This document provides a summary and commentary of the Bible study readings for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time A, including: 1) Zechariah 9:9-10 about rejoicing at the coming of a humble king who will bring peace. 2) Romans 8:9,11-13 about living in the Spirit belonging to God and gaining eternal life, versus living in the flesh and dying. 3) Matthew 11:25-30 where Jesus praises God for revealing spiritual wisdom to the humble, and invites the burdened to find rest in him. The document develops a homily theme that God has a special affection for the lowly, and the readings offer hope and

1. Welcome to our Bible Study
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time A
6 July 2014
In preparation for this Sunday’s Liturgy
In aid of focusing our homilies and sharing
Prepared by Fr. Cielo R. Almazan, OFM

2. 1st reading: Zechariah 9:9-10
• 9 Thus says the Lord, “Rejoice heartily, O
daughter Zion, shout for joy, O daughter
Jerusalem! See, your king shall come to you; a
just savior is he, meek, and riding on an ass, on
a colt, the foal of an ass. 10 He shall banish the
chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from
Jerusalem; the warrior's bow shall be banished,
and he shall proclaim peace to the nations. His
dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the
River to the ends of the earth.
The focus is on rejoicing.

3. 1st reading: Zechariah 9:9-10
Exhortation to rejoice
• 9 Thus says the Lord, “Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion,
shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem!
The coming of the humble King
• See, your king shall come to you; a just savior is he,
meek, and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass.
The purpose of his coming
• 10 He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim, and the
horse from Jerusalem; the warrior's bow shall be
banished, and he shall proclaim peace to the nations.
His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the
River to the ends of the earth.
A simple outline!

4. 1st reading: Zechariah 9:9-10
Exhortation to rejoice
• 9 Thus says the Lord,
“Rejoice heartily, O
daughter Zion, shout for
joy, O daughter
Jerusalem!
The coming of the humble
King
• See, your king shall come
to you; a just savior is he,
meek, and riding on an
ass, on a colt, the foal of
an ass.
The purpose of his coming
• 10 He shall banish the
chariot from Ephraim, and
the horse from Jerusalem;
the warrior's bow shall be
banished, and he shall
proclaim peace to the
nations. His dominion
shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the
ends of the earth.
Commentary
• The author lived 200 years after the time of
Zechariah, the prophet, who worked with Haggai
in the reconstruction of the Temple.
• The book of Zechariah is divided into two:
chapters 1-8 (520 BC) and chapters 9-14 (300 BC)
• In parallel form, the prophet exhorts (rejoice //
shout with joy) the people of Jerusalem
(daughter Zion // daughter Jerusalem) to rejoice.
v.9
• V.9b states the reason why the people of
Jerusalem should rejoice, in parallel form (your
king // a just savior is coming riding on an ass, not to
wage war)
• V.10 states the purpose of his coming.
– He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim // horse
from Jerusalem // warrior’s bow.
– He will proclaim peace.
• V.10b tells the extent of his reign of peace (the
whole earth).

5. Reflections on the 1st reading
• We should rejoice.
• God comes to destroy war machineries.
• God wants peace.
• He is coming to establish peace on earth.
• God wants comprehensive peace.
• Why do powerful nations continue to device
more destructive weapons?

6. 2nd reading: Romans 8:9,11-13
• 9 You are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you
are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in
you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ
does not belong to him. 11 If the Spirit of the one
who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
the one who raised Christ from the dead will give
life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit
that dwells in you. 12 Consequently, brothers,
we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according
to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the
flesh, you will die, but if by the spirit you put to
death the deeds of the body, you will live.
The focus is on living in the Spirit.

