Joseph Kenny OP: Readings Lent Thursday 2

READINGS: LENT THURSDAY II

Invitatory Psalm & BACK

PSALMS and BACK
אֲשֲׁר בְּתוֹרַת יְהוָה יֶהְגֶּה — פִּרְיוֹ יִתֵּן בְּעִתּוֹ

Even Years: Reading 1: Exodus 18:13-27
וַיְהִי מִמָּחֳרָת וַיֵּשֶׁב מֹשֶׁה לִשְׁפֹּט אֶת־הָעָם וַיַּעֲמֹד הָעָם עַל־מֹשֶׁה מִן־הַבֹּקֶר עַד־הָעָרֶב׃
וַיַּרְא חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־הוּא עֹשֶׂה לָעָם וַיֹּאמֶר מָה־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עֹשֶׂה לָעָם מַדּוּעַ אַתָּה יוֹשֵׁב לְבַדֶּךָ וְכָל־הָעָם נִצָּב עָלֶיךָ מִן־בֹּקֶר עַד־עָרֶב׃
וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה לְחֹתְנוֹ כִּי־יָבֹא אֵלַי הָעָם לִדְרֹשׁ אֱלֹהִים׃ כִּי־יִהְיֶה לָהֶם דָּבָר בָּא אֵלַי וְשָׁפַטְתִּי בֵּין אִישׁ וּבֵין רֵעֵהוּ וְהוֹדַעְתִּי אֶת־חֻקֵּי הָאֱלֹהִים וְאֶת־תּוֹרֹתָיו׃
וַיֹּאמֶר חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה אֵלָיו לֹא־טוֹב הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עֹשֶׂה׃ נָבֹל תִּבֹּל גַּם־אַתָּה גַּם־הָעָם הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר עִמָּךְ כִּי־כָבֵד מִמְּךָ הַדָּבָר לֹא־תוּכַל עֲשֹׂהוּ לְבַדֶּךָ׃ עַתָּה שְׁמַע בְּקֹלִי אִיעָצְךָ וִיהִי אֱלֹהִים עִמָּךְ הֱיֵה אַתָּה לָעָם מוּל הָאֱלֹהִים וְהֵבֵאתָ אַתָּה אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִים׃ וְהִזְהַרְתָּה אֶתְהֶם אֶת־הַחֻקִּים וְאֶת־הַתּוֹרֹת וְהוֹדַעְתָּ לָהֶם אֶת־הַדֶּרֶךְ יֵלְכוּ בָהּ וְאֶת־הַמַּעֲשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשׂוּן׃ וְאַתָּה תֶחֱזֶה מִכָּל־הָעָם אַנְשֵׁי־חַיִל יִרְאֵי אֱלֹהִים אַנְשֵׁי אֱמֶת שֹׂנְאֵי בָצַע וְשַׂמְתָּ עֲלֵהֶם שָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים שָׂרֵי מֵאוֹת שָׂרֵי חֲמִשִּׁים וְשָׂרֵי עֲשָׂרֹת׃ וְשָׁפְטוּ אֶת־הָעָם בְּכָל־עֵת וְהָיָה כָּל־הַדָּבָר הַגָּדֹל יָבִיאוּ אֵלֶיךָ וְכָל־הַדָּבָר הַקָּטֹן יִשְׁפְּטוּ־הֵם וְהָקֵל מֵעָלֶיךָ וְנָשְׂאוּ אִתָּךְ׃ אִם אֶת־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה תַּעֲשֶׂה וְצִוְּךָ אֱלֹהִים וְיָכָלְתָּ עֲמֹד וְגַם כָּל־הָעָם הַזֶּה עַל־מְקֹמוֹ יָבֹא בְשָׁלוֹם׃
וַיִּשְׁמַע מֹשֶׁה לְקוֹל חֹתְנוֹ וַיַּעַשׂ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר אָמָר׃ וַיִּבְחַר מֹשֶׁה אַנְשֵׁי־חַיִל מִכָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּתֵּן אֹתָם רָאשִׁים עַל־הָעָם שָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים שָׂרֵי מֵאוֹת שָׂרֵי חֲמִשִּׁים וְשָׂרֵי עֲשָׂרֹת׃ וְשָׁפְטוּ אֶת־הָעָם בְּכָל־עֵת אֶת־הַדָּבָר הַקָּשֶׁה יְבִיאוּן אֶל־מֹשֶׁה וְכָל־הַדָּבָר הַקָּטֹן יִשְׁפּוּטוּ הֵם׃
וַיְשַׁלַּח מֹשֶׁה אֶת־חֹתְנוֹ וַיֵּלֶךְ לוֹ אֶל־אַרְצוֹ׃

