June 11, 2003 - Wednesday, 10th Week in Ordinary Time

IN THE NEW COVENANT

Readings:
2 Cor 3:4-11; Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6; Mt 5:17-19

Note: Today is also memorial of St. Barnabas, the Apostle.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
you have taken the initiative of loving us
and bringing us your freedom
through your Son Jesus Christ.
Enrich us with the Spirit of Jesus,
pour him out generously, without measure,
that we may no longer hide
behind traditions and the letter of the law,
to extinguish the Spirit of freedom.
Let him enlarge our hearts
and stimulate our fantasy
to discover love’s numerous ways
to fulfill the law to perfection.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.

Scripture Readings

First Reading Introduction
      Paul, defending his ministry against Jewish converts who insist on their prerogatives, states that the new covenant is superior to the old one as the life-giving Spirit is superior to the death-bringing law.

First Reading: 2 Cor 3:4-11

This is how we are sure of God, through Christ. As for us we would not dare consider that something comes from us: our ability comes from God. He has even enabled us to be ministers of a new covenant no longer depending on a written text but on the Spirit. The written text kills, but the Spirit gives life.

The ministry of the Law carved on stones brought death; it was nevertheless surrounded by glory and we know that the Israelites could not fix their eyes on the face of Moses, such was his radiance, though fleeting. How much more glorious will the ministry of the Spirit be! If there is greatness in a ministry which uses to condemn, how much more will there be in the ministry that brings holiness? This is such a glorious thing that in comparison the former's glory is like nothing. That ministry was provisory and had only moments of glory; but ours endures with a lasting glory.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6

R (see 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.
R The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

Gospel Introduction
        Jesus says something similar in words that at first sight seem to say the opposite: he has come not to abolish the law but to fulfill it, that is, to give it deeper dimensions. What matters for us especially is that we must be aware that we live under the new law of love and that we are guided by the liberating Holy Spirit from servitude to the law.

Gospel Reading: Mt 5:17-19

Jesus said to his disciples, "Go and proclaim this message: The kingdom of heaven is near. Heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, cleanse the lepers, and drive out demons. You received this as a gift, so give it as a gift. Do not carry any gold, silver or copper in your purses. Do not carry a traveler's bag, or an extra shirt, or sandals, or walking-stick: workers deserve their living.

"When you come to a town or a village, look for a worthy person and stay there until you leave.

"As you enter the house, wish it peace. If the people in the house deserve it, your peace will be on them; if they do not deserve it, your blessing will come back to you."

Commentary

The death and resurrection of Christ gave birth to a new order, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah, "Lo, I am about to create new heavens and a new earth." Until then, faithfulness to the law of Moses remained valid as a means of serving God. Now, we who live in the new heavens and the new earth please God in an entirely new way. The Holy Spirit is in our hearts, molding us into the image of Christ, the Son in whom the Father is well pleased. As St. Paul says, "God has sent into your hearts the Spirit of his Son which cries out: Abba! that is Father. You yourself are no longer a slave but a son or a daughter, and yours is the inheritance by God's grace" (Gal 4:6-7).

General Intercessions

– For all of us in the Church, that we may have enough love to obey the commandments to know and practice that they show our love of God and of neighbor, we pray:

– For priests, that in the sacrament of reconciliation they may let sinners feel the patience and the compassion of God, we pray:

– For all of us, that we may ask ourselves not what we are obliged to do but what we can do for God and one another, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

God our Father,
in this eucharist we celebrate the new covenant
brought us by your Son Jesus Christ.
All that we can offer you
is our openness to your initiative of love
freely given and shared.
Make us ministers
of your adventure with us
of intimate and lasting friendship.
We ask you this in the name of Jesus the Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
we have listened to the Word of your Son
and eaten his refreshing bread.
As he was not afraid
of committing himself to fickle people,
we ask you to liberate our faith
from banality and routine
and to help us to commit ourselves to others
without fear or conditions.
For you loved us first
in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Blessing

We live under the law of the new covenant, where the key to all laws and observances is love. May we understand and live by this love, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

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