Share in the Life of Christ

The Church moves closer to the end of the Octave of Christmas and the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary bring us back to the basic truth of this season,” the Word became flesh and lived among us” (John 1.14). The first letter of John is a warning to the Church that there are those among us who distort the truth. The author reminds the faithful of the link to the truth which is Jesus, the Word. The Incarnation celebrated by the text which begins the Gospel of John is the realization of the desire that God is with us. The psalmist proclaims “Let the heavens exult and the earth rejoice!” The Lord God is come to rule us with righteousness and truth. In our righteousness or relationship with God we come to know the Truth which is written on our hearts as we accept the indwelling Word of Jesus as our guide to living life to the full (John10:10). This “Incarnation” is quoted as the basis of moral theology, “a more vivid contact with the mystery of Christ” in the last of the Second Vatican Council documents, “Gaudium et Spes”. The heretics or “anti-Christ” described in the Letter of John present arguments which on one hand may advocate a humanistic morality which is not dependant on the Transcendent Presence, whichis also immanent, or may separate the realm of the Divine and the realm of imperfect humanity in reasoning similar to the Platonic, Stoic and Gnostic influences in the Church at the time of John. The truth will be recognized by disciples through faith which trusts that the Will of God is accomplished by living according to the example revealed by the Spirit in our relationship with Jesus. 

Family faithfully moving forward

The Roman Catholic Lectionary for today offers some variety in the texts chosen to commemorate the feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. The holiday season is drawing to a close and often this time of closeness to siblings, children and parents is also being replaced with the more distant relationship usual in the time of daily work and responsibility. Father Larry Gillick SJ is moved to write of the similarity of faith and love. Those who have been blessed, like the psalmist, to know the fruit of a family which surrounds your table like olive shoots and among those gathered are the children of your children have visible proof of the value of the struggle to work with the leap of faith into a family relationship when we know so little of ourselves. We depend on love to be the active agent of revelation of who we are and who the people of our family can become through the action of that Love. The wisdom of our parents and the values of our society are preserved for us through the actions proposed in the Book of Sirach that we attend to the care of our parents in manner suggested by Friar Jude Winkler as exaggerated respect. The Letter of  Paul to the Colossians addresses the preference of the “Stoic influenced” Greek  mind to have a set of procedures and principles adherence to which will direct us to harmony with the Divine. Paul lists the values and attitudes which we know facilitate the blessing of relationships. The Gospel of Luke continues to build the journey of Jesus to His Role of Messiah. This text shows the tension which exists between the expectations of parents and children and our continuing need to appreciate the will of God for their development may require our “yes” to directions which are going to depend on our gift of faith for our peace. Friar Jude takes a scholarly view of the foreshadowing of the separation of Jesus from Mary for three days during His Passion. The Holy Family models how faith works within the dynamic of human experience to bring peace, love, compassion, patience, hope  and joy to our lives though our families.

Scholars and theologians also exult in joy

The psalmist exhorts us to ascribe to the Lord the glory and strength that is His and to bring an offering to Him as we tremble in His Holy Splendour. This disposition is a key starting point for the unpacking of the texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary. Friar Jude Winkler reveals the knowledge that some scholars and theologians have added to the discussion around these letters and narratives. The text is powerful and inspirational without the exegesis. The study we do of the authors, theology, history and anthropology is using our God given gifts as scholars and searchers to increase our wonder and awe at the nuances of our interplay over time with seeking to understand our relationship to the Divine. Friar Jude suggests that the Augustinian philosophy of “love God and do what you will” was found to have the practical problems we can imagine when it is applied to communities of faith. The letters of John provide concrete “commandments” which frame the actions of those seeking to walk with Christ. This tension between the Law and the Spirit is the place of real life. Christians are on a mission to model Jesus in faith based on trust that the will of God makes itself known through the Spirit acting in the lives even of the lawmakers. Friar Jude opens our consideration of the treatment of those inside our community and those outside who are considered, in the extreme, as heretics. Love and heresy are real aspects of the walk as Christians which tug at believers. The nature of the purification rites which are the basis of the narrative from the Gospel of Luke are interpreted with some errors, according to our understanding of Jewish tradition, by the Gentile Luke. The ancient understanding of Israel as the light to the Gentiles is presented in this passage. The Gentiles, of course, do not fully comprehend Jewish ritual and conflict about the need to be “Jewish” is very much a concern in the early Church. Jesus is not required to be purified, but as Friar Jude explains He is redeemed from God as a first born of Passover who God keeps as one saved from death at the hands the Pharaoh. The hymn of Simeon, likely an early Christian funeral piece, is placed there by Luke as appropriate for the event. The sword which, in some translations pierces Mary’s heart, is the source of Catholic attention to the sorrows of Mary. The “heart” in the writing of the Bible is the place of reason rather than emotion as we now consider it. Friar Jude concludes our unpacking of tradition, inspiration and text by pointing to the discernment which Luke gives Mary to come to know the Son of David as the Son of God. This continues to be the key point of our discernment.

