Navarre Bible Commentary:Saturday, 1st Week in Lent

Still photo from Enemy Mine (1985); Source: MoviePens

Matthew 5:43–48

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Catholic Exegesis:

The Second Vatican Council teaches  that if we are to derive the true meaning from the sacred texts,  attention must be devoted “not only to their content but to the unity of the whole of Scripture, the living tradition of the entire Church, and the analogy of faith. […] Everything to do with the interpretation of Scripture is ultimately subject to the judgment of the Church, which exercises the divinely conferred communion and ministry of watching over and interpreting the Word of God” (Dei Verbum, 12).

St. John Paul II, when he promulgated the Catechism of the Catholic Church,  explained that the Catechism "is a statement of the Church's faith and of catholic doctrine, attested to or illumined by Sacred Scripture, the Apostolic Tradition and the Church's Magisterium."  He went on to "declare it to be a sure norm for teaching the faith and thus a valid and legitimate instrument for ecclesial communion" (Fidei Depositum).

Cited in the Catechism:

Passages from this Gospel reading are cited in the Catechism, in sixteen (16) different paragraphs.

Commentary:

5:43. The first part of this verse—“You shall love your neighbour”—is to be found in Leviticus 19:18. The second part—“hate your enemy”—is not in the Law of Moses. However, Jesus’ words refer to a widespread rabbinical interpretation which understood “neighbours” as meaning “Israelites”. Our Lord corrects this misinterpretation of the Law: for him everyone is our neighbour (cf. the parable of the Good Samaritan in Lk 10:25–37).

5:43–47. This passage sums up the teaching which precedes it. Our Lord goes so far as to say that a Christian has no personal enemies. His only enemy is evil as such—sin—but not the sinner. Jesus himself puts this into practice with those who crucified him, and he continues to act in the same way towards sinners who rebel against him and despise him. Consequently, the saints have always followed his example—like St Stephen, the first martyr, who prayed for those who were putting him to death. This is the apex of Christian perfection—to love, and pray for, even those who persecute and calumniate us. It is the distinguishing mark of the children of God.

5:46. “Tax collectors”: the Roman Empire had no officials of its own for the collection of taxes; in each country it used local people for this purpose. These were free to engage agents (hence we find references to “chief tax collectors”: cf. Lk 19:2). The global amount of tax for each region was specified by the Roman authorities; the tax collectors levied more than this amount, keeping the surplus for themselves: this led them to act rather arbitrarily, which was why the people hated them. In the case of the Jews, insult was added to injury by the fact that the chosen people were being exploited by Gentiles.

5:48. Verse 48 is, in a sense, a summary of the teaching in this entire chapter, including the Beatitudes. Strictly speaking, it is quite impossible for a created being to be as perfect as God. What our Lord means here is that God’s own perfection should be the model that every faithful Christian tries to follow, even though he realizes that there is an infinite distance between himself and his Creator. However, this does not reduce the force of this commandment; it sheds more light on it. It is a difficult commandment to live up to, but also with this we must take account of the enormous help grace gives us to go so far as to tend towards divine perfection. Certainly, the perfection that we should imitate does not refer to the power and wisdom of God, which are totally beyond our scope; here the context seems to refer primarily to love and mercy. Along the same lines, St Luke quotes these words of our Lord: “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Lk 6:36; cf. the note on Lk 6:20–49).

Clearly, the “universal call to holiness” is not a recommendation but a commandment of Jesus Christ. “Your duty is to sanctify yourself. Yes, even you. Who thinks that this task is only for priests and religious? To everyone, without exception, our Lord said: ‘Be ye perfect, as my heavenly Father is perfect’ ” (St J. Escrivá, The Way, 291). This teaching is sanctioned by chapter 5 of Vatican II’s Constitution Lumen gentium, where it says (at no. 40): “The Lord Jesus, divine teacher and model of all perfection, preached holiness of life (of which he is the author and maker) to each and every one of his disciples without distinction: ‘You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect’ […]. It is therefore quite clear that all Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of love, and by this holiness a more human manner of life is fostered also in earthly society.”

Source: The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries. Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.

"Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." St Jerome  

Food Flavor Fun:Meatless Friday Recipes

Lenten Series: Meatless Friday Recipes
Today we are bringing back our Lenten series – Meatless Friday Recipes to help you keep your Lenten abstinence from meat. We are pleased to announce that Tom Neeb, author of Taste the Flavor Cookbook and owner of Food Flavor Fun and Luxury Palate will once again be sharing some of his great East Texas roots' recipes. Tom is by profession an Information Technology geek/manager with a large financial services provider. In his spare time and by necessity, he learned to cook. Why? “Because I like to eat! I like food with great flavor… And who does not like to have fun?” Tom is passionate about sharing his love for good food, good friends and good times.  Tom is also a member of our local parish, St. Catherine of Siena, and a regular attendee at Joe Catholic. You can follow Tom's blog and all his great recipe ideas at Food Flavor Fun or on Facebook and Twitter.

Greetings from Tom Neeb
Hi everybody. My name is Tom Neeb and I’m really excited to get the opportunity to share some great meatless recipes with you for your Lenten Friday. A huge THANK YOU to Joe Catholic for allowing me this opportunity.

I’m so glad you’ve found your way here. Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!

Very simple and basic dishes.  Perfect for your meatless Friday meal.  But don't expect it to be short on flavor.  Enjoy!

Veggie Sauté with Pene

Ingredients:

·     12 ounces penne pasta

·     2 1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets, steamed al dente

·     1/4 cup olive oil

·     1/2 cup diced yellow onion

·     6-7 cloves of garlic, sliced

·     2 medium zucchini, diced

·     1 cup chopped artichoke hearts

·     8 whole sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, roughly chopped, plus add 1-2 tbsp of the oil to the veggie sauté

·     1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped

·     1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, cut in half

·     2 tsp sea salt

·     1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1.   Cook pasta until al dente and drain; set aside.

2.   While pasta is cooking, steam broccoli florets until al dente. Remove from heat; set aside.

3.   At the same time, chop onion, zucchini, artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes and basil. Slice garlic. Cut olives into halves.

4.   Heat a large wok over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, onion and garlic. Sauté until onion starts to soften.

5.   Add zucchini and continue to sauté until zucchini begins to soften. Then add remaining ingredients and sauté 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly to combine.

6.   Add penne and toss until well coated and reheated.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Caprese Salad With Pesto

Ingredients:

·     Equal parts sliced young cucumber, chopped garden tomato (or cherry tomatoes), and cubed mozzarella cheese

·     Prepared pesto (See Below)

·     Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), for drizzling

Directions:

1.   In a bowl, combine cucumber, tomato, and cheese

2.   Add pesto according to taste preferences (Pesto is concentrated in flavor, so a little goes a long way. I like a teaspoon or two in one bowlful of salad.)

3.   Drizzle EVOO over all, and stir until pesto is mixed throughout.

Simple Garlic and Basil Pesto

Ingredients:

·     3 cups chopped fresh basil

·     1 cup extra virgin olive oil

·     1/2 cup pine nuts

·     1/8 cup Brazil nuts

·     2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

·     2 tablespoons minced garlic

·      1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Directions:

1.   Place the basil in a blender. Pour in about 1 tablespoon of the oil, and blend basil into a paste. Gradually add pine nuts, Brazil nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, chili powder, and remaining oil. Continue to blend until smooth.

Voila!  Enjoy!

Navarre Bible Commentary:Thursday after Ash Wednesday

Photo by: Brad Beaman

Luke 9:22–25

22 saying, “The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

23 And he said to all, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?

Catholic Exegesis:

The Second Vatican Council teaches  that if we are to derive the true meaning from the sacred texts,  attention must be devoted “not only to their content but to the unity of the whole of Scripture, the living tradition of the entire Church, and the analogy of faith. […] Everything to do with the interpretation of Scripture is ultimately subject to the judgment of the Church, which exercises the divinely conferred communion and ministry of watching over and interpreting the Word of God” (Dei Verbum, 12).

St. John Paul II, when he promulgated the Catechism of the Catholic Church,  explained that the Catechism "is a statement of the Church's faith and of catholic doctrine, attested to or illumined by Sacred Scripture, the Apostolic Tradition and the Church's Magisterium."  He went on to "declare it to be a sure norm for teaching the faith and thus a valid and legitimate instrument for ecclesial communion" (Fidei Depositum).

Cited in the Catechism:

Passages from this Gospel reading are cited in the Catechism, paragraph 1435.

Commentary:

First announcement of the Passion

9:22. Jesus prophesied his passion and death in order to help his disciples believe in him. It also showed that he was freely accepting these sufferings he would undergo. “Christ did not seek to be glorified: he chose to come without glory in order to undergo suffering; and you, who have been born without glory, do you wish to be glorified? The route you must take is the one Christ took. This means recognizing him and it means imitating him both in his ignominy and in his good repute; thus you will glory in the Cross, which was his path to glory. That was what Paul did, and therefore he gloried in saying, ‘Far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Gal 6:14)” (St Ambrose, Expositio Evangelii sec. Lucam, in loc.).

