July 18, 2009 Gospel

DAILY GOSPEL
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Saturday, 18 July 2009
Saturday of the Fifteenth week in Ordinary Time

Today the Church celebrates : St. Camillus de Lellis, Priest (1550-1614)



Book of Exodus 12:37-42.

The Israelites set out from Rameses for Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, not counting the children. A crowd of mixed ancestry also went up with them, besides their livestock, very numerous flocks and herds. Since the dough they had brought out of Egypt was not leavened, they baked it into unleavened loaves. They had been rushed out of Egypt and had no opportunity even to prepare food for the journey. The time the Israelites had stayed in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. At the end of four hundred and thirty years, all the hosts of the LORD left the land of Egypt on this very date. This was a night of vigil for the LORD, as he led them out of the land of Egypt; so on this same night all the Israelites must keep a vigil for the LORD throughout their generations.

Psalms 136:1.23-24.10-12.13-15.

Praise the LORD, who is so good; God's love endures forever;
The LORD remembered us in our misery, God's love endures forever;
Freed us from our foes, God's love endures forever;
Who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, God's love endures forever;
And led Israel from their midst, God's love endures forever;
With mighty hand and outstretched arm, God's love endures forever;
Who split in two the Red Sea, God's love endures forever;
And led Israel through, God's love endures forever;
But swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea, God's love endures forever;


Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 12:14-21.

But the Pharisees went out and took counsel against him to put him to death. When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place. Many (people) followed him, and he cured them all, but he warned them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet: Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight; I shall place my spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not contend or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope."



Commentary of the day :


"In his name the Gentiles will hope"


Who among us can know all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden in Christ and buried within the poverty of his flesh? For «for your sake he became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty, you might become rich» (2Cor 8,9). Since he came in order to assume our mortal condition and lay low death itself, he appeared as one who was poor. But he who has promised us distant riches has by no means lost those from which he is kept away. «How great is his abundant goodness which he keeps in store for those who fear him; he satisfies those who hope in him» (cf. Ps 31[30],20)...

So that we might be able to lay hold of it, he who is equal to the Father, having the nature of God, became like us by taking the nature of a servant and recreates us in God's likeness. Having become son of man, the only Son of God transforms numberless men into sons of God. And after having sustained his servants by his own visible nature of a servant, he sets them free to contemplate the nature of God. For «we are God's children; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he really is» (1Jn 3,2). For in what do these treasures of wisdom and knowledge and these divine riches consist? In what this abundant goodness? All we know is that it is this that satisfies us.