On the day of 11 August
The commemoration of Saint Clare, virgin, who followed Saint Francis as the first sprout of the Poor Ladies of the Order of Minors leading a severe life, but one which was rich in works of charity and piety, at Assisi in Umbria; an extraordinary lover of the poor, from whom she never, whether by extreme need or infirmity, permitted herself to be separated.
**Saint/Feast of the day segment copied from the USCCB page.
Reading numero uno: Ezekiel 1:2-5, 24-28c
The footnotes in the online NAB tell me that the date on this occurrence is July 31, 593 B.C. So, on to "wow!". Ezekiel gets this view of heaven and the angels, and possibly God, though I'm not so clear on that. The footnotes identify the angels as: [5] Four living creatures: identified as cherubim in Ezekiel 10:1-2(20-21). This is truly receiving a call from God. This passage doesn't even tell us what God wanted, he's showing off his glory and his kingdom. I guess he's showing Ezekiel why he should obey God's will. Good enough.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 17:22-27
To me, there are two separate little stories going on here. First, they open with Jesus telling his disciples that he is going to be killed and rise from the dead. They are overwhelmed with grief, and the story moves on to the group traveling to Capernaum. No more mention of death. Just taxes. I love this, because Jesus says "I don't really have to pay taxes for my father's house, because I live here too. By the way Peter, you are special and chosen by God, so neither do you, but let's go miracle up some money and give it to the tax collectors so that we don't have to hear them nag on about it." I don't know. For all we know, Jesus did speak in run-on sentences. In case you want a little more authority, this is what the footnotes from the New American Bible online say about it:
[24-27] Like Matthew 14:28-31 and Matthew 16:16b-19, this episode comes from Matthew's special material on Peter. Although the question of the collectors concerns Jesus' payment of the temple tax, it is put to Peter. It is he who receives instruction from Jesus about freedom from the obligation of payment and yet why it should be made. The means of doing so is provided miraculously. The pericope deals with a problem of Matthew's church, whether its members should pay the temple tax, and the answer is given through a word of Jesus conveyed to Peter. Some scholars see here an example of the teaching authority of Peter exercised in the name of Jesus (see Matthew 16:19). The specific problem was a Jewish Christian one and may have arisen when the Matthean church was composed largely of that group.
[24] The temple tax: before the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in A.D. 70 every male Jew above nineteen years of age was obliged to make an annual contribution to its upkeep (cf Exodus 30:11-16; Nehemiah 10:33). After the destruction the Romans imposed upon Jews the obligation of paying that tax for the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus. There is disagreement about which period the story deals with.
[25] From their subjects or from foreigners?: the Greek word here translated subjects literally means "sons."
[26] Then the subjects are exempt: just as subjects are not bound by laws applying to foreigners, neither are Jesus and his disciples, who belong to the kingdom of heaven, bound by the duty of paying the temple tax imposed on those who are not of the kingdom. If the Greek is translated "sons," the freedom of Jesus, the Son of God, and of his disciples, children ("sons") of the kingdom (cf Matthew 13:38), is even more clear.
[27] That we may not offend them: though they are exempt (Matthew 17:26), Jesus and his disciples are to avoid giving offense; therefore the tax is to be paid. A coin worth twice the temple tax: literally, "a stater," a Greek coin worth two double drachmas. Two double drachmas were equal to the Jewish shekel and the tax was a half-shekel. For me and for you: not only Jesus but Peter pays the tax, and this example serves as a standard for the conduct of all the disciples.
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