke 9:43b–45

43 And all were astonished by the majesty of God.

While they were all amazed at his every deed, he said to his disciples, 44 “Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” 45 But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

Notes

Catholic Daily Readings 9-25-2021: Saturday of the Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2021 | ORDINARY TIME

SATURDAY OF THE TWENTY-FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

YEAR 1 | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

First Reading Zechariah 2:5–9, 14–15a

Response Jeremiah 31:10d

Psalm Jeremiah 31:10–12b, 13

Gospel Acclamation 2 Timothy 1:10

Gospel Luke 9:43b–45

GREEN or Blue-White for BVM