The need for self-denial

9:23. “Christ is saying this again, to us, whispering it in our ears: the cross each day. As St Jerome puts it: ‘Not only in time of persecution or when we have the chance of martyrdom, but in all circumstances, in everything we do and think, in everything we say, let us deny what we used to be and let us confess what we now are, reborn as we have been in Christ’ (Epistola 122, 3) […]. Do you see? The daily cross. No day without a cross; not a single day in which we are not to carry the cross of the Lord, in which we are not to accept his yoke” (St Josemaría Escrivá, Christ Is Passing By, 58 and 176). “There is no doubt about it: a person who loves pleasure, who seeks comfort, who flies from anything that might spell suffering, who is overanxious, who complains, who blames and who becomes impatient at the least little thing which does not go his way—a person like that is a Christian only in name; he is only a dishonour to his religion, for Jesus Christ has said so: Anyone who wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross every day of his life, and follow me” (St John Mary Vianney, Selected Sermons, Ash Wednesday).

The cross should be present not only in the life of every Christian but also at the crossroads of the world: “How beautiful are those crosses on the summits of high mountains, and crowning great monuments, and on the pinnacles of cathedrals …! But the Cross must also be inserted in the very heart of the world.

“Jesus wants to be raised on high, there in the noise of the factories and workshops, in the silence of libraries, in the loud clamour of the streets, in the stillness of the fields, in the intimacy of the family, in crowded gatherings, in stadiums.… Wherever there is a Christian striving to lead an honourable life, he should, with his love, set up the Cross of Christ, who attracts all things to himself” (St Josemaría Escrivá, The Way of the Cross, XI, 3)

.

9:25. By this radical statement Jesus teaches us to do everything with a view to eternal life: it is well worth while to devote our entire life on earth to attaining eternal life. “We have been warned that it profits man nothing if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself. Far from diminishing our concern to develop this earth, the expectancy of a new earth should spur us on, for it is here that the body of a new human family grows, foreshadowing in some way the age which is to come. That is why, although we must be careful to distinguish earthly progress clearly from the increase of the Kingdom of Christ, such progress is of vital concern to the Kingdom of God, insofar as it can contribute to the better ordering of human society” (Vatican II, Gaudium et spes, 39).

Source: The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries. Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.

"Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." St Jerome  

Navarre Bible Commentary:Ash Wednesday

Matthew 6:1–6, 16–18

1 “Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

2 “Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

16 “And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

  

Catholic Exegesis:

The Second Vatican Council teaches  that if we are to derive the true meaning from the sacred texts,  attention must be devoted “not only to their content but to the unity of the whole of Scripture, the living tradition of the entire Church, and the analogy of faith. […] Everything to do with the interpretation of Scripture is ultimately subject to the judgment of the Church, which exercises the divinely conferred communion and ministry of watching over and interpreting the Word of God” (Dei Verbum, 12).

St. John Paul II, when he promulgated the Catechism of the Catholic Church,  explained that the Catechism "is a statement of the Church's faith and of catholic doctrine, attested to or illumined by Sacred Scripture, the Apostolic Tradition and the Church's Magisterium."  He went on to "declare it to be a sure norm for teaching the faith and thus a valid and legitimate instrument for ecclesial communion" (Fidei Depositum).

Cited in the Catechism:

Passages from this Gospel reading are cited in the Catechism in twelve (12) different paragraphs.

Commentary:

An upright intention in almsgiving, prayer and fasting

6:1–18. “Piety”, here, means good works (cf. the note on Mt 5:6). Our Lord is indicating the kind of spirit in which we should do acts of personal piety. Almsgiving, fasting and prayer were the basic forms taken by personal piety among the chosen people—which is why Jesus refers to these three subjects. With complete authority he teaches that true piety must be practised with an upright intention, in the presence of God and without any ostentation. Piety practised in this way implies exercising our faith in God who sees us—and also in the safe knowledge that he will reward those who are sincerely devout.

6:5–6. Following the teaching of Jesus, the Church has always taught us to pray even when we were infants. By saying “you” (singular) our Lord is stating quite unequivocally the need for personal prayer—relating as child to Father, alone with God.

Public prayer, for which Christ’s faithful assemble together, is something necessary and holy; but it should never displace obedience to this clear commandment of our Lord: “When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father.”