7. 2nd reading: Romans 8:9,11-13
• 9 You are not in the flesh;
on the contrary, you are in
the spirit, if only the Spirit
of God dwells in you.
Whoever does not have
the Spirit of Christ does
not belong to him. 11 If the
Spirit of the one who
raised Jesus from the
dead dwells in you, the
one who raised Christ from
the dead will give life to
your mortal bodies also,
through his Spirit that
dwells in you. 12
Consequently, brothers,
we are not debtors to the
flesh, to live according to
the flesh. 13 For if you live
according to the flesh, you
will die, but if by the spirit
you put to death the deeds
of the body, you will live.
Commentary
• In v.9, Paul declares to the baptized
Christians in Rome that they are now in the
Spirit, no longer in the flesh.
– That is, if the Spirit of God dwells in them.
(Spirit’s indwelling is a gift from God).
• The Spirit’s indwelling makes one belong to
God.
• V.11 indicates that the same Spirit who
made Jesus rise from the dead, will also
raise our dead bodies to life.
• In v.12, the Christians have no obligation to
the flesh. Christians are not obliged to live
according to the flesh.
• The flesh has no more power over us if we
live in the Spirit.
• V.13 warns us: if we live according to the
flesh, death is our destiny.
• But if we put to death the bodily deeds, by
the power of the Spirit, we will surely live.

8. 2nd reading: Romans 8:9,11-13
• 9 You are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of
God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to
him. 11 If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one
who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his
Spirit that dwells in you. 12 Consequently, brothers, we are not debtors to the flesh,
to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but
if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
If you live in the flesh
- you do not belong to God.
- (you will not be raised from the dead)
- you are debtors to the flesh
- you will die.
If you live in the Spirit
- you belong to God.
- you will be raised from the dead
- you are not debtors to the flesh
- you put to death deeds of the body (flesh)
- you will live
Christians do not live in the flesh.

9. Reflections on the 2nd reading
• Christians live in the Spirit of the Lord.
• In all baptized Christians, God’s Spirit dwells.
• Living in the Spirit is living according to our dignity
as God’s children.
• Living in the flesh means living according to
worldly pleasures: eating too much, drunkenness,
vices, illicit sex, gambling, drugs, too much entertainment.
• We are called to enjoy life by self-giving and in
total surrender to the will of God.
• We give all our energies (our eros) to God and in
service to our fellow men and women.

10. Gospel reading: Matthew 11:25-30
• 25 At that time Jesus exclaimed, "I give praise to you,
Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have
hidden these things from the wise and the learned you
have revealed them to the childlike. 26 Yes, Father,
such has been your gracious will. 27 All things have
been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows
the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father
except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to
reveal him. 28 "Come to me, all you who labor and are
burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke
upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble
of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. 30 For my
yoke is easy, and my burden light."
The focus is on the things of God. (spiritual things, God’s wisdom)

11. Gospel reading: Matthew 11:25-30
God’s secrets are revealed to the simple people
• 25 At that time Jesus exclaimed, "I give praise to you,
Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have
hidden these things from the wise and the learned you
have revealed them to the childlike. 26 Yes, Father,
such has been your gracious will.
God’s secrets are passed through the Son
• 27 All things have been handed over to me by my
Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no
one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to
whom the Son wishes to reveal him.
God’s invitation to take a break with him
• 28 "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and
learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and
you will find rest for your selves. 30 For my yoke is
easy, and my burden light."
A simple outline!

12. Gospel reading: Matthew 11:25-30
God’s secrets are revealed to
the simple people
• 25 At that time Jesus
exclaimed, "I give praise to
you, Father, Lord of heaven
and earth, for although you
have hidden these things from
the wise and the learned you
have revealed them to the
childlike. 26 Yes, Father,
such has been your gracious
will.
God’s secrets are passed
through the Son
• 27 All things have been
handed over to me by my
Father. No one knows the Son
except the Father, and no one
knows the Father except the
Son and anyone to whom the
Son wishes to reveal him.
Commentary
• In v.25, Jesus praises his Father
for revealing his secrets to the little
ones.
• What a great honor for the simple
people to know God’s wisdom!
• The wise, the learned and the
intelligent do not know what the
poor and simple people know.
• In v.26, Jesus acknowledges it as
God’s gracious will.
• In v.27, all things (these things in
v.25) are handed to Jesus by the
Father himself.
• We know God because Jesus
reveals Him to us.

