635A
Readings for the Memorial of St.
Teresa of Calcutta [1]
Biographical information about St.
Teresa of Calcutta [2]
First Reading: Isaiah 58:6-11
Thus says the LORD:
This is the fasting that I wish:
releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed,
breaking every yoke;
Sharing your bread with the hungry,
sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!
If you remove from your midst oppression,
false accusation and malicious speech;
If you bestow your bread on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
Then light shall rise for you in the darkness,
and the gloom shall become for you like midday;
Then the LORD will guide you always
and give you plenty even on the parched land.
He will renew your strength,
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring whose water never fails.
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Commentary on Is 58:6-11
This passage is from what is known as Deutero-Isaiah. It was
written in the latter part of the Babylonian exile (700 BC). Isaiah laments and
chastises the people for missing the point of their fasts of atonement. They
perform the rituals and follow the law but then violate the spirit of God’s Law
by being uncaring and cruel to each other.
The prophet explains what that spirit is and how it is to
impact their actions and closes with the reward for following the spirit of
God’s Law – “Your integrity will go before you and the glory of the Lord behind
you. Cry, and the Lord will answer; call, and he will say, ‘I am here.’” [3] He
goes on to describe the salvific effect of these actions of charity and
compassion as being as a light in darkness, as rain in parched land. He
concludes with what can be seen as baptismal reference (well-spring of
holiness) that brings eternal life.
CCC: Is 58:6-7 2447
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11
 |
| “Mother Teresa” photographer and date are unknown |
This is the fasting that I wish:
releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed,
breaking every yoke;
Sharing your bread with the hungry,
sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own.
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!
If you remove from your midst oppression,
false accusation and malicious speech;
If you bestow your bread on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
Then light shall rise for you in the darkness,
and the gloom shall become for you like midday;
Then the LORD will guide you always
and give you plenty even on the parched land.
He will renew your strength,
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring whose water never fails.
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Commentary on Is 58:6-11
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11
R.
(2) I will bless the Lord at all times.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear and be glad.
R. I will bless the Lord at all times.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. I will bless the Lord at all times.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. I will bless the Lord at all times.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
R. I will bless the Lord at all times.
Fear the LORD, you his holy ones,
for nought is lacking to those who fear him.
The great grow poor and hungry;
but those who seek the LORD want for no good thing.
R. I will bless the Lord at all times.
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Commentary on Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11
Psalm 34 is a song of thanksgiving and a favorite for
celebrating the heroic virtue of the saints. The psalmist, fresh from the
experience of being rescued (Psalm 34:5, 7), can teach the "poor,"
those who are defenseless, to trust in God alone. This psalm, in the words of
one being unjustly persecuted, echoes hope for deliverance and freedom. The
promise of salvation for those who follow the Lord gives hope to the poor and
downtrodden.
CCC: Ps 34:3 716; Ps 34:8 336
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Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46
Jesus said to his disciples:
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.’
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
And the king will say to them in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Then he will say to those on his left,
‘Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’
Then they will answer and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?’
He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.’
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life."
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Commentary on Mt 25:31-46
"This passage has a unique position within the
eschatological discourse because, in addition to being a prophetic narrative
like the rest of the discourse, its style suddenly becomes that of a
full-fledged apocalyptic poem." [4]
In this reading, Jesus is telling his disciples and us what
will be judged at the end times, the Eschaton. The Lord’s vision echoe’s
Daniel’s “night visions” (Daniel 7:13-14 “One like a son of man…He
received dominion, splendor, and kingship.”) but the tone is more
immediate. The reading gives us a vision of what will be asked and how judgment
will be passed. This image is used as a teaching tool, to focus those who wish
to follow Jesus on loving those who are in need of help: the hungry, the
stranger, the naked, the ill, the imprisoned. Unlike Daniel’s vision,
Jesus speaks with an immediacy that makes his coming kingship a historical
reality, set in the future. There is no ambiguity. Not “One like
a son of man,” but “When the Son of Man comes in his glory.” In this
intimate setting, speaking quietly with his friends, Jesus tells them what will
come, a path already set out, inevitable. [5]
This reading provides yet one more example of how Christ
intends the Great Commandment to be lived. Loving God and loving neighbor would
be judged by: “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least
brothers of mine, you did for me.” We note that while the general theme is
broadly applied to all people, there is special emphasis placed upon the poor
and marginalized. The concluding answer expands upon the Hebrew definition in
Leviticus (Leviticus
19:1-2, 11-18) as
St. Matthew defines "neighbor" in a more inclusive sense.