hidden martyrs

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today commemorate the Holy Innocents who were the children killed by Herod in the vicinity of Bethlehem in an attempt to kill Jesus after hearing of His birth from the Magi. These children are considered martyrs because they died in place of Jesus even though they would not have known Him. The Letter of John reminds us of the Divine nature of being without sin. This is contrasted with human nature which often acts out of personal desire and passion to be slaves of sinfulness. The mission of Jesus is the reconciliation of sinful humanity with God so that we might walk in His Light and be in communion with Him. Our faith and experience testify that this invitation to holiness comes to us through Jesus death, while we were still sinners. ( Romans 5.8). The Innocent continue to die in our world and the praises of the psalmist for God, Who will be the rescuer of the poor and those cast aside provides consolation. The wailing of the Israelites as they were led into exile is captured by Matthew in the Gospel account of the slaughter of the Innocents as being repeated as a consequence of the action of Herod. The removal of a generation from the cycle of life by war, genocide, slaughter, abortion and abandonment stands as the continued destruction of God’s beloved through human will. The depth of despair which accompanies the death of hope is too often known by the parents of these Innocents today. Our trust that God weeps with us and that Life continues in communion with Him makes it possible to continue our journey. The forgiveness and mercy which is God also invites the reconciliation of those who commit atrocity to communion with Him and His Body.

The Body Matters

The psalmist proclaims the glory of the Reign of God in the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary for today the feast of John, Apostle and Evangelist. The glory confirmed and celebrated by the psalmist did not anticipate the essential declaration at the beginning of the Gospel of John that the Word is become flesh! The Incarnation is the scandalous Christian celebration of Christmas. Early Christians praised the action of God to humble Himself and be in human form. Friar Jude Winkler comments that the First Letter of John is the text which opened the eyes of early Church leaders to the full spiritual understanding of John. The Gospel of John is very spiritual and mystical. The community, from which it came, according to Friar Jude, was charismatically driven by deep love of Jesus. The Letter of John expresses the relationship with Jesus as involving the senses. Jesus is seen, heard and touched. The humanity of Jesus is core to Christian belief. The statement of experience of His humanity helped John to be declared an Evangelist. Disagreement and heresy have always been present in Church history. The Gospel of John presents an ongoing tension between Peter the Apostle representing the authority of the Church and John, the beloved disciple, who is the deep lover of Jesus. In the text today, Friar Jude notes that John arrives first at the tomb, not because he may have been a younger man but because he was driven by Love, the power which pushes back the walls. The beloved disciple waits for and follows Peter into the tomb as a sign of Love bowing to Authority. This gesture may be controversial, yet consider the situation if Love did not join Authority in human organizations. The interpretation of the faith writing of John as obedient and in full acceptance of the humanity of Jesus places it in the battle of the early Church to assert the importance of the body and the senses for our eternal life in communion with Jesus. Father Robert Barron takes up the theme of the importance of the body in Christian belief as he preaches Sermon188 on the occasion of the Feast of the Assumption. This talk was inspired by the book “Letters to a Young Catholic”, by George Weigel. Barron uses the Marion feast to illuminate the central role of Mary in the Incarnation and her modeling of the key tenant of Christianity that rejects Platonic, Gnostic and modern philosophy which separates body and soul. The Incarnation, the feast today, the earliest Christian creed, the Church which was Marian before it was Petrine or Pauline, declare that “the Body (and body) matters!”

Lambs still lead to slaughter

The text today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary makes us aware of martyrs. The Merriam-Webster On Line Dictionary defines martyrdom as “the suffering of death on account of adherence to a cause and especially to one's religious faith” The press today contains stories of St Stephen from Catholic sources and many stories from the Middle East, North Africa, India and Afghanistan about people who have died as martyrs. The Pope has mentioned the continuing attacks which have killed Christians in Nigeria in his Christmas message. The passage from the Book of Acts tells of the killing of Stephen, a Greek speaker, who had been chosen to be the first deacon of the early Church, as his preaching about Jesus in sensed the members of the Synagogue of Freedmen, a Greek-speaking synagogue in Jerusalem. Friar Jude Winkler describes the trial and stoning of Stephen as illegal mob action. We are aware that the action of mobs stirred by passion is difficult to control. The passage from Acts, written by Luke, concludes with reference to Saul (Paul) as a young Jew, a witness to the stoning, with whom the combatants left their cloaks. The psalmist praises God for the protection given to the faithful. The Gospel from Matthew advises followers of Jesus that the message we bring will stir up the passion of those who perceive a threat to their privilege, power or pride in living as His disciple. Matthew addressed a Jewish audience who had been banished from synagogue worship as followers of the Way. Friar Jude questions whether we are being effective Christians if we do not encounter difficulty in living the Word. The Prince of Peace sets the example in His Life, which is mirrored by Stephen, of being in communion with God at all times and being open to the Presence of the Spirit to guide our words and actions even as lambs to slaughter if that is part of our spiritual journey.

The Invitation to Come and See

The Gospel account from Luke of the birth of Jesus in the Roman Catholic Lectionary is proclaimed at midnight Mass. The shepherds are informed by the angels that the child they will see is the Messiah, the Anointed of God. This Presence is the king for whom Isaiah expresses great longing in the text from this Prophet of the time of kings of Israel who ruled in ways which threatened the survival of the relationship between God and the people He had chosen to be light to the nations. Friar Jude Winkler comments that a series of kings had failed to be the Prince of Peace who Isaiah understands will be anointed through Divine intervention in the life of the people of Israel. The Messiah, Jesus, brings the necessity of a response to people. Friar Jude says indifference is not an option.  An excerptfrom the first episode of CATHOLICISM, the magnificent video series hosted by Fr Robert Barron, puts the question of Jesus nature up front in the language of our time. Vicar and Alpha Course pioneer Nicky Gumbel explores the question, 'Who is Jesus?’ as the first step in the widely attended course aimed at those who are inquiring about being Christian. The passage from Titus is the concise question from the time of the early Church. The decision to recognize God is praised by the psalmist who captures the state of awe which Luke tells overwhelmed the shepherds to whom the angels brought the message of the Prince of Peace. Friar Jude identifies quite a few historical difficulties in the passage from Luke concerning the census of the tribes of Israel that brings the Holy Family to Bethlehem. Scholars of this Gospel marvel at the detailed construction of words using by Luke to make strong images and reverse our expectations about God. The sharp contrast between the temporal power of the Emperor who can require movement of tribes and the non threatening picture of the new born lying in accommodations intended for animals and being heralded by the outcasts of society, the shepherds who live in the open with unclean animals. These are the “the poor ones of Yahweh” for whom the Messiah brings Life. The blindness of the wealthy, powerful, self sufficient and proud does not allow them to see or be brought to silent awe at the Presence they encounter. The “journey to Life” in Luke is begun with the need of the Holy and very unusual family of Joseph, Mary and baby to travel to the city of David to announce the Messiah to the poor in Spirit. There is much more in this account than the Christmas Card images that remain so much at the surface of embracing Incarnation.

Promise kept

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary encourage us to consider how we understand and relate to the Promises of God. The psalmist is adamant that God does not forget His promises. This truth underlies the trust of the great persons of faith Abraham and Mary. The trust which requires faith beyond the understanding of our heart and mind is the goal of the believer. The text from the second book of Samuel is argued by WilliamM. Schniedewind, as having a profound effect on the shaping of Israel as a nation. The establishment of a hereditary monarchy in Israel is identified by Friar Jude Winkler as a change from charismatic selection of the Hebrew leaders. Human interpretation of the Promise of God can be used by people to facilitate their own social, political and economic ideas. This certainly is an active endeavour of many who claim to be agents of the will of God in bringing their form of change to society. The attribute of a Divine Promise is that it will be fulfilled. The “yes” of Mary completes the Promise of God to David of an heir to be ruler of the Kingdom of God. The text from the Gospel of Luke, the “Benedictus”, is the hymn which proclaims the Promise to David being realized as the Prophet of the arrival of Jesus (“God saves”), John prepares the Way.

Growing Up at Christmas

The texts today for the Fourth Sunday of Advent from the Roman Catholic Lectionary offer us some food to help grow us up as Christmas approaches. The Prophet Micah, according to Friar Jude Winkler, was a contemporary of Isaiah who saw Jerusalem as a sin city which needed restoration to values in which the people of God can live. He proclaimed for his own time a call to seek leadership for the people from the line of David and in a place with ``small town values``, Bethlehem. The passage from the letter to the Hebrews presents the restoration of the Promise to the people through Jesus action of being obedient to the will of the Father. Friar Jude comments that obedience, in our time, has a connotation of subordination which gives us difficulty. We need to grow into humility, obedience and trust so that the model of Mary operates with our being through the power of the Holy Spirit to allow the truth that the Will of God for people is Love, peace and fullness of Life. The Gospel of Luke tells of the movement of Mary to bring Presence to Elizabeth and begin a journey wherein the Shepherd Leader desired by Micah and the One obedient to the Will of the Father will be identified by John the Baptist who stands in his time as the Prophet who witnesses the fulfillment of the Promise within the mystery of the womb. Father Larry Gillick SJ captures the difficulty we have with taking it all in. Our cultural celebrations at this time also present a challenge to take it all in. We are overwhelmed and we try to overwhelm. We can sense impatience and we strain to be patient. The awe and wonder of the cultural celebration calls us to restore our awe and wonder at the invitation to grow up spiritually in the trust of Mary that we are blessed by those to whom we present the Presence of the Lord.

King and the poor remnant

The liturgy for today for which the texts of the RomanCatholic Lectionary were chosen opens with the “O Antiphon” “Rex Gentium” (King of the Nations). The text from the Book of Samuel tells of the offering of Samuel to the service of God in the Temple as completion of the promise made by Hannah, his mother, after the miracle of Samuel’s birth to her, a barren woman. The praise of God and the special understanding that the “poor ones of Yahweh” have of the love and mercy of God is expressed in the canticle from the second chapter of 1 Samuel. Fr. Richard Heilman writes a blog which explains that Anawim (pronounced ann-a-weem) is a Hebrew word from the Old Testament which describes the “poor ones” who remained faithful to God in times of difficulty. These humble people became known as the anawim or the “faithful remnant.” Friar JudeWinkler looks at the “Magnificat” of Mary from the Gospel of Luke as one of 3 Christian hymns selected by Luke for the passages about Jesus birth and presentation to the world. Mary celebrates the Anawim as those who get the message of the Incarnation. These people for whom humility, obedience to the will of God and trust in Providence are lived values, welcome the fulfilment of the Promise through the “yes” of Mary. The “yes” of Mary is the model for all believers. The Christian becomes the bearer of Christ to all people. Other scholars have commented on the fulfillment of the Beatitudes which is included in the Magnificat. The account of these blessings is different in Matthew 5:3-12 and Luke 6:20-23. The “missing” parts in the description from Luke can be found in the description in the Magnificat of those who have been able to put the idols of power, pride and self worship aside to be witness to the magnificent graciousness of the King of the Nations to offer intimate relationship with the poor in Spirit.

Visit to bring Christ

Psalm 33 from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today praises the awesome position of God who is the hope for nations to prosper. The lectionary offers a choice of two joyous readings about the presence of God in Love. The Prophet Zephaniah proclaims the glad tidings that God is in the midst of the remnant returning to Jerusalem after the exile to Babylon. The Lord has removed the judgements against the people and promises a reign of peace in relationship with God. The Song of Songs, according to Friar Jude Winkler, is likely an ancient wedding hymn which proclaims the visitation of Love to the young couple. Love is personified as the dove which is the representation of the Holy Spirit in Christian texts. The Gospel of Luke recounts the visitation of Mary to Elizabeth and the recognition of the Presence of God by the Prophet John the Baptist while he is still in the womb. Friar Jude discusses some of the reasons for this visit. Other scholars understand this visitation text to be extremely dense with Mary taking on the role of the New Ark of the Covenant as the Last Prophet of the Hebrew Testament in the priestly traditions of Zachariah and Elizabeth, affirms Jesus as the fulfillment of the Promises to Abraham and presents Mary as the “burning bush” and the model for believers to carry Christ to all people.

Response as generous as Mary

The daily choice of people to attend to the promptings of God is brought into focus today by the texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary. The Prophet Isaiah is petitioning the King Ahaz to trust in Providence to be with Jerusalem as the forces that seem to be gathering against the city appear in the future. Friar Jude Winkler comments that Ahaz desires to seek the assistance of Assyria in this situation, thus placing Jerusalem under the control of the foreign empire and forcing the Hebrews to worship the gods of the Assyrian empire. Isaiah proclaims that the sign to the King that he should trust in God will be the birth of a child (likely in the family of Isaiah or Ahaz) who would be called Immanuel, “God is with us”. The psalmist answers the question of who can ascend to the mountain of the Lord and stand in His Presence. The person of clean hands and pure heart is able to move toward God. The state of purification to approach God is presented in the person of Mary in the Gospel from Luke. Friar Jude notes that the tense of the verb used by the Angel Gabriel in the text to announce the grace filled state of Mary indicates that this state continues as something which has always been. The request that she, a virgin, bear a child, the Son of God, is beyond her comprehension. The trust in Providence that she proclaims by her “yes” is that faith which allows the will of God to be active in drawing people to the deep relationship with God that has the intimacy of child within mother.

The reality in prayer

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today are about annunciation of great birth of people set apart by God for special action. The passage from Judges is the annunciation to the barren wife of Manoah that she would bear a son who would be dedicated to the service of God and His people. Such Divine action which makes real the prayers of those who have sought an end to infertility is, according to Friar Jude Winkler, evidence of the great belief of the Hebrew tradition in the words of prayer which are made reality by God. The psalmist joins in the praise of God who hears the words of the people and delivers them from the hands of the wicked. The openness of the woman in the episode from Judges to the action of God is paralleled by the praise and thanksgiving of Elizabeth as the story of the annunciation of the birth of John the Baptist is presented in the Gospel of Luke. The faith of Zachariah is seems to have been less than Elizabeth that their prayer would be answered. The naming of John, meaning “always merciful” is in the Hebrew custom of the congruence of name and mission. Friar Jude reminds us that Jesus is the name “always saves”. Faith that the words which are gifts from God, treated with the respect of prayer attention become reality is a deep relationship of trust in God. We are invited to live with the Word made Flesh. 