13 On the following day, Moses took his seat to administer justice for the people, and the people were standing round him from morning till evening.
14 Seeing all he did for the people, Moses' father-in-law said to him, 'Why do you do this for the people, why sit here alone with the people standing round you from morning till evening?'
15 Moses replied to his father-in-law, 'Because the people come to me to consult God. 16 When they have a problem they come to me, and I give a ruling between the one and the other and make God's statutes and laws known to them.'
17 Moses' father-in-law then said to him, 'What you are doing is not right. 18 You will only tire yourself out, and the people with you too, for the work is too heavy for you. You cannot do it all yourself. 19 Now listen to the advice I am going to give you, and God be with you! Your task is to represent the people to God, to lay their cases before God, 20 and to teach them the statutes and laws, and show them the way they ought to follow and how they ought to behave. 21 At the same time, from the people at large choose capable and God-fearing men, men who are trustworthy and incorruptible, and put them in charge of them as heads of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens, 22 and make them the people's permanent judges. They will refer all important matters to you, but all minor matters they will decide themselves, so making things easier for you by sharing the burden with you. 23 If you do this -- and may God so command you -- you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.'
24 Moses took his father-in-law's advice and did just as he said. 25 Moses chose capable men from all Israel and put them in charge of the people as heads of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 26 These acted as the people's permanent judges. They referred hard cases to Moses but decided minor matters themselves.
27 Moses then set his father-in-law on his way, and he travelled back to his own country.
Odd Years: Deuteronomy 30:1-20
1 ס וְהָיָה כִי־יָבֹאוּ עָלֶיךָ כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה הַבְּרָכָה וְהַקְּלָלָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ אֶל־לְבָבֶךָ בְּכָל־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר הִדִּיחֲךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ שָׁמָּה׃
2 וְשַׁבְתָּ עַד־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְשָׁמַעְתָּ בְקֹלוֹ כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל־נַפְשֶׁךָ׃
3 וְשָׁב יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת־שְׁבוּתְךָ וְרִחֲמֶךָ וְשָׁב וְקִבֶּצְךָ מִכָּל־הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר הֱפִיצְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ שָׁמָּה׃
4 אִם־יִהְיֶה נִדַּחֲךָ בִּקְצֵה הַשָּׁמָיִם מִשָּׁם יְקַבֶּצְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ וּמִשָּׁם יִקָּחֶךָ׃
5 וֶהֱבִיאֲךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יָרְשׁוּ אֲבֹתֶיךָ וִירִשְׁתָּהּ וְהֵיטִבְךָ וְהִרְבְּךָ מֵאֲבֹתֶיךָ׃
6 וּמָל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת־לְבָבְךָ וְאֶת־לְבַב זַרְעֶךָ לְאַהֲבָה אֶת־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁךָ לְמַעַן חַיֶּיךָ׃
7 וְנָתַן יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֵת כָּל־הָאָלוֹת הָאֵלֶּה עַל־אֹיְבֶיךָ וְעַל־שֹׂנְאֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר רְדָפוּךָ׃
8 וְאַתָּה תָשׁוּב וְשָׁמַעְתָּ בְּקוֹל יְהוָה וְעָשִׂיתָ אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֹתָיו אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם׃
9 וְהוֹתִירְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכֹל מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶךָ בִּפְרִי בִטְנְךָ וּבִפְרִי בְהֶמְתְּךָ וּבִפְרִי אַדְמָתְךָ לְטוֹבָה כִּי יָשׁוּב יְהוָה לָשׂוּשׂ עָלֶיךָ לְטוֹב כַּאֲשֶׁר־שָׂשׂ עַל־אֲבֹתֶיךָ׃
10 כִּי תִשְׁמַע בְּקוֹל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לִשְׁמֹר מִצְוֹתָיו וְחֻקֹּתָיו הַכְּתוּבָה בְּסֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה הַזֶּה כִּי תָשׁוּב אֶל־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל־נַפְשֶׁךָ׃ פ
11 כִּי הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם לֹא־נִפְלֵאת הִוא מִמְּךָ וְלֹא רְחֹקָה הִוא׃
12 לֹא בַשָּׁמַיִם הִוא לֵאמֹר מִי יַעֲלֶה־לָּנוּ הַשָּׁמַיְמָה וְיִקָּחֶהָ לָּנוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵנוּ אֹתָהּ וְנַעֲשֶׂנָּה׃
13 וְלֹא־מֵעֵבֶר לַיָּם הִוא לֵאמֹר מִי יַעֲבָר־לָנוּ אֶל־עֵבֶר הַיָּם וְיִקָּחֶהָ לָּנוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵנוּ אֹתָהּ וְנַעֲשֶׂנָּה׃
14 כִּי־קָרוֹב אֵלֶיךָ הַדָּבָר מְאֹד בְּפִיךָ וּבִלְבָבְךָ לַעֲשֹׂתוֹ׃ ס
15 רְאֵה נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ הַיּוֹם אֶת־הַחַיִּים וְאֶת־הַטּוֹב וְאֶת־הַמָּוֶת וְאֶת־הָרָע׃
16 אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם לְאַהֲבָה אֶת־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לָלֶכֶת בִּדְרָכָיו וְלִשְׁמֹר מִצְוֹתָיו וְחֻקֹּתָיו וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו וְחָיִיתָ וְרָבִיתָ וּבֵרַכְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּה בָא־שָׁמָּה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ׃
17 וְאִם־יִפְנֶה לְבָבְךָ וְלֹא תִשְׁמָע וְנִדַּחְתָּ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתָ לֵאלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וַעֲבַדְתָּם׃
18 הִגַּדְתִּי לָכֶם הַיּוֹם כִּי אָבֹד תֹּאבֵדוּן לֹא־תַאֲרִיכֻן יָמִים עַל־הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עֹבֵר אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּן לָבֹא שָׁמָּה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ׃
19 הַעִידֹתִי בָכֶם הַיּוֹם אֶת־הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת־הָאָרֶץ הַחַיִּים וְהַמָּוֶת נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ הַבְּרָכָה וְהַקְּלָלָה וּבָחַרְתָּ בַּחַיִּים לְמַעַן תִּחְיֶה אַתָּה וְזַרְעֶךָ׃
20 לְאַהֲבָה אֶת־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לִשְׁמֹעַ בְּקֹלוֹ וּלְדָבְקָה־בוֹ כִּי הוּא חַיֶּיךָ וְאֹרֶךְ יָמֶיךָ לָשֶׁבֶת עַל־הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע יְהוָה לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיַעֲקֹב לָתֵת לָהֶם׃

