Today's Thoughts to Live by, July 14, Sun, 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time:

Readings: Am. 7:12-15; Ps. 85:9-10, 11-12, 13-14; Eph. 1:3-14 or 1:3-10; Mk. 6:7-13.

1. 1st Reading, Am. 7: 12-15 -- In chapter 7, the Lord gives the prophet Amos visions of the destruction of Israel. Amaziah, the priest of the idolatrous city of Bethel, reports to King Jeroboam II what Amos is saying, "Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall be exiled from its land" (vv. 10-11). Amaziah tells Amos to leave Israel and go prophesy in Judah, for Bethel "is the king's sanctuary and a royal temple" (v. 12-13). Amos responds that he is not a prophet but a shepherd, and a "dresser of sycamore trees," but God called him to prophesy" to Israel (vv. 14-15).

2. Using a family imagery, Amos predicts total disaster for Israel, "Your wife shall become a prostitute in the city, your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword. Your land shall be parcelled out by measuring line, and you yourself shall die in an unclean land; and Israel shall be exiled from its land" (vv. 17-19).

3. Jeroboam II reigned over the northern Kingdom of Israel (Samaria) in the 8th century BC. His rule was notable for social injustice against the poor and idol worship. Amos predicted the impending Assyrian captivity. Scholars say that this is a "retrospective prophecy." The event that Amos "predicted" had already happened.

In Amos, the true God of Israel metes idolatry and social injustice against the poor with the most severe punishment.

4. Resp. Ps. 85:9-10, 11-12, 13-14 -- The Psalmist prays that God would save those who fear him (vv. 9-10). "Love and truth will meet, justice and peace will kiss" (vv. 11-12). Two pairs of virtues describe the work of God. "Yes, the Lord will grant his bounty.... Justice will march before him, and make a way for his footsteps" (vv. 13-14).

5. 2nd Reading, Eph. 1:3-14 or 1:3-10 -- "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, for the praise and glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved" (vv. 3-6). We see how

Paul begins with a blessing of God for the bountiful blessings Christians have received: the call to holiness, the gift of divine adoption through Christ, and the glory of his grace.

6. In a theologically rich but complex passage, Paul mentions more gifts lavished upon us by God: redemption by Christ's sacrificial death, forgiveness of sins, revelation of God's plan of salvation in Christ (vv. 7-10); the gift of election and faith in Christ bestowed upon Jewish Christians; and the same gift granted to Gentiles; and finally, the gift of the Holy Spirit (vv. 11-14). Bountiful blessings, indeed, for which we bless the Lord and give thanks.

7. Gospel, Mk. 6:7-13, Jesus sends the Twelve on mission. After Jesus is rejected in Nazareth, he goes around teaching in the nearby villages. He summons, a word of authority, the Twelve and sends them out two by two to preach. He gives them authority over unclean spirits and instructs them to take no food, no sack,no money, and not a second tunic. But they could use a walking stick and wear sandals.

8. This is not so in Mt. 10:10 (no sandals in Lk. 10:4). While in Mt. 10.5 and Lk. 10:4, Jesus prohibits the Twelve to go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town, the Marcan narrative does not give the same prohibition. Scholars believe that these differences are due to adaptation to different social contexts and perhaps indicate a later activity in the Church. What is most notable in all the narratives is the requirement that the Twelve must completely depend on God for food and shelter.

9. Jesus further instructs the Twelve, "Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there. Whatever a place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them." So they go off and preach repentance (vv. 10-12). Jesus is saying that they are not to seek more comfortable quarters. And they are to shake the dust off their feet as a testimony against those who reject the call to repentance.

"They drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them" (v. 13). Although anointing with oil was a common medicinal remedy, Mark sees this as a channel for divine healing.

10. Prayer -- O God, you continually give us bountiful blessings and show the light of truth when we go astray so that we may return to the right path. Grant us, we pray, the grace to reject whatever is contrary to the name of Christ and to strive after all that does it honor, through the same Christ, our Lord. Amen. (Today's Collect, modified).

Prayers, best wishes, God bless!