CCC: Mt 25:31-46 544, 1033, 1373, 2447, 2831; Mt 25:31-36 2443; Mt 25:31 331, 671, 679, 1038; Mt 25:32 1038; Mt 25:36 1503; Mt 25:40 678, 1397, 1825, 1932, 2449; Mt 25:41 1034; Mt 25:45 598, 1825, 2463; Mt 25:46 1038
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OR
Shorter Form: Matthew 25:31-40
Jesus said to his disciples:
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
`Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.'
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
`Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'
And the king will say to them in reply,
`Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me."'
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Commentary on Mt 25:31-40
This shorter form of the Gospel softens the message by
omitting the response of the king to those who ignore the need to show mercy
and compassion as Christ teaches. The essential focus remains unchanged- the
requirement of the Christian to show compassion and mercy to those in need.
CCC: Mt 25:31-46 544, 1033, 1373, 2447, 2831; Mt 25:31-36 2443; Mt 25:31 331, 671, 679, 1038; Mt 25:32 1038; Mt 25:36 1503; Mt 25:40 678, 1397, 1825, 1932, 2449
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Reflection:
“By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By
faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my
heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus.” St. Teresa of Calcutta
St. Teresa is one of the most revered saints of our modern
times. Her work with the most poor and
down-trodden people of the world has inspired many acts of Christian charity
and she has been hailed by numerous world leaders as the perfect example of the
Christian spirit. This spirit was exhorted to his disciples in the Gospel just
proclaimed:
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.’
St. Teresa, from an early age, prepared to take up the Gospel
to the poor expressed by our Lord and constantly is expressed by our church
leadership. We are called to share what
we have with those less fortunate. St.
Teresa not only exemplified this tenet of our faith but call hundreds to follow
in her footsteps. For this she was
recognized by the Church and canonized in 2016. Her life is considered a
testament to pure, selfless charity fueled by unshakable faith, leading her to
become a powerful symbol of God's love and compassion for the suffering.
On this, her feast day, we ask for her intercession, that we
may follow the Lord’s call to reach out to the hungry, the thirsty, the
stranger, the naked and those in prison.
We have the strength of the Holy Spirit behind us. Let us put these noble impulses to work in
our lives.
Pax
[1] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, except for the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[2] The picture used is “Mother Teresa” photographer and date are unknown.
[3] Translation from the Jerusalem Bible
[4] Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume III (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 2012) 711
[5] Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume III (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 2012) 826
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear and be glad.
R. I will bless the Lord at all times.
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. I will bless the Lord at all times.
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. I will bless the Lord at all times.
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
R. I will bless the Lord at all times.
for nought is lacking to those who fear him.
The great grow poor and hungry;
but those who seek the LORD want for no good thing.
R. I will bless the Lord at all times.
Commentary on Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11
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Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.’
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
And the king will say to them in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Then he will say to those on his left,
‘Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’
Then they will answer and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?’
He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.’
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life."
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Commentary on Mt 25:31-46
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Shorter Form: Matthew 25:31-40
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
`Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.'
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
`Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'
And the king will say to them in reply,
`Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me."'
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Commentary on Mt 25:31-40
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Reflection:
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.’
[1] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, except for the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[2] The picture used is “Mother Teresa” photographer and date are unknown.
[3] Translation from the Jerusalem Bible
[4] Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume III (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 2012) 711
[5] Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume III (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 2012) 826
