St.Junipero Serrra, Priest 

 

＊＊＊1st Reading＊＊＊

Genesis 18: 16-33

The men went away and turned towards Sodom. Abraham walked with them to set them on their way. And Yahweh said, “Can I conceal from Abraham what I am about to do? Abraham, in fact, is going to become a great and powerful nation and through him all the nations of the earth will be blessed, for I have chosen him to command his sons and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that Yahweh may bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”

Then Yahweh said, “How great is the cry for justice against Sodom and Gomorrah! And how grievous is their sin! I am going down to see if they have done all that they are charged with in the outcry that has reached me. If it is not so, I will know.”

The men with him turned away and went towards Sodom, but Yahweh remained standing before Abraham. Abraham went forward and said,” Will you really let the just perish with the wicked? Perhaps there are fifty good people in the town. Are you really going to let them perish? Would you not spare the place for the sake of these fifty righteous people? It would not be at all like you to do such a thing and you can’t let the good perish with the wicked, nor treat the good and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the judge of all the earth be just?” Yahweh said, “If I find fifty good people in Sodom, I will spare the shole place for their sake.”

Abraham spoke up again, “I know that I am very bold to speak like this to my Lord, I who am only dust and ashes! But perhaps the number of the good is five less than fifty. Will you destroy the town because of five?” Yahweh replied,” I will not destroy the town if I find forty-five good people there.” Again Abraham said to him, “Perhaps there will be only forty.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” Abraham went on, saying , “May my Lord not be angry, but let me speak. Maybe only thirty good people will be found in the town.” Yahweh answered, “ I will not destroy it if I find thirty there.” Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to my Lord, what if only twenty can be found? “ He said, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy the place.”

But Abraham insisted, “May my Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found? And Yahweh answered, “For the sake of ten good people, I will not destroy Sodom.” When Yahweh had finished speaking with Abraham, he left and Abraham went home.

 

 ＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Matthew 8: 18-22

When Jesus saw the crowd pressing around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. A teacher of the law approached him; and said, “Master, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

Another disciple said ”Lord let me go and bury my father first.” but Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.”

 

Reflection gospel：

“FOLLOW ME, AND LET THE DEAD BURY THEIR DEAD.”

Jesus’ reply to the scribe, the teacher of the law, and to the disciple brings to the fore the nature of following him. Following him is characterized by surrender, urgency and priority. To the scribe, Jesus’ response is a challenge to give up those things that provide him comfort and security. And to the disciple, Jesus’ response is a question of priority. It would seem Jesus is insensitive and unsympathetic to the situation of the disciple. But the point of Jesus’ response is that priority needs to be accorded to the demands of following him and that it needs to be taken as urgent.

The demands of the reign of God and of Jesus’ call to follow him are definite and urgent. In the mind of Jesus they take precedence over other things we may consider important. They put us into situations where it is necessary and essential to give up something and take radical action. These giving up and taking action cannot be delayed to a future time because Jesus’ call is in the ‘now.’