15th Week, Tuesday, July 16: Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Isaiah 7:1-9 / Matthew 11:20-24
God speaks through Isaiah: “If your faith is firm, you’ll be firm.”
Tennessee Williams wrote a play called The Night of the Iguana. In one scene Hannah Jelkes is talking to Mr. Shannon, who seems to have a drinking problem. Hannah says, “Liquor isn’t your problem, Mr. Shannon.” And, of course, Mr. Shannon says to Hannah, “Then what is my problem?” Hannah says, “The oldest one in the world—the need to believe in something or in someone—almost anyone— almost anything . . . something.”
Faith is to our lives what a solid foundation is to a house. It is something firm to build on. If our faith is firm, our lives will be firm. If our faith is shaky, our lives will be shaky.
****
How do we nourish our faith and keep it firm? What part does prayer play in this process? “If we believe in absurdities, we will commit atrocities (Francis Marie Voltaire)
*****
When faced with a hungry person, it is utterly useless to preach to him about the love of God. The most sensible thing to do is to give him some food and that will indeed show him the love of God. Hunger has no logic and hence people will not listen to whatever promises of food that will be coming. The hunger has to be addressed immediately.
If hunger has no logic, then fear can cause panic. In the face of mortal danger, fear can make people hysterical. In the 1st reading, we heard that the hearts of king Ahaz and the people of Judah shuddered when they got the news that the enemy was approaching to attack them. The immediate thing to do would be to run away and save themselves and to each his own. For those remaining, they could panic and be hysterical as they wait for death to fall on them.
Yet in all that chaos, the Lord spoke. And He assured His people that what the enemy planned to do won't come true; it would not be. But on one condition: But if you do not stand by me, you will not stand at all. The people will have to decide - either to stand by the words of the Lord, or give in to fear and panic.
Yet in the gospel, the story was quite the opposite. The people had seen the miracles of Jesus, and yet they refused to repent. And as it is, those places mentioned in the gospel now lie in ruins. And for us, we have heard the words of the Lord; we have seen His love for us in the Eucharist. We now have to make the decision - either we stand by Him, or we won't stand at all.
****
SEEING SIGNS. CONVERSION
Introduction God had assured the house of David that he would protect it. We hear Isaiah scold the king and the people that they have not enough trust in him and do not see the signs of God’s nearness; even in the moment of a great threat by the powerful nation of Assyria they should keep relying on God. The poor and the oppressed are often more open to salvation than the self-satisfied, sophisticated city dwellers; the latter are often in the Bible the image of rationalistic and corrupt people, also among the Jews. As they are more individualistic, they do not easily form a community of salvation. In the noise and bustle of a busy life, they do not see the signs of God’s presence. Opening Prayer
Lord our God, we are often blind and insensitive to the wonderful things you do among us and to the love people show us. Open our minds and hearts to see the signs of your presence in the good people do to one another and to us. Make us also see the presence of our crucified Lord in people who suffer. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Commentary
“Do not fear” are the words of Isaiah to Ahaz, king of Judah, who stood in fear of a stronger northern coalition. Within a determined period of time the threat from the north will pass, but Judah is forewarned. If they do not remain strong in faith, they too will suffer the consequences. The scriptures today address at least two different types of response. The cities of Jesus’ time were simply lacking in faith; despite the wonders they had seen. Before Jesus they remained unmoved. Judah held to a belief but it proved weak and untested. It lacked the firmness Isaiah saw as necessary. Our faith is real but it often remains untested. We seldom suffer the ultimate cost of discipleship. Archbishop Romero of El Salvador, at great personal cost, preached the gospel fearlessly and paid for it with his life. We have countless examples in the history of the church. We are grateful for our faith. At the same time, we never want to see faith imposed on anyone. We pray that we always remain strong.
Points to Ponder
Hardness of heart An untested faith Courage in faith
Intercessions
– For men and women who have lowly and depressing jobs, that we may appreciate them, we pray:
– For all who have been baptized in the saving waters of baptism, that they may remain faithful to their baptismal promises, we pray:
– For all those who see the good deeds done by believing people, that they may discover the Lord Jesus who inspires these good people, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God, let this bread and wine we bring before you become to us clear signs of how you make yourself near to us in Jesus Christ your Son. Give us a deep faith to discover the love you constantly show us in him and to respond eagerly to it with deeds of compassion and service for all those who need us. Grant us this through Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord God, we deserve the harsh words which Jesus spoke to us today to prompt us to seek conversion. Make us accept these words spoken out of deep concern for those he loves. Give us an open attitude that makes us see how you care for us and how you are near to us in everyday life. Help us to respond to your loving care through Christ our Lord.
Blessing Repent. Perhaps we think that these words of the Lord do not apply to us. If we are open-minded, we will probably notice that there are many things in us that we wish to change. Perfection is not of this world. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
****
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Feast day July 16
On one side of the mountaintop, the priests of Baal stood
next to the stone altar dedicated to their false god. They had been praying
aloud all day, but no god had answered them. On the other side, the prophet
Elijah stood alone next to a stone altar dedicated to the Lord God, Yahweh.
That day Yahweh sent fire from heaven onto the altar, proving that he, Yahweh,
was the one true God. The Old Testament records this showdown on Mount Carmel
in northern Palestine (1 Kings 18:16–39).
During the many centuries between that event and the year
1156, people who wanted a quiet place to pray and to live close to God began to
come together on Mount Carmel. A large monastery was built there to honor the
Mother of God. The members of the monastery were called Carmelites.
In 1251, according to the tradition of the Carmelites, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Simon Stock, the sixth general, or person in charge of the Carmelite Order, and gave him a scapular. The scapular was a long piece of cloth worn over the shoulders and hanging, in front and in back, down to the ankles. After that, all the members of that Carmelite community wore scapulars. Today some religious men and women still wear the full scapular. Some people wear a small scapular made of two small pieces of cloth connected by narrow cord or braid. It, too, is worn over the shoulders. Wearing a scapular medal or the shortened scapular is a way of honoring the Blessed Mother. July 16 is a major feast for all Carmelite priests and sisters.