The Second Vatican Council reminds us of the teaching and practice of the Church in its liturgy, which is “the summit towards which the activity of the Church is directed; it is also the fount from which all her power flows […]. The spiritual life, however, is not limited solely to participation in the liturgy. The Christian is indeed called to pray with others, but he must also enter into his bedroom to pray to his Father in secret; furthermore, according to the teaching of the apostle, he must pray without ceasing (1 Thess 5:17)” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 10 and 12).

A soul who really puts his Christian faith into practice realizes that he needs frequently to get away and pray alone to his Father, God. Jesus, who gives us this teaching about prayer, practised it during his own life on earth: the holy Gospel reports that he often went apart to pray on his own: “At times he spent the whole night in an intimate conversation with his Father. The apostles were filled with love when they saw Christ pray” (St J. Escrivá, Christ Is Passing By, 119; cf. Mt 14:23; Mk 1:35; Lk 5:16; etc.). The apostles followed the Master’s example, and so we see Peter going up to the rooftop of the house to pray in private, and receiving a revelation (cf. Acts 10:9–16). “Our life of prayer should also be based on some moments that are dedicated exclusively to our conversation with God, moments of silent dialogue” (Christ Is Passing By, 119).

6:16–18. Starting from the traditional practice of fasting, our Lord tells us the spirit in which we should practise mortification of our senses: we should do so without ostentation, avoiding praise, discreetly; that way Jesus’ words will not apply to us: “they have their reward”; it would have been a very bad deal. “The world admires only spectacular sacrifice, because it does not realize the value of sacrifice that is hidden and silent” (St Josemaría Escrivá, The Way, 185).

Source: The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries. Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.

"Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." St Jerome  

Navarre Bible Commentary:Tuesday, 6th Week in Ordinary Time

Mark 8:14–21

14 Now they had forgotten to bring bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 And he cautioned them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” 16 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “We have no bread.” 17 And being aware of it, Jesus said to them, “Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” 20 “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” 21 And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”   

Catholic Exegesis:

The Second Vatican Council teaches  that if we are to derive the true meaning from the sacred texts,  attention must be devoted “not only to their content but to the unity of the whole of Scripture, the living tradition of the entire Church, and the analogy of faith. […] Everything to do with the interpretation of Scripture is ultimately subject to the judgment of the Church, which exercises the divinely conferred communion and ministry of watching over and interpreting the Word of God” (Dei Verbum, 12).

St. John Paul II, when he promulgated the Catechism of the Catholic Church,  explained that the Catechism "is a statement of the Church's faith and of catholic doctrine, attested to or illumined by Sacred Scripture, the Apostolic Tradition and the Church's Magisterium."  He went on to "declare it to be a sure norm for teaching the faith and thus a valid and legitimate instrument for ecclesial communion" (Fidei Depositum).

Cited in the Catechism:

Passages from this Gospel reading are cited in the Catechism paragraph 1329.

Commentary:

8:15–16. In another Gospel passage (Lk 13:20–21; Mt 13:33) Jesus uses the simile of the leaven to show the vitality of his teaching. Here “leaven” is used in the sense of bad disposition. In the making of bread, leaven is what causes the dough to rise; the Pharisees’ hypocrisy and Herod’s dissolute life, stemming from their personal ambition, were the “leaven” which was poisoning from within the “dough” of Israel and which would eventually corrupt it. Jesus seeks to warn his disciples about these dangers, and to have them understand that if they are to take in his doctrine they need a pure and simple heart.

But the disciples fail to understand: “They weren’t educated; they weren’t very bright, if we judge from their reaction to supernatural things. Finding even the most elementary examples and comparisons beyond their reach, they would turn to the Master and ask: ‘Explain the parable to us.’ When Jesus uses the image of the ‘leaven’ of the Pharisees, they think that he’s reproaching them for not having purchased bread.… These were the disciples called by our Lord. Such stuff is what Christ chose. And they remain just like that until they are filled with the Holy Spirit and thus become pillars of the Church. They are ordinary people, full of defects and shortcomings, more eager to say than to do. Nevertheless, Jesus calls them to be fishers of men, co-redeemers, dispensers of the grace of God” (St J. Escrivá, Christ Is Passing By, 2). The same thing can happen to us. Although we may not be very gifted, the Lord calls us, and love of God and docility to his words will cause to grow in our souls unsuspected fruit of holiness and supernatural effectiveness.

Source: The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries. Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.

"Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." St Jerome