Saint Martin of Tours – Readings

Commentary on Isaiah 61:1-3; Matthew 25:31-40

The Gospel reading is from Matthew. It is from the part of this Gospel which deals with the end times (chapts 24-25). In chapter 25, there are the three great parables about being prepared for the day—after we have left this world—when we have to meet the Lord and give an account of our stewardship.

The first parable is that of the 10 bridesmaids, five of them sensible and five foolish. Because the groom was long in coming, the foolish young women did not have a enough oil and, when they went to get more, the groom arrived. The sensible bridesmaids entered the marriage hall with him while the others were shut out. They hear the terrible words:

Truly I tell you, I do not know you. (Matt 25:12)

The second parable is that of the talents. Three employees are given large sums of money (a talent was a huge amount) and told to trade with them until the master returns. Two of them do very well and double their capital—their master is very pleased. The third one, afraid of the consequences if he lost his capital, did nothing with it and, when the master returned, gave it back to him intact. The master was not at all pleased, and the man is severely reprimanded. The message is clear. The gifts that God has given us are to be used for the benefit of others.

The third parable (today’s Gospel) is the scene of the Last Judgement when all will be called to account for their service of the Lord. What is most striking about this passage is that there is absolutely no mention of the kinds of things that most of us Catholics think are important. No mention of religious duties, time given to prayer, attendance at Mass, celebration of the other sacraments. Not a word about the Ten Commandments. Not a word about killing, sexual misbehaviour, or stealing. People will be punished and banished not because of the bad things they have done, but because of the good things they did not do. “But I didn’t do anything bad!” will not help as an excuse.

And the only good things mentioned are loving and caring acts directed at people who are in need. The only people mentioned are the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the sick and those in prison (for whatever reason). “I was hungry…I was thirsty…I was naked…I was sick…I was in prison and you did nothing to help or comfort me. Go away from me forever! I do not recognise you!”

Of course, we were warned by Jesus. What is the mark of a good Christian? Matthew’s Gospel tells us:

…just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me. (Matt 25:40)

And from John Gospel:

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:34-35)

It is on these that we have to examine our consciences. It is on these that we will have to answer at the end of our lives. All the other ‘religious’ things we are told to observe have no value unless they are an expression of this agape-love.

The choice of gospel today is obviously inspired by the famous gesture of Martin when, as a soldier, he cut his cloak in half and gave one part to a near naked beggar. That night in a dream Jesus appeared to him, wearing the half-cloak. What Martin had done for the beggar, he had done for Jesus himself. And it is the same for every loving act we do, especially to a person in need.

The First Reading is from Isaiah. It is a magnificent passage which reflects wonderfully the life of Martin. It begins with words used by Jesus himself at the beginning of his public life and found in Luke’s Gospel. After his baptism and experience with the devil in the desert, Jesus went to the synagogue in his home town of Nazareth and, essentially, made what we would call today his ‘mission statement’:

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn…

These words are echoed in today’s Gospel passage.

Later on in the passage from Isaiah, the Lord, speaking through his prophet, says:

For I, the Lord, love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing… (Is 61:8)

These words, which Jesus used to describe his mission and to indicate that the prophet’s words were being fulfilled in him, are also applicable to Martin the bishop and pastor.

And at the end, the prophet himself says:

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my whole being shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness…
(Is 61:10)

Martin, as bishop was outstanding for his love and concern for the poor, for his personal austerity of life, for his integrity and deep spirituality. He is indeed a model for every bishop, for every priest and indeed for every Christian who is aware of their responsibility to share their God-given gifts with others.

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Saint Anthony (Antony) of Padua, Priest and Doctor – Readings

Commentary on Isaiah 61:1-3; Luke 10:1-9

The Gospel reading from Luke describes seventy-two of Jesus’ disciples being sent out on a mission to do the work that Jesus was doing—proclaiming the Kingdom of God, healing people of their sicknesses and reconciling sinners. Jesus tells them that the harvest is great and that more people need to be sent out to help bring it in. He warns them that they are to be prepared, like Jesus himself, to meet with opposition. It is like sending lambs out among wolves. They are to bring peace to a world full of violence and hatred. They are to travel as lightly as possible, carrying only the barest necessities. Many of their needs will be met by those they are helping.

Wherever they go, they are to stay in the first house that offers hospitality. They are not to be picking and choosing and move from one house to another. They are to bring healing, as a sign that the Kingdom of God is coming among them. It is coming in the person of Jesus and in the message that he brings. A message of universal and unconditional love, a message of caring service to all, a message of community, fellowship and sharing.

Anthony of Padua exemplified this in his life. He constantly sought a life of the utmost simplicity, and also used his inborn gift of eloquence to bring the message of the gospel to large numbers of people. This is beautifully expressed in the First Reading which is from the prophet Isaiah. The words are those which Jesus himself used to describe his mission when he preached one Sabbath day at the beginning of his public life, in the synagogue of his home town, Nazareth:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to set free those who are oppressed… (Luke 4:18)

Anthony was filled with the Spirit of his Lord. He had been anointed at his baptism and later at his ordination to the priesthood. Through his preaching, he brought good news, his words brought comfort and healing, he showed those made captive by their appetites how to be free, and brought liberation to those who were imprisoned by fear and anxiety and the many forces which dominate our lives. In our own way and, according to the particular circumstances of our life, each one of us is expected to bring the same message to the people who are part of our lives.

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