Coming and Going
Sep 27: Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest
This week, we’ve been reading from the book of Ezra.1 Because I’m a 90s kid, that book always makes me think of the band Better Than Ezra. I also heard a story that they they’d originally named themselves Ezra, but when they entered a battle-of-the-bands-type music competition, there was already a band called Ezra, so they renamed themselves Better Than Ezra. Apparently, that’s not true, and the band has never actually revealed the meaning of their name.
These are the weird things I find out while researching.
Reading 1
Ezr 9:5-9
At the time of the evening sacrifice, I, Ezra, rose in my wretchedness, and with cloak and mantle torn I fell on my knees, stretching out my hands to the LORD, my God.
I said: "My God, I am too ashamed and confounded to raise my face to you, O my God, for our wicked deeds are heaped up above our heads and our guilt reaches up to heaven. From the time of our fathers even to this day great has been our guilt, and for our wicked deeds we have been delivered up, we and our kings and our priests, to the will of the kings of foreign lands, to the sword, to captivity, to pillage, and to disgrace, as is the case today.
"And now, but a short time ago, mercy came to us from the LORD, our God, who left us a remnant and gave us a stake in his holy place; thus our God has brightened our eyes and given us relief in our servitude. For slaves we are, but in our servitude our God has not abandoned us; rather, he has turned the good will of the kings of Persia toward us. Thus he has given us new life to raise again the house of our God and restore its ruins, and has granted us a fence in Judah and Jerusalem."
The book of Ezra happens at the tail end of the Babylonian exile. Here, Ezra is trying to re-establish Israel’s connection to God.
Fr. Mike has been talking about some related in the Catechism in a Year lately—any interaction with God, even when we pray, is a response to Him and His Grace. Yes, Ezra is asking for forgiveness of the sins of the nation, but it began with God’s mercy, allowing them to leave Babylon in the first place.
Responsorial Psalm
Tobit 13:2, 3-4a, 4befghn, 7-8
R. Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
He scourges and then has mercy;
he casts down to the depths of the nether world,
and he brings up from the great abyss.
No one can escape his hand.
R. Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
Praise him, you children of Israel, before the Gentiles,
for though he has scattered you among them,
he has shown you his greatness even there.
R. Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
So now consider what he has done for you,
and praise him with full voice.
Bless the Lord of righteousness,
and exalt the King of ages.
R. Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
In the land of my exile I praise him
and show his power and majesty to a sinful nation.
R. Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
Bless the Lord, all you his chosen ones,
and may all of you praise his majesty.
Celebrate days of gladness, and give him praise.
R. Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
Tobit was written during the exile, for the exiles. The purpose was to help them remember their faith, so that when they eventually returned (and they had faith that they would return) to the promised land, they would still have their heritage. Tobit reminds the readers off all God has done, even while they are scattered in exile. The return described in Ezra wouldn’t have been possible without scripture like Tobit maintaining continuity of faith.
Alleluia
Mk 1:15
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Kingdom of God is at hand;
repent and believe in the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Looking back at the historical books of the Bible (Ezra being the last one), it can be interesting to note that nobody really knows where they are in history until it’s long past. Some early Christians believed they were living through the end times, but it turns out, “at hand” is on a longer time scale than they imagined.
Gospel
Lk 9:1-6
Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He said to them, "Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there. And as for those who do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them." Then they set out and went from village to village proclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere.
So now we’re at the opposite end of the story from the first reading. The Israelites then were excited to return home from their decades-long exile. Here, Jesus is sending His Apostles out.2
When we follow Jesus, we create a self-imposed exile from this world. Jesus wants the Apostles to be completed detached. It’s a high standard, which we don’t always meet. But we can at least follow their model spiritually, by keeping our focus on the Kingdom of God.
You have been keeping up with the daily readings without me, haven’t you?
As you’ll recall, “apostle” means “one sent on a mission.”