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Reading I: Proverb 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31<\/h3>\n
Last week our First Reading was from the Book of Wisdom. This week our First Reading is from the very end of Proverbs, another book in the\u00a0Bible’s collection of “Wisdom Literature”. Unlike the Book of Wisdom, the Book of Proverbs is\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>accepted by non-Catholics as part of the canon of the Bible.<\/p>\n This is one of those passages which people love and hate. It paints a picture of womanhood which is both beautiful, intimidating(!) and some would say antiquated when compared to our modern notions of womanhood…<\/p>\n When one finds a worthy wife,<\/span>\u00a0her value is far beyond pearls.<\/span><\/em> Questions:<\/p>\n Commentary:<\/p>\n “<\/span>When one finds a worthy wife,\u00a0her value is far beyond pearls.\u00a0Her husband, entrusting his heart to her,\u00a0has an unfailing prize”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n The value of a\u00a0truly virtuous, godly woman<\/a>\u00a0is beyond calculation. If you find such a woman hang on to her!<\/p>\n “She brings him good, and not evil,\u00a0all the days of her life”<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Her virtue brings blessing upon her husband.<\/p>\n “…distaff…”<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n This is a tool used in the spinning of wool and other fibres:<\/p>\n “She obtains wool and flax\u00a0and works with loving hands.<\/em>\u00a0She puts her hands to the distaff,\u00a0and her fingers ply the spindle”<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n The ideal woman isn’t slothful, but industrious. This is the main link to the Second Reading and the Gospel Reading.<\/p>\n “Flax”<\/span><\/em> fibres are turned into linen.<\/p>\n “She reaches out her hands to the poor,\u00a0and extends her arms to the needy”<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n The worthy wife is a carer of the poor.<\/p>\n As an aside, the literary device of “parallelism”<\/em> is used here – the same thing is said twice in slightly different ways. This is to\u00a0emphasize the point being made and is a common technique used in wisdom literature.<\/p>\n “Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting;\u00a0the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised”<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n This is the central measure by which a woman is to be measured. As men we judge a woman in so many different ways, but primarily through our perception of her physical beauty, using whatever standard of beauty is in vogue in society at the time.\u00a0However, Proverbs is clear that physical beauty doesn’t last forever (it’s\u00a0“fleeting”<\/span><\/em>) and can often blind us to a woman’s character (it’s\u00a0“deceptive”<\/span><\/em>).<\/p>\n We are told that the ideal woman is one “who fears the Lord”<\/span><\/em>. But what does this mean? The “fear”<\/span><\/em> being described here isn’t the kind of fear which one would have for a mugger. To “fear of the Lord”<\/span><\/em> is to have loving reverence for Him and to be in awe of His power and majesty. It is a realisation that God is God and we are not. It is to trust in Him and be obedient to Him. Earlier in the Book of Proverbs we read “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” – Proverbs 9:10<\/span><\/em>.<\/p>\n Therefore, rather than “charm”<\/span><\/em> or “beauty”<\/span><\/em>, a man should look for a woman who is wise, virtuous and in right relationship with the Lord.<\/p>\n “Give her a reward for her labors,\u00a0and let her works praise her at the city gates”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n What is the reward here? Perhaps it is giving her the recognition that she deserves. Her works will “praise her at the city gates”<\/span><\/em> when her husband is at the city gate with the rest of the men, singing the praises of his wife.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the First Reading the “worthy wife”<\/span><\/em> is praised. In this psalm we hear about the blessed man who, like the the\u00a0“worthy wife”<\/em><\/span>, is praised for\u00a0“fear the Lord”<\/span><\/em>.<\/p>\n R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Blessed are you who fear the LORD,<\/span><\/em> Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine<\/span><\/em> Behold, thus is the man blessed<\/span><\/em> Questions:<\/p>\n Commentary:<\/p>\n \u00a0“Blessed are those who fear the Lord”<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n As mentioned above, this is not cowering fear, but awestruck wonder and knowledge of one’s place in the grand scheme of things.