Leaders for the next Exodus

The passage from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah in the Roman Catholic Lectionary tells of a second Exodus for the people of Israel who are exiled to Babylon. A new, righteous and just leader while bring them back to Jerusalem. The psalmist petitions God for a righteous judge defending the cause of the poor. Our hope that our children and grandchildren will be the change which brings the life of the world back towards harmony with the Shepherd God is constant, especially among those who have suffered the consequence of bad political decisions and support of public policy which has enriched the few and enslaved the many in struggle to fight for economic goals which further marginalize more of humanity in poverty. The false idols of personal survival and the protection of property have armed us to the teeth to confront one another to see that our will is done. The Gospel of Matthew presents the acceptance of Joseph of the will of God that he abandon the traditional culture which would single out his wife to be as “damaged goods” and one who had obviously been unfaithful to him. This decision to stand out against the “property rights” which we so often demand as basic justice continues to threaten the false leaders today who rely on an economic system of inequality and injustice to maintain the wealth they have set aside for themselves. The path of the new Exodus replaces fear with Love and receiving with giving. Listen to the invitation to embrace the Way from the Incarnate.

Leaders chosen by God

The Roman Catholic Lectionary at the midpoint of Advent presents texts to link Jesus to the ancient promise of rulers of the descendants of Jacob (Israel) from the tribe of Judah. The passage from Genesisis an assessment of the sons of Jacob and the decision that Judah should receive the blessing with the inheritance of the firstborn. Reuben is denied his natural place as the firstborn because of pride and immorality. Simeon and Levi are passed over as leaders because of violent action. The Sceptre of Judah is the tradition from which Israelite leadership will arise. The psalmist describes the characteristics of the leader of the people of God who attends to the poor, needy and weak in response to the guidance of God who does wondrous things for Israel. The fourteen generations described in the account of the genealogy of Jesus from Matthew’s Gospel from Abraham to David bring a descendent of Judah to rule the people. The tradition of the Messiah, as One who would also be of the line of Judah and the royal house of David is developed by Matthew through two more periods of fourteen generations, to the Babylonian exile and from that time to the birth of Jesus. Some rabbinical comment at the time of Jesus, when the Romans removed the authority to put people to death from the Jewish leaders, increased speculation that the Messiah may be present among them to restore the Spectre of Judah. Matthew will bring us and his Jewish audience to know that Jesus continues the Promise as the Kingdom of Heaven is established through His reign.

Rejoice in Social Justice

Today, the third Sunday of Advent, so called from the first word of the Introit at Mass (Gaudete, i.e. Rejoice), the Roman CatholicLectionary presents texts of joy and social teaching. The prophet Zephaniah prepares the people for the restoration of Jerusalem. This is the fruit of the Lord being present with the people. The passage from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah encourages us to trust in Providence and in thanksgiving make known to others the graciousness we experience in our lives for which we are deeply thankful. Our reflection on the theme of the goodness of God which we have personally witnessed may be the inspiration for others to become aware of the experiences of their lives for which they are truly thankful. From thanksgiving comes joy and even peace. Friar Jude Winkler speaks of the letter of Paul from prison written to the Philippians who are being persecuted for their decision to follow the Way. The text speaks of rejoicing, peace and thanksgiving. Life, in which thanksgiving, peace and joy trump tragedy, is attractive. The  crowds who go out to see John the Baptist in the Gospel of Luke seek to know what they should do. Luke responds with the directions of John to live a transformed life. This change of heart allows us to see others as God sees them. We understand that it is a matter of justice and righteousness to share. Our excess is not for us to idolize, like those people in Scripture who put worship of material possessions ahead of God and care for neighbour. Our work is to be done honestly and for the benefit of others. The purification of our motivations and actions in these ways will place us with the wheat which stays to bring life and not with the chafe which blows away and is consumed by the fires of mistrust and malevolence

Prophet points way out of desolation

The desolation which we experience in our journey is identified by the psalmist in the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today. Events in life position us such that we find it difficult to see beyond the tragedy and turmoil to the peace in the light from the face of God. The Prophet Elijah is commemorated in the passage from the Book of Sirach. This book is categorized by Friar Jude Winkler as one of the last of the time of the Hebrew testament. (an apocryphal book due to lack of Hebrew original text). The Gospel from Matthew, the Jew writing to Jews about Jesus Kingdom as the Messiah, presents John the Baptist as the bridge between Hebrew and Christian testaments. John and Elijah point to the situations in our lives where we have replaced faith in God with trust in idols and human solutions to the problems which are the background to our inability to find God active in our time. Our call is to live simply and justly, aware of the Presence, as we use our lives to demonstrate love and compassion to all. This is proclaimed by these Prophets of restoration. The Kingdom of Heaven is realized in the relationship with Jesus as we respond to the Prophets to cast off our reliance on idols and guides of human construct which bring consequences full of human frailty and imperfection. Like Elijah who showed drought, or false fertility, was the fruit of false gods, darkness and turmoil is fruit of lifestyle not focused on living Love.

