Welcome to our Bible Study

1. Welcome to our Bible Study Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time AJuly 6, 2014 In preparation for this Sunday’s Liturgy As aid in focusing our homilies and sharing Prepared by Fr. Cielo R. Almazan, OFM

2. 1st reading: Zechariah 9:9-10 • 9 Thus says the Lord, “Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion, shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! See, your king shall come to you; a just savior is he, meek, and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass. 10 He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; the warrior's bow shall be banished, and he shall proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. The focus is on rejoicing.

3. 1st reading: Zechariah 9:9-10 A simple outline! Exhortation to rejoice • 9 Thus says the Lord, “Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion, shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! The coming of the humble King • See, your king shall come to you; a just savior is he, meek, and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass. The purpose of his coming • 10 He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; the warrior's bow shall be banished, and he shall proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

4. Exhortation to rejoice 9 Thus says the Lord, “Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion, shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! The coming of the humble King See, your king shall come to you; a just savior is he, meek, and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass. The purpose of his coming 10 He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; the warrior's bow shall be banished, and he shall proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. Commentary The author lived 200 years after the time of Zechariah, the prophet, who worked with Haggai in the reconstruction of the Temple. The book of Zechariah is divided into two: chapters 1-8 (520 BC) and chapters 9-14 (300 BC) In parallel form, the prophet exhorts (rejoice // shout with joy) the people of Jerusalem (daughter Zion // daughter Jerusalem) to rejoice. v.9 V.9b states the reason why the people of Jerusalem should rejoice, in parallel form (your king // a just savior is coming riding on an ass, not to wage war) V.10 states the purpose of his coming. He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim // horse from Jerusalem // warrior’s bow. He will proclaim peace. V.10b tells the extent of his reign of peace (the whole earth). 1st reading: Zechariah 9:9-10

5. Reflections on the 1st reading • We should rejoice. • God comes to destroy war machineries. • God wants peace. • He is coming to establish peace on earth. • God wants comprehensive peace. • Why do powerful nations continue to device more destructive weapons?

6. Resp. Ps145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14 • R/ (cf. 1) I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.1 I will extol you, O my God and King,and I will bless your name forever and ever.2 Every day will I bless you,and I will praise your name forever and ever.8 The LORD is gracious and merciful,slow to anger and of great kindness.9 The LORD is good to alland compassionate toward all his works. • 10 Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,and let your faithful ones bless you.11 Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdomand speak of your might. • 13 The LORD is faithful in all his wordsand holy in all his works.14 The LORD lifts up all who are fallingand raises up all who are bowed down.

7. Resp. Ps145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14 • R/ (cf. 1) I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.1 I will extol you, O my God and King,and I will bless your name forever and ever.2 Every day will I bless you,and I will praise your name forever and ever.8 The LORD is gracious and merciful,slow to anger and of great kindness.9 The LORD is good to alland compassionate toward all his works. • 10 Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,and let your faithful ones bless you.11 Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdomand speak of your might. • 13 The LORD is faithful in all his wordsand holy in all his works.14 The LORD lifts up all who are fallingand raises up all who are bowed down. Commentary • The psalm is classified as hymn of praise. • In vv.1-2, the psalmist promises to extol, bless, and praise God for ever. He talks directly to God, using the 2nd person singular “you”. • Vv.8-9 enumerates the reasons why: God is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, kind, good and compassionate to his creatures. • Vv.10-11 ask all creatures to thank, bless and say good things about God. • Vv.13-14 also enumerates why everyone should bless God: God is faithful, holy, lifts up all who fall and extols the humbled.

8. Reflections on the Psalm • We creatures are here to celebrate God’s goodness to all of us. • To praise God is to recognize his kindness and forgiveness to us. • God is ever helpful to those who fall.

9. 2nd reading: Romans 8:9,11-13 • 9 You are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 11 If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you. 12 Consequently, brothers, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. The focus is on living in the Spirit.

10. 9 You are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 11 If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you. 12 Consequently, brothers, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Commentary In v.9, Paul declares to the baptized Christians in Rome that they are now in the Spirit, no longer in the flesh. That is, if the Spirit of God dwells in them. (Spirit’s indwelling is a gift from God). The Spirit’s indwelling makes one belong to God. V.11 indicates that the same Spirit who made Jesus rise from the dead, will also raise our dead bodies to life. In v.12, the Christians have no obligation to the flesh. Christians are not obliged to live according to the flesh. The flesh has no more power over us if we live in the Spirit. V.13 warns us: if we live according to the flesh, death becomes our destiny. But if we put to death (control) the bodily (evil) deeds, by the power of the Spirit, we will surely live. 2nd reading: Romans 8:9,11-13

11. 2nd reading: Romans 8:9,11-13 • 9 You are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 11 If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you. 12 Consequently, brothers, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. If you live in the flesh • you do not belong to God. - (you will not be raised from the dead) • you are debtors to the flesh - you will die. If you live in the Spirit • you belong to God. • you will be raised from the dead - you are not debtors to the flesh - you put to death deeds of the body (flesh) - you will live Christians do not live in the flesh.

12. Reflections on the 2nd reading • Christians live in the Spirit of the Lord. • In all baptized Christians, God’s Spirit dwells. • Living in the Spirit is living according to our dignity as God’s children. • Living in the flesh means living according to worldly pleasures: eating too much, drunkenness, vices, illicit sex, gambling, drugs, too much entertainment. • We are called to enjoy life by self-giving and in total surrender to the will of God. • We give all our energies (our eros) to God and in service to our fellow men and women.

13. Gospel reading: Matthew 11:25-30 • 25 At that time Jesus exclaimed, "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. 26 Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him. 28 "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." The focus is on the things of God. (spiritual things, God’s wisdom)

14. A simple outline! Gospel reading: Matthew 11:25-30 God’s secrets are revealed to the simple people • 25 At that time Jesus exclaimed, "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. 26 Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. God’s secrets are passed through the Son • 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him. God’s invitation to take a break with him • 28 "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

15. God’s secrets are revealed to the simple people 25 At that time Jesus exclaimed, "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. 26 Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. God’s secrets are passed through the Son 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him. Commentary In v.25, Jesus praises his Father for revealing his secrets to the little ones (humble, open, new). What a great honor for the simple people to know God’s wisdom! The wise, the learned, the controlling, and the intelligent do not know what the poor and simple people know. In v.26, Jesus acknowledges it as God’s gracious will. In v.27, all things (these things in v.25) are handed to Jesus by the Father himself. We know God because Jesus reveals him to us. Gospel reading: Matthew 11:25-30

16. God’s invitation to take a break with him 28 "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." V.28 invites his hardworking apostles to rest with him. In v.29, Jesus assures his disciples what kind of a person he is. He is not a slave driver. He has a heart. He understands people’s situation. He does not make people work on useless and meaningless things. He streamlines our religious activities which fulfill God’s expectations. Gospel reading: Matthew 11:25-30

17. Reflections on the gospel reading • Jesus communicates his secrets to the little ones (the humble, the lowly, the unpretentious, the open, the virgin), not to the wise and the learned (Pharisees, scribes and Sadducees, persons who are full of themselves, self-contained). • These things (God’s wisdom and knowledge) cannot be known through human intelligence, but only through God’s revelation. • The little ones know something better. • Jesus’ religion is not cumbersome. • His approach to God is simple, something that the heart understands. It is not expensive.

18. Tying the 3 readings and Psalm • The first reading tells the people to rejoice for peace will soon reign. • The psalm expresses nice feelings towards the good and kind God. • The second reading assures eternal life to those who live in the Spirit. • The gospel reading gives a special attention to the “little ones.” They will be given rest. Usually the first and gospel readings talk on, more or less, the same theme. This time, all the three are distinct from one another. What do we do now? We decide to develop this thesis: God has a special affection for the “lowly ones.”

19. How to develop your homily / sharing • God has a certain bias. • He has a strong bias for the poor and the lowly and those who are considered dregs of society. • The first reading exhorts the hapless poor, the victims of war and violence, and for them to rejoice for the war will soon be over and peace is about to reign all over the land. • This is meaningful to those who are tired of violence and bloodshed.

20. The second reading consoles those “can’t-afford” people by saying that living in the Spirit assures them happiness and eternal life. Paul teaches that you cannot buy heaven and happiness. Heaven can be attained only by living in the Spirit. Living in the Spirit is living moral lives, clean lives, and purified lives. Living in the Spirit is uncompromising to the material world. Living in the Spirit is simply living according to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

21. The gospel reading indicates God’s affection for the “little ones” (the simple people). God reveals his secrets and wisdom to them. God intentionally does not reveal the same to the proud hearted and self-righteous. To those who are hard up and coping with life, Jesus invites them to come to him for rest. Rest, pause, respite is the name of the game. God truly loves you if you have time to rest, and not harassed and stressed all the time.

22. In both the Old and the New Testaments, God has always favored the affected and disaffected. God has never condoned the abuses of the rich and the powerful. The poor may have committed many blunders (those may be the reasons why they are poor). But that is not reason enough why they should be oppressed. Here in the readings, the punishment of the oppressor is not indicated. In other places, yes.

23. The readings are focused on giving hope to those who are impoverished and exhausted by the ravages of war, by the demands of too much materialism, and by slave drivers and by the meaningless religious practices and by broken relationships. Hope is translated into dismantling of war machineries and unjust systems establishment of peace, living in the Spirit eternal life, rest, renewal, re-energizing, re-rooting, re-claiming.

24. For you who feel oppressed, depressed, bulldozed, forgotten, violated, deprived, abused, taken for granted, sick and tired of tirades, not listened to, God is coming to save you. Place your hope on his promises.

25. The eucharist is the sacrament intended for God’s favorites, who listen to his message of hope. • The eucharist is not for those who inflict sufferings on God’s favorites and those who are vain. • The eucharist is for the lowly hearts, worthy of God’s revelation and for those who live in the Spirit.

26. Living in the flesh Vainglory Emphasis on external appearance No wisdom Oppressed, harassed Over fatigue Oppressive Dissipated Rat race can’t accept his/her own poverty and wretchedness Living in the Spirit Has spirituality Nurtured by the Word of God Open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit Well-rested, relax Ability to hope and see a better future Our Context of Sin and Grace The End!

27. Suggested Songs • Peace Prayer of St. Francis • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJ8TGBB385c • Come To Me • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID90ryPYU00 • Sharing • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1ij6D6EyeI