<\/p>\n “Blessed are you who fear the LORD,\u00a0<\/em>who walk in his ways!<\/em>\u00a0For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;<\/em>\u00a0blessed shall you be, and favored.”<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Fear of the Lord entails following his commandments and living in a way pleasing to him. Blessing comes from this.<\/p>\n “Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine<\/em>\u00a0in the recesses of your home;<\/em>\u00a0Your children like olive plants<\/em>\u00a0around your table”<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n The psalmist is speaking to the men here and describing their home in agricultural terms. Blessing is described in terms of growth and fruitfulness, wine and oil.<\/p>\n “Behold, thus is the man blessed<\/em>\u00a0who fears the LORD.<\/em>\u00a0The LORD bless you from Zion:<\/em>\u00a0may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem<\/em>\u00a0all the days of your life”<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n The final line of the psalm re-affirms that these are the blessings for the one who “fears”<\/span><\/em> the Lord.<\/p>\n God’s hand of blessing is seen as coming from Mt. Zion\/Jerusalem where God’s presence dwelt in the Temple.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Last week St. Paul reassured the Church at Thessalonica that those who have died aren’t going to miss Jesus, but that when Jesus returns the dead will rise first. In this week’s Reading he explains that, while waiting for the Second Coming, they should remain ready and watchful.<\/p>\n Concerning times and seasons, brothers and sisters,<\/span>\u00a0<\/em>you have no need for anything to be written to you.\u00a0<\/span>For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come<\/span>\u00a0like a thief at night.<\/span>\u00a0When people are saying, “Peace and security, “<\/span>\u00a0then sudden disaster comes upon them,<\/span>\u00a0like labor pains upon a pregnant woman,<\/span>\u00a0and they will not escape.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness,<\/span>\u00a0for that day to overtake you like a thief. <\/span>\u00a0For all of you are children of the light<\/span>\u00a0and children of the day.<\/span>\u00a0We are not of the night or of darkness. <\/span>Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do,<\/span>\u00a0but let us stay alert and sober.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Questions:<\/p>\n Commentary:<\/p>\n “Concerning times and seasons, brothers and sisters,\u00a0you have no need for anything to be written to you.\u00a0For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come<\/em><\/span> Oh if Harold Camping, Adventists and Jehovah’s Witnesses took this verse to heart! Paul is clear – the Lord will come when we least expect it. We should be more concerned about how we live in the meantime rather than trying to work out when exactly it’s going to happen…<\/p>\n
\nHer husband, entrusting his heart to her,<\/span>\u00a0has an unfailing prize.<\/span><\/em>
\nShe brings him good, and not evil,<\/span>\u00a0all the days of her life.<\/span><\/em>
\nShe obtains wool and flax<\/span>\u00a0and works with loving hands.<\/span><\/em>
\nShe puts her hands to the distaff,<\/span>\u00a0and her fingers ply the spindle.<\/span><\/em>
\nShe reaches out her hands to the poor,<\/span>\u00a0and extends her arms to the needy.<\/span><\/em>
\nCharm is deceptive and beauty fleeting;<\/span>\u00a0the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.<\/span><\/em>
\nGive her a reward for her labors,<\/span>\u00a0and let her works praise her at the city gates.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/dotk.png\")
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<\/p>\nResponsorial Psalm: Psalm 128: 1-2, 3, 4-5<\/h3>\n
\nwho walk in his ways!<\/span><\/em>
\nFor you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;<\/span><\/em>
\nblessed shall you be, and favored.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n
\nin the recesses of your home;<\/span><\/em>
\nYour children like olive plants<\/span><\/em>
\naround your table.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n
\nwho fears the LORD.<\/span><\/em>
\nThe LORD bless you from Zion:<\/span><\/em>
\nmay you see the prosperity of Jerusalem<\/span><\/em>
\nall the days of your life.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n\n
Reading II: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6<\/h3>\n
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\nlike a thief at night”<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n