Daily Liturgy
Tuesday 22 June
TWELFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
THE TWO WAYS
Introduction
Lot takes the rich, fertile plain that will be destroyed, Abraham the stony hills that his people will possess.
The moralizing theme of the two ways, familiar to Jewish thought and also to Christian thinking from the early Church to the present – for example, Ignatian spirituality – underlies the readings today. Jesus says that there is an easy and spacious road that leads to perdition and a narrow, arduous road leading to life. Today’s wealthy countries have created themselves a life of comfort that is on the way of becoming self-destructive of nature, resources, and humankind itself. Would greater restraint not allow everyone on earth to live a life worthy of people, of the sons and daughters of God? Which way is ours?
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
you ask us through your Son Jesus Christ:
which road do you want to take:
the one that is undemanding and effortless,
or the road and the gate
that are narrow and difficult
and full of obstacles?
Lord, whatever road or gate it is,
let it be that of your Son,
for he is our Lord for ever.
Reading 1: Gen 13:2, 5-18
Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold.
Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents,
so that the land could not support them if they stayed together;
their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together.
There were quarrels between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock
and those of Lot’s.
(At this time the Canaanites and the Perizzites
were occupying the land.)
So Abram said to Lot:
“Let there be no strife between you and me,
or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are kinsmen.
Is not the whole land at your disposal?
Please separate from me.
If you prefer the left, I will go to the right;
if you prefer the right, I will go to the left.”
Lot looked about and saw how well watered
the whole Jordan Plain was as far as Zoar,
like the LORD’s own garden, or like Egypt.
(This was before the LORD had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)
Lot, therefore, chose for himself the whole Jordan Plain
and set out eastward.
Thus they separated from each other;
Abram stayed in the land of Canaan,
while Lot settled among the cities of the Plain,
pitching his tents near Sodom.
Now the inhabitants of Sodom were very wicked
in the sins they committed against the LORD.
After Lot had left, the LORD said to Abram:
“Look about you, and from where you are,
gaze to the north and south, east and west;
all the land that you see I will give to you
and your descendants forever.
I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth;
if anyone could count the dust of the earth,
your descendants too might be counted.
Set forth and walk about in the land, through its length and breadth,
for to you I will give it.”
Abram moved his tents and went on to settle
near the terebinth of Mamre, which is at Hebron.
There he built an altar to the LORD.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 15:2-3a, 3bc-4ab, 5
(1b) He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
He who walks blamelessly and does justice;
who thinks the truth in his heart
and slanders not with his tongue.
R. He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
Who harms not his fellow man,
nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;
By whom the reprobate is despised,
while he honors those who fear the LORD.
R. He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
Who lends not his money at usury
and accepts no bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
shall never be disturbed.
R. He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
Alleluia: Jn 8:12
Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Mt 7:6, 12-14
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine,
lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.
“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.
This is the Law and the Prophets.
“Enter through the narrow gate;
for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction,
and those who enter through it are many.
How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life.
And those who find it are few.”
Intercessions
– That we may not become demanding on others but ask the Lord to make us generous and mild in the way we want others to treat us, we pray:
– That we may never seek an easy way out through lies or passivity when life and the good of our neighbor demand sacrifices, we pray:
– That we may not tolerate people to be exploited or discriminated against, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
your Son Jesus chose the way
of humility and poverty
and he still appears among us today
in the everyday sign of a piece of bread.
Give to us and to your Church, we pray you,
the mentality of Jesus Christ,
that we may not try to impress the world
with power and prestige
but change it from within
with a poverty of means
and the simple gift of humble service.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
God, Lord of life,
you respect our freedom
of choosing between two ways:
the easy road of self-will
that leads to nowhere
and the stony path of your will.
Let your Son stay with us
and walk by our side
on the only road that leads to life,
the road where your will is our will
and your happiness is ours
now and for ever.
Blessing
“The gate is narrow and the road that leads to life is hard.” Yes, sometimes the road of the Lord does not look straight and we don’t know well where it is leading. But our faith tells us to entrust ourselves to Christ. May almighty God lead and bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Commentary
Abram’s nobility of spirit emerges in his decision to give the first choice in the selection of land to his nephew Lot. As the senior member, the first choice would ordinarily be his. Lot selects the verdant Jordan plain, occupying the cities that border the locale. Yet divine favor is still showered upon Abram, who is promised by God a vast extent of land that will fall to him and his posterity.
In today’s Gospel, it is a question of holy things for holy people. The dogs and swine who are to be denied the mysteries of the kingdom may have originally meant the Gentiles, in keeping with Matthew’s emphasis on an exclusively Jewish mission for Jesus during his lifetime. Its use here probably refers to those who dishonor or reject the ministry of the apostles.
In our dealings with others, we must abide by the Golden Rule: Treat others as you would have them treat you. Our treatment of others should match exactly what we expect of them. “Equal justice, equal treatment.”
The Gospel passage closes with a striking antithesis. In entering through the narrow gate, one accepts the teachings and directives of Jesus, which leads to eternal life. To follow false teachers or champion “another gospel” is to set out on a broader road with a broader gate, which may seem more accommodating but which ultimately leads to perdition.
Points to Ponder
Abram’s spirit of generosity
Carelessness with the things of God
Believing in the authentic gospel.