June 9, 2017

June 9

June 9, 2017:  Friday, 9th week, Ordinary Time

See about 10 connections with today?
Legend at bottom

Listen

For Psalm 146
Read
  • Tb 11:5-17  Tobiah arrived at Tobit and Anna's house.  Raphael had told him to smear fish gall on Tobit's eyes and peel off his cataracts.  Tobit's sight was restored, and he embraced his son and praised God.  He welcomed his daughter-in-law Sarah with great joy.
  • Ps 146:1b-2, 6c-10  "Praise the Lord, my soul!"  The Lord keeps faith, secures justice, feeds the hungry, frees captives, restores sight, raises those bowed down, loves the just, protects strangers, sustains the fatherless and widows....
  • Mk 12:35-37  Jesus:  “How do the scribes claim the Christ is the son of David?  David, inspired by the Spirit, called him ‘lord’, so how is he his son?”
Reflect
  • Creighton:  After five encounters of Jesus with religious authorities result in fear of the crowd, withdrawal, amazement, and silence, this scribe asks about the first commandment, Jesus responds with the Shema and adds “Love your neighbor as yourself,” the affirms his response, he affirms the scribe, and nobody dares ask more questions.  He then poses a riddle to the crowd who had been watching these encounters:  "How can the scribes claim that the Messiah is the son of David?..." and they heard it with delight.
Healing of Tobit/ Stom
Son of David was a Messianic title based on Nathan's prophecy that David’s son would rebuild the temple and rule over an everlasting kingdom; Jewish tradition understood this as a prophecy of the Messiah as son of David.  But the crowd heard Jesus as poking fun at the authorities.  But Mark’s account of the Sanhedrin's inquest of Jesus says Jesus accepts the title Messiah, not as people had typically understood it (warrior-king ruling with military force), but rather as the donkey-riding king and risen Lord who will reign like the Son of Man in Daniel’s vision) and share God's power.  He's in the line of David, but as suffering servant become risen Lord.  We accept Jesus as fulfilling the expectation for a descendant of David to become “king of Israel” but in a way transcending what anyone had expected.  This reminds us that Jesus is always more than we understand.  May we respond with love of God and others....
  • One Bread, One Body:  "Holy, happy, healing families":  The Lord healed Tobit of blindness through his son, archangel Raphael, and fish gall.  Family members and the home are often the main people and places the Lord chooses to heal.  May we accept God's grace to make our families holy, to make our homes happy and healing "domestic churches," dwelling places for God.

  • Passionist:  "From lament to praise":  The Tobit story takes place during the Babylonian exile.  Tobit seems aware of the sins of Israel, unfaithfulness to the commandment.  He will risk all to do right, but, pulled down amidst his people's sufferings and his own blindness, he lashes out unjustly at his wife.  In the parallel story, his son meets and falls for Sarah, but her past husbands all died on their wedding night.  Sarah (as Tobit) is at the point of despair but doesn't hang herself so as to spare Dad grief.  Both pray from their emptiness, and God heard them.  The story ends with the newlyweds' rejoicing and tears of joy flowing from Tobit’s healed eyes.  God’s faithful love won't abandon us in bad times.  Even in the midst of exile, physical suffering, and despair, God listened.  We too suffer and are touched by bad things.  As Tobit and Sarah's laments give way to praise, may we give the praise of our love to God whose love won't forget or abandon us either.
  • DailyScripture.net:  "The Christ is the Son of David":  When David was anointed king, God established a covenant with him and promised that his dynasty would last. The Jews referred to the Messiah (Christ, the Anointed) as Son of David and looked forward to the Savior who would come from David's line.  Jesus asked his hearers about the Jews' claim that the Messiah would be son of David so they'd understand the Messiah is more than son of David.  Jesus, who took our human nature for our sake, is not only son of David but Son of God.  Jesus established his kingdom differently from what the Jews were expecting, ruling hearts and minds, not lands....
      • Columba (Columbkille), abbot, poet, scribe, spiritual guide, creation lover
    Dress legend
    • 'Angel' pin:  "Blessed be God's holy angels" (1st reading)
    • 'Street light' tie bar:  "He saw the light of day" (1st reading)
    • 'Fish' tie pin:  Tobiah smeared fish gall onto Tobit's eyes... (1st reading)
    • 'Hands' tie:  ...with his hands; no one had to lead Tobit by the hand (1st reading); "sit at my right hand..." (gospel)
      • 'Precious feet' pin:  ...till I place your enemies under your feet (gospel)
      • 'Dove' pin:  David was inspired by the Holy Spirit (gospel)
      Special greetings to and prayers for the community at
      St. Columbkille Parish and School, Los Angeles!

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