Understanding and action

The texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today return to the theme of the special consequence to those who are aware of their decision to reject the Way of God. This position is not restricted to the historical choices of peoples as Isaiah proclaims to the people of Israel in exile who survive without the blessings of living a relationship with God. The psalmist recalls the choice of the happy or joyful who do not scoff and scorn others but who yield healthy fruit of peace and depth in social interaction because they are mindful of the ever present invitation of God to seek holiness in relationship. The irony is that those seeking holiness are those most aware of the choice before them. The experience of the transformative Love makes clear the choice to seek that Love daily. Our behaviour is like the evil generation described in the Gospel of Matthew when we know the choice to Love is in front of us yet our self love and complacency causes our reluctance to choose the passion of Life in the Spirit. “...Wisdom is vindicated by her deeds” (Matthew 11.19)

Anticipation of Transformation

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today point to fulfillment of Divine Promises. The psalmist lauds the goodness and compassion of God. The works of God give Him praise. The Prophet Isaiah understands and proclaims that God is inviting the exiles in Babylon to return to a fruitful relationship with God in their lives in the Holy City. The Gospel from Matthew, who is a Jew writing to a Jewish audience, points to John the Baptist as the herald of the completion of the Promise of God that a Kingdom which cannot be seized by violence and force is about to be realized in the Kingship of Jesus. The transition to this kingdom will mark a change which Jews familiar with Scripture have associated with the return of Elijah. This transformation will mark a relationship between God and humanity that even the most aware, like the Baptist, will not have experienced.   

Present Him

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary direct our attention to the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The proclamation of the Prophet Zechariah that the Lord God will draw all nations to Him is lived out in Mexico as a result of the conversion of the nation in response to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Fr Robert Barron, from the outstanding video series Catholicism, comments on the effect of the change of heart on the lives of the Mexican people. The images of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe invoke the desire to be silent before the Lord as instructed by Zechariah. The Gospel from Luke tells of the visitation of Mary to Elizabeth. The will of God to announce Jesus to the world is in the action of Mary. This action is not the leadership of the Petrine Church or the preaching of the Pauline Church, it is the Presence of the Word made Flesh in the person of a woman open to allowing her spirit to magnify the Lord. We find the path to the unity so needed in the people of God in the simple action to be His Will in life. Mary shows the Way for all believers. Thefirst question raised by Fr Barron in the Catholicism series is the interrogation by Jesus of his followers at Caesarea Philippi. The answer to His challenge “Who do you say I am?” is evidenced in lives like Mary which Present Him. 

Actions of the Good Shepherd

The psalmist from the texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today praises the judgement of the Lord. This aspect of God often brings fear to people. The psalmist expresses joy. Friar Jude Winkler comments on the setting of the passage from the Book of the prophet Isaiah. The people are in exile in Babylon and the author combats their conviction that God is a harsh task master who has judged and punished them harshly with the image of God as shepherd who will gather the lambs in His arm and lead them home. Friar Jude adds that Psalm 23, the extremely powerful praise of God as Shepherd comes from the time of the Babylonian exile. The image of the Shepherd from the Gospel of Matthew may be understood as being quite radical viewed from the market economy bias of modern life. It may have been in Jesus time that those who were the hired hand (John 10.12) would run away when the sheep were threatened. The Good Shepherd attends to the least significant and brings them back to the fold. This radical, inefficient, uneconomic, rash, impractical action is example for followers of the Way. We are in tension with our obligation to the many, the amount of time we have and our distractions to take care of ourselves. The Bible which celebrates Shepherd God may only be “read” by some sheep through our example.

The fullness of joy

The second week of Advent continues our preparation to be renewed by the experience of Incarnation as the gift we accept to be Jesus in the world. The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary celebrate restoration. The Book of the Prophet Isaiah exhorts the exiles in Babylon to hear the call to return to Jerusalem and the renewal of the Covenant with God in a manner through which the transgressions of the past are healed and new vision, freedom and speech will attract those seeking holiness to God. The psalmist praises the steadfast love of God through which the people will experience all that is good. The Way to God will be under Divine protection and the path chosen in relationship with the Divine will lead to joy and peace. The Living with Christwebsite quotes Julian of Norwich, an English mystic of the fourteenth century, “The fullness of joy is to behold God in everything.” Luke, the physician, tells the story of the healing of the paralytic in Capernaum. The determination of the friends of the crippled man to bring him to Jesus is recognized as great faith. Luke points out the attendance of the Scribes and Pharisees in the crowd who are assessing Jesus actions. The forgiveness of the sins of the man puts Jesus action in the same domain as the action of God. Luke is announcing a change in the relationship between God and humanity. The New Kingdom will not depend on human authorities. Healing will be the consequence of living in faith of the loving plan which is carried to people through Jesus Incarnate in our actions.

