Monday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Sometimes it can be difficult to understand why the Church puts certain readings together for the same Mass. Today’s readings are certainly an example of this. In the first reading, Cain kills his brother Abel; in the gospel, the Pharisees ask Jesus for a sign, which he denies them. There seems to be no connection.
Under the surface, however, the gospel mirrors the first reading in a profound way, and the psalm is the key to understanding this connection: “offer to God a sacrifice of praise.” Both readings are about offering, but it’s the differences in who’s doing the offering that’s really of interest. In the first reading, Cain offers a share of his crops, while Abel offers one of the finest of his flock. God’s favor rests with Abel’s offering, the lamb. This lamb comes back in the gospel reading in the person of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. The gospel reverses the order, though: now it’s God offering His Lamb back to the people. We know from the first reading that this lamb is God’s favored one, his prized offering. The Pharisees reject this offering, though, instead asking for “a sign from heaven.” They can’t trust that this is really an offering of God, and they request something else. They miss out on the wonderful gift of salvation the Lord is offering them in the sacrifice of His only Son.
God does not give up, though! He continues to offer us His Lamb today, most clearly in the Mass. How often do we really appreciate this gift, though? How often do we find ourselves worrying about a dozen other things during Mass, missing the beautiful offering taking place at the altar? As Our Lord takes on flesh and offers himself to us as food, we have only one proper response: to “offer to God a sacrifice of praise.”
Reflection by Noah, seminarian, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections