Jeremiah 23:1-6 comes at the conclusion of what exegetes are calling Jeremiah's Little Book of Kings (21:11-23:8 ). It is an oracle that can be divided into six parts: it opens with a "Woe"statement about the shepherds of Judah (1-2), moves on to a future look into what God will do for the exiles (3-4), and concludes with an oracle about the Messiah, the shoot of David (5-6). All throughout these verses, the figure of "Zedekiah" is like an image over which is imposed another image: the action of God for the remnant of His people. Zedekiah is the last king of Judah. In 587 BC Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians, the sons of Zedekiah executed and Zedekiah himself was blinded, rendered incapable of restoring his reign. The year also begins the exile of Judah; it was then that in Israel, there was no king, no temple and no people.

The theme of evangelization is continued in the account of Jesus' sending forth his disciples. It is an anticipation of the missionary send off in Mark 16. For the moment, the Twelve are missionaries in training following the rules that real missionaries use as guidelines for their work. The paucity of amenities makes for a light baggage that facilitates the spread of the Good News. The missionaries will have to depend on Divine Providence and the goodwill of men.

Paul wrote his "severe letter", his "letter of tears" (2 Corinthians 10-13) in order to move the Corinthians to repentance and reconciliation. But it in order to do that, he felt that he needed to respond to the accussations made against him, especially since he felt that another group of evangelizers has stolen the hearts of the Corinthians away from him. After appealing to the Corinthians for obedience owed to him as father (10:1-18), he answers to the accussation raised against him (11:1-15). In 11:16-19 he "boasts" about his Jewish credentials and the more important evidence of the sincerity of his work: the cross of his own apostleship (11:16-29). He mentions his experience of being let down a rope because a group of Jews have wanted to assassinate him (11:30-33), the mystical experience he had some time towards the middle of his ministry (12:1-6), his thorn in the flesh (12:7-10), concluding with the declaration that he is in no way inferior to the new comers, that through him the signs and wonders accompanying an apostle has been wrought (cf. Mark 16:20) and his only fault had been that he did not burden the Corinthians (12:11-13). The rest is a warning of another visit from him, accompanied by a threat that his manner will depend on the way the Corinthians will meet him (12:14-13:10)

The narrative about the rejection of Jesus in his own hometown is a lesson for those who share in the mission of evangelization. All Christians are baptized so as to share in the prophetic office of Christ. All therefore are to live as witnesses of the Lord and proclaimers of the Good News to their own families and in the neighborhood where they live. The work is difficult, however, especially since the prophet is honored "except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house." Read this article and use the following for your guide.

For the 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time, the case of the hemorrhaging woman and Jairus' daughter are presented to us for meditation. If in last Sunday's gospel we were presented a picture of our life threatening existence and the Lord who alone gives peace, here we are given a picture of the onset of death and its apparent triumph on the one hand and the Lord of Life on the other. In both these cases, faith in the Lord Jesus makes the difference. Read the article you find here and use the following as a guide for reflection.

In a previous article ("God Loves a Cheerful Giver"), we gave the impression that 2 Cor. 8:7-15 was the "Introduction" to the whole of 2 Cor. 8-9. Actually, 2 Cor. 8:1-25 is part of a letter that Paul had written before the problem with the Corinthians was discovered. The sending of the letter was deferred; in its stead, Paul's letter of rebuke was sent. After the reconciliation with the Corinthians was effected, Paul resent the letter, probably with the addition of 2 Cor. 9. In other words, 2 Cor. 8:1-25 should be taken separately from 2 Cor. 9:1-15, a follow-up letter. 2 Cor. 8:1-15 is a letter that urges the Corinthians to make good their intent to contribute a year before, with 16-25 as the presentation of the team who would prepare the collection.

We are back in Ordinary Time. This does not mean however that we should bracket Easter and the Post-Easter feasts and read the selections from Mark as if the Lord is not yet Risen, or is seated at the Right Hand. On the contrary, the only way by which we could understand the gospel selection is if we understand it the way Mark presents it, i.e. as a catechism about the Lord of history. Read the article about the gospel selection and use the following as your guide.

This call to reconciliation which continues until 6:13 is an appeal to the Corinthians to reconcile with Paul who, as an ambassador of the ministry of reconciliation, is also not counting the offenses done against him (vv. 18-19), but like the One he represents, he also forgets all "trespasses" in view of Christ who has become the sin offering that satisfies guilt (vv. 20-21). The offenses of people who have died, have died with them. Since the Corinthians have died in Christ, their offenses against Paul have also died. What matters now is the "new thing" that has emerged because of the raising of Christ. With this "new thing" there is a new beginning. Because of the love of Christ (vv. 14-15) then, Paul looks at the "new" Corinthians whom the Lord has re-created by his death (vv. 16-17).

The solemn feast of the Body and Blood of Christ was instituted by Pope Urban IV in 1264 in order to underscore the sacrament of the Eucharist as the sacrament of Christ's real presence in the Church and in the world. We do not know for certain whether the eucharistic miracle of Bolsena which occured in 1263 influenced the Pope to institute the feast. We know however that it has long been his desire -- even before he became Pope -- to have a feast celebrated in honor of the Eucharist.