Return in Joy

Father Larry Gillick SJ concludes his reflection on the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary for the second Sunday in Advent with words from Psalm 126 “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.” The Book of the Prophet Baruch tells of the call, from offstage in Father Larry’s words, to find joy in the call of God for a new Exodus from exile to return to the life with God in the Holy City, Jerusalem, where peace and justice will reign again. The new Exodus will be facilitated by God as the mountains of doubt and fear are laid low and the valleys of disappointment and despair are filled in. God seeks restoration of the Covenant relationship. This joy will involve triumph over troubles. Paul expresses his great joy at the faithfulness and growth of the Philippians in bringing the fruit of their relationship, seeking holiness in Jesus, to the assistance of Paul. The Apostle to the Gentiles is joyful even as, according to Friar Jude Winkler, he contemplates the end of his human existence. The call to be joyful comes in the Gospel of Luke from one crying in the desert. The Prophet, John the Baptist, is preparing the people to welcome Jesus who will lead them to the Kingdom of God as the same mountains and uncertain pathways that distracted the exiles in the time of Baruch are flattened and straightened with joy and faith that God continues daily to seek out His lost and welcome them to the Holy One.

The heavens were waiting for Yes

The Roman Catholic Lectionary today celebrates the Immaculate Conception of Mary with texts which are linked in many deep ways to the eternal role of Mary’s “Yes” in the calling of followers of Jesus to be Christ bearers. The commentary of Friar Jude Winkler is rich with many references to the deep scriptural basis for the dogma of the freedom of Mary from original sin. The enmity created between God and human, man and woman and human and nature by the free decision of Adam and Eve to reject God always underlines the essential characteristic of free choice for people in relationship with God. The Creator designs the creature to be free to reject the source of its own life. In this light, the “Yes” of Mary stands as the moment where the heavens were in suspense to know her response. This stands, at the same time with the understanding expressed by Paul in the Letter to the Ephesians that we are pre-destined by God to be able to accept all the grace and fullness of relationship with Him which is His eternal plan. Friar Jude notes the use of the Greek perfect tense in the translation of the greeting of Gabriel to Mary, in the Gospel from Luke, to indicate that the action of God in her life is ongoing, from the beginning, and includes in Catholic dogma, her exclusion from sin as preparation for the overshadowing of the Spirit which will bring her to the world as the New Ark of the Covenant. The free will of Mary, like ours and that of Adam and Eve is to accept or reject the invitation from God to bear Christ. The Church is Marion before it is Petrine or Pauline. The experience of leadership and powerful preaching of the main men of the early Church is preceded by and made possible by the profound “Yes” of the special virgin who continues to crush evil as Mother of the Church.

Wait on the revelation

The Lectionary of the Roman Catholic Church today presents texts which look at our spiritual blindness and how our awareness of the Presence and gifts of God in our lives needs restoration. Friar Jude Winkler comments on the passage from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah which promises the people of Israel that their relationship to God as children of Abraham remains unbroken and that awe at the wonders worked by God for His people will silence the arrogant and exalt the humble faithful. The psalmist proclaims faith in God to carry him through the trials of life in patient waiting for the revelation of the goodness of God in the land of the living. The psalmist prayer for courage and the ability to take heart is often our petition to God. Our faith will bring the restoration of our sight and thanksgiving for the gracious gifts we experience. The faith of the blind men in the Gospel from Matthew brings them to Jesus where the thanksgiving, awe and wonder of their healing make it impossible for them to be silent. Our view is through the dark glass and is so limited when it comes to perception of Divine action. Be still and have faith as we wait on the revelation of the Love of God.

Our plans may fail

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today may require some reflection to clarify how they apply to good religious people. The passage from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah describes the strong city of the righteous. This is apocalyptic literature looking to a time in the future when those, as Friar Jude comments, who have chosen to accept the choice to live life in Covenant with God, will know the justice and peace of the steadfast in faith with God. Our assumption that we are among the righteous may need to be analysed as we hear Jesus remind the people in the Gospel from Matthew that not all those who proclaim “Lord, Lord” will enter the kingdom of God. The nature of this kingdom of justice and peace can be imagined through the praise of the psalmist for the steadfast love of God. Our experience of the Love of the Kingdom can be diffused by our love of self. Our intentions to be peaceful, just, kind, compassionate and forgiving may not become action because we rely on our limited will power, ambition, need for recognition to bring about change. Our will power takes charge and we find that we have not surrendered our plan, as the first step, which opens us to seek and accept the will of the Father. Jesus sees our frailty and exhorts us to build our lives on the rock of the steadfast love of God and the mission to live that Love as people who seek and follow the will of God. 

Matthew shows hope

The Lord is my Shepherd is the praise of the psalmist today in the text from Roman Catholic Lectionary. The 23^rd psalm contains marvelous images of life in close relationship with God. The passage today the Book of the Prophet Isaiah is apocalyptic in nature as in provides the image of the heavenly banquet on the mountain of the Lord. FriarJude Winkler comments that the different ideas of Chapters 24-27 of Isaiah point to a later author than Isaiah. This description is often used in Christian funeral liturgies where it speaks the hope that the deceased will know the fullness of restoration to God after the time of suffering during his last days. Friar Jude sees the episode of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes in the Gospel of Matthew as the fulfillment of the hope presented in Isaiah. Jesus invites all nations to the mountain which is in pagan territory. His Presence is restorative. The blind see, the lame walk and the deaf hear. We become fully alive as His followers. Friar Jude touches on the significance of the number of loaves and the difference in the number of baskets of leftovers when Jesus audience is mostly pagan and when it is Jewish. The message of the abundance of food for everyone is clear. This is true today in both the spiritual and material sense even as people hunger for nourishment and peace. The resources for bringing healing and health are here. Our reluctance to obey and sit and share with others keeps the celebration of the feast on the mountain of God in our hopes rather than in our experience.

Looking for Shalom people

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary stir up the desire of people to know life with peace and joy. The prophet Isaiah speaks of a radical change in the relationship between God and Israel where the anointed messiah from God will by His Presence generate a peace and caring justice throughout the nations so that natural enemies will be reconciled and the needs of the marginalized addressed. The Spirit of God will permeate society with the multitude of perfect gifts like wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. Friar Jude Winkler reminds us that the seven gifts of the Spirit symbolize, through the Hebrew understanding of the number 7, the perfection or completeness of spiritual gifts. The understanding of “fear” of the Lord is the overwhelming awe which the experience of such Divine Presence invokes. How do we move the wonderful image of Shalom created by Isaiah to realization? The Gospel of Luke invites us to join Jesus in praise of the wisdom of the Father in revealing the understanding of building and living Father-Son relationships today through the power of the Holy Spirit to the unencumbered, sincere, naive, childlike, open, patient and gracious people with whom we live. The illumination of the eyes of Jesus on the people will open us to the relationships which can transform people to practice Shalom in His Presence.

Shalom and Francis Xavier

The verse of Shalom (Isaiah 2:4), peace so profound that it changes the nature of nations, is hidden within the passage in the Roman Catholic Lectionary from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. This poem, according to Friar Jude Winkler, is also in the Book of the Prophet Micah. The psalmist praises the peace and direction from God found within the walls of Jerusalem. At the time of the Kingdom of David and Solomon, the society formed around following the will of God attracted interest from all the nations. The understanding that we are called to be a light to the nations is often missing in our time of many religious denominations which seem to emphasize their difference rather than the common search for the gifts of peace and unity which are the fruits of moving toward the Mountain of God. Matthew tells of Jesus encounter with the centurion who demonstrates faith that God will act through Jesus to heal his servant. The Church commemorates St Francis Xavier today who is credited by Living with Christ with the proclamation “Lord, I am here! What do you want me to do? Send me anywhere you like.” Faith that the will of God for our lives will always bring the best outcome is at the foundation of the great openness of this saint to be the example of Jesus disciple in many corners of the earth. 

Distracted to disorder

The new liturgical year begins with the season of Advent. The texts from the RomanCatholic Lectionary today bring to mind that preparation to celebrate Christmas, when the “just shoot” promised by the Prophet Jeremiah to the disposed of the southern kingdom of Judah and the city of Jerusalem, becomes our understanding of the nature of Jesus as One who restores the disorder in our lives to renewed focus on growing our relationship with Him. The season of shopping has begun and many vendors who work only during this season are offering special treats for our distraction and gratification. We decide that we need some things that offer momentary gratification yet soon begin to be extra baggage in our life. Friar Jude Winkler compares our tendency to greater disorder and distraction to the decision to have the little donut. The moment on our lips... is chosen even though the additional calories are not going to help. The path we take is like the Thessalonians, who Paul commends in the passage from his letter. We are following the example of Jesus in living with visible love and attention to one another. Paul, according to Friar Jude, at this time, is certain of the imminent return of Jesus and the last days of the World. The exhortation of the “Apostle to the Gentiles” to increase our pursuit of holiness is more urgent as the end approaches. We would agree that the battle to keep ourselves from the disorder of our own passions and gratifications would be more focused in our final days. Father Larry Gillick SJ takes the opportunity to remind us of the need for honesty in our lives concerning the disorder and self centered orientation we find there. Father Larry considers the response of the residents of the US east coast to the storm Sandy. It would be among the natural signs in the Gospel of Luke which are opportunities for us to attend to our real needs and the poverty of the “just shoot” who brings order back to lives which are responding too frequently to the distractions that disorder.

Harden not our hearts

The passage from the Book of Revelation in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today is an image of the Life which streams from the New Jerusalem which will be the triumph of the Lord and the Lamb over all the forces of evil on earth. Friar Jude Winkler reminds us that this image of Life flowing originates in the image of Life flowing from the Temple described by the Prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 47:1-12). The psalm today is the usual invitatory psalm for the Morning Prayer portion of the Liturgy of the Hours. The difficulty we have is addressed by the psalmist as stubbornness of heart