13. Gospel reading: Matthew 11:25-30
God’s invitation to take a
break with him
• 28 "Come to me, all you
who labor and are
burdened, and I will give
you rest. 29 Take my
yoke upon you and learn
from me, for I am meek
and humble of heart; and
you will find rest for your
selves. 30 For my yoke
is easy, and my burden
light."
• V.28 invites His hardworking
apostles to rest with him.
• In v.29, Jesus assures his disciples
what kind of a person he is.
– He is not a slave driver.
– He has a heart.
– He understands people’s situation.
– He does not make people work on
useless and meaningless things.

14. Reflections on the gospel reading
• Jesus communicates his secrets to the little ones
(the humble, the lowly, the unpretentious, the open, the
virgin), not to the wise and the learned (Pharisees,
scribes and Sadducees).
• These things (God’s wisdom and knowledge) cannot
be known through human intelligence, but only
through God’s revelation.
• The little ones know something better.
• Jesus’ religion is not cumbersome.
• His approach to God is simple, something that the
heart understands.

15. Tying the 3 readings
• The first reading tells the people to rejoice for peace will
soon reign.
• The second reading assures eternal life to those who live
in the Spirit.
• The gospel reading gives a special attention to the “little
ones.” They will be given rest.
Usually the first and gospel readings talk on, more or less, the same
theme. This time, all the three are distinct from one another.
What do we do now?
We decide to develop this thesis: God has a special affection for the
“lowly ones.”

16. How to develop your homily / sharing
• God has a certain bias.
• He has a strong bias for the poor and the lowly
and those who are considered dregs of society.
• The first reading exhorts the hapless poor, the
victims of war and violence, and for them to
rejoice for the war will soon be over and peace
is about to reign all over the land.
• This is meaningful to those who are tired of
violence and bloodshed.

17. • The second reading consoles those “can’t-afford”
people by saying that living in the Spirit assures
them happiness and eternal life.
• Paul teaches that you cannot buy heaven and
happiness.
• Heaven can be attained only by living in the Spirit.
• Living in the Spirit is living moral lives, clean lives,
and purified lives.
• Living in the Spirit is uncompromising to the
material world.
• Living in the Spirit is simply living according to the
promptings of the Holy Spirit.

18. • The gospel reading indicates God’s affection for
the “little ones” (the simple people).
• God reveals his secrets and wisdom to them.
• God intentionally does not reveal the same to the
proud hearted and self-righteous.
• To those who are hard up and coping with life,
Jesus invites them to come to him for rest.
• Rest, pause, respite is the name of the game.
• God truly loves you if you have time to rest, not
harassed by anything.

19. • In both the Old and the New Testaments, God
has always favored the affected and disaffected.
• God has never condoned the abuses of the rich
and the powerful.
• The poor may have committed many blunders
(those may be the reasons why they are poor).
• But that is not reason enough why they should
be oppressed.
• Here in the readings, the punishment of the
oppressor is not indicated. In other places, yes.

20. • The readings are focused on giving hope to
those who are impoverished and exhausted
– by the ravages of war,
– by the demands of too much materialism, and
– by slave drivers and
– by the meaningless religious practices and
– by broken relationships.
• Hope is translated into
– dismantling of war machineries and unjust systems
– establishment of peace,
– eternal life, rest, renewal, re-energizing, re-rooting, re-
claiming.

21. • For you who feel oppressed, depressed,
bulldozed, forgotten, violated, deprived,
abused, taken for granted, sick and tired of
tirades, not listened to, God is coming to
save you.
• So rejoice.

22. • The eucharist is the sacrament intended for God’s
favorites, who listen to his message of hope.
• The eucharist is not for those who inflict
sufferings on God’s favorites and those who are
vain.
• The eucharist is for the lowly hearts, worthy of
God’s revelation and for those who live in the
Spirit.

23. Our Context of Sin and Grace
• Living in the flesh
• Vainglory
• Emphasis on external
appearance
• No wisdom
• Oppressed, harassed
• Living in the Spirit
• Has spirituality
• Nurtured by the Word of
God
• Open to the promptings
of the Holy Spirit
• Well-rested, relax

24. Suggested Songs
• Peace Prayer of St. Francis
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJ8TGBB385c
• Come To Me
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID90ryPYU00
• Sharing
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1ij6D6EyeI