1 And when all these words have come true for you —the blessing and the curse, which I have offered you— if you meditate on them in your heart wherever among the nations Yahweh your God has driven you, 2 if you return to Yahweh your God, if with all your heart and with all your soul you obey his voice, you and your children, in everything that I am laying down for you today, 3 then Yahweh your God will bring back your captives, he will have pity on you and gather you back from all the peoples among whom Yahweh your God has scattered you. 4 Should you have been banished to the very sky's end, Yahweh your God will gather you again even from there, will come there to reclaim you 5 and bring you back to the country which belonged to your ancestors, so that you may possess it in your turn, and be made prosperous there and more numerous than your ancestors.
6 Yahweh your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, so that you will love Yahweh your God with all your heart and soul, and so will live. 7 Yahweh your God will make all these curses recoil on your foes and on your enemies who have persecuted you. 8 And once again you will obey the voice of Yahweh your God and you will put all his commandments into practice, which I am laying down for you today. 9 Yahweh your God will make you prosper in all your labours, in the offspring of your body, in the yield of your cattle and in the yield of your soil. For once again Yahweh will delight in your prosperity as he used to take delight in the prosperity of your ancestors, 10 if you obey the voice of Yahweh your God, by keeping his commandments and decrees written in the book of this Law, and if you return to Yahweh your God with all your heart and soul.
11 For this Law which I am laying down for you today is neither obscure for you nor beyond your reach. 12 It is not in heaven, so that you need to wonder, "Who will go up to heaven for us and bring it down to us, so that we can hear and practise it?" 13 Nor is it beyond the seas, so that you need to wonder, "Who will cross the seas for us and bring it back to us, so that we can hear and practise it?" 14 No, the word is very near to you, it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to put into practice.
15 Look, today I am offering you life and prosperity, death and disaster. 16 If you obey the commandments of Yahweh your God, which I am laying down for you today, if you love Yahweh your God and follow his ways, if you keep his commandments, his laws and his customs, you will live and grow numerous, and Yahweh your God will bless you in the country which you are about to enter and make your own. 17 But if your heart turns away, if you refuse to listen, if you let yourself be drawn into worshipping other gods and serving them, 18 I tell you today, you will most certainly perish; you will not live for long in the country which you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.
19 Today, I call heaven and earth to witness against you: I am offering you life or death, blessing or curse. Choose life, then, so that you and your descendants may live, 20 in the love of Yahweh your God, obeying his voice, holding fast to him; for in this your life consists, and on this depends the length of time that you stay in the country which Yahweh swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that he would give them.'

Even Years: Hilary of Poitier, On Psalm 127, 1-3 (CSEL 24, 628-630)
Beati omnes, qui timent Dominum, qui ambulant in viis eius. Quotiensque de timore Domini in Scripturis est sermo, animadvertendum est numquam eum solitarium relinqui, tamquam sufficientem nobis ad consummationem fidei, sed subici multa aut anteferre, ex quibus timoris Domini ratio et perfectio intellegatur; ut cognoscimus ex eo, quod per Salomonem in Paroemiis dictum est: Si enim sapientiam invoces et intellectui des vocem tuam et exquiras eam tamquam argentum et tamquam thesauros investiges eam, tunc intelleges timorem Domini.
Videmus enim quantis usque ad timorem Domini gradibus perventum est.
Ante enim invocanda sapientia est, et omne legendi officium intellectui est deputandum, et exquirenda ac pervestiganda est sapientia; et tunc timor Domini intellegendus. Et quantum ad communem humanae opinionis pertinet sensum, non ita de timore sentitur.
Timor est enim humanae imbecillitatis trepidatiio metuentis id perpeti, quod sibi nolit accidere. Exsistit autem et commovetur in nobis de reatu conscientiae, de iure potioris, de impetu fortioris, de aegritudinis causa, de ferae occursu et de omnis mali passione.
Hic ergo timor non docetur, sed ex natura infirmitatis occurrit. Neque quid timendum sit discimus, sed terrorem suum ipsa illa nobis iniciunt, quae timentur.
At vero de timore Domini ita scriptum est: Venite, filii, audite me, timorem Domini docebo vos. Discendus ergo Dei timor est, quia docetur. Non enim in terrore, sed in ratione doctrinae est; neque ex trepidatione naturae est, sed praeceptorum observantia et operibus vitae innocentis et cognitione veritatis ineundus est.
Nobis autem timor Dei omnis in amore est, metumque eius dilectio perfecta consummat. Dilectionis autem nostrae in eum hoc proprium officium est, parere monitis, statutis obtemperare, pollicitis fidere. Audiamus ergo Scripturam dicentem: Et nunc, Israel, quid Dominus Deus tuus poscit a te, nisi ut timeas Dominum Deum tuum et ambules in omnibus viis eius et diligas eum et custodias praecepta eius ex toto corde tuo et ex tota anima tua, ut bene sit tibi?
Multae autem sunt viae domini, cum ipse tamen via sit. Sed cum de se loquitur, viam ipse se nuncupat, et rationem, cur se viam nuncupasset, ostendit dicens: Nemo enim potest ad Patrem venire nisi per me.
Multae itaque viae interrogandae sunt et in multis insistendun est, ut unam, quae bona est, inveniamus per multorum scilicet doctrinam, unam viam vitae aeternae reperturi. Viae enim in lege, viae in prophetis, viae in evangeliis, viae in apostolis sunt, viae quoque in diversis praeceptorum operibus sunt, in quibus per timorem Dei ambulantes beati sunt.
Odd Years: John Mediocre of Naples (Pseudo-Chrysostom), Sermon 7 (PLS 4, 785-786)
Dominus illuminatio mea, et salus mea, quem timebo? Magnum servum, qui sciebat quomodo illuminabatur, unde illuminabatur, qualis erat qui illuminabatur. Videbat lucem, non istam, quae ad vesperum tendit: sed illam lucem, quam oculus non uidet. Mentes ex hac luce illuminatae, non ruunt in peccata, non offendunt in vitiis.
Dicebat enim dominus: Ambulate dum habetis lucem in uobis. De qua enim luce dicebat, nisi de ipso? qui dixit: Ego Lux veni in mundum, ut qui vident, non videant, et caeci lumen recipiant. Iste ergo dominus illuminatio nostra, sol iustitiae, qui radiavit ecclesiam suam catholicam ubique diffusam, et clamabat propheta in figura eius: Dominus iIluminatio mea, et salus mea, quem timebo?
Illuminatus homo interior non claudicat, a via non recedit, totum tolerat. Qui de longinquo videt patriam, adversitates sustinet, in temporalibus non contristatur, sed in deo confirmatur: deprimit cor et sustinet, et humilitate sua patientiam habet. Lumen istud verum qui illuminat omnem hominem venientem in hunc mundum, dat se metuentibus, infundit cui vult, ubi vult, revelat se cui filius vult.
Qui sedebat in tenebris et umbra mortis, in tenebris malorum et umbra peccatorum, orta luce horret sibi et adicit se, poenitet, erubescit, et dicit: Dominus illuminatio mea, et salus mea, quem timebo? Magna salus fratres mei. Ista salus infirmitatem non timet, lassitudinem non formidat, dolorem non videt... debemus ergo plene atque perfecte non tantum lingua, sed etiam mente clamare et dicere: Dominus illuminatio mea, et salus mea, quem timebo? Si ipse illuminat, ipse salvat, quem timebo? veniant caligines suggestionum, dominus illuminatio mea. Venire possunt, proficere non possunt, cor nostrum impugnando, non tamen vincendo. Veniat caecitas cupiditatum, Dominus illuminatio mea. Fortitudo ergo nostra ipse est qui se dat nobis et nosipsos damus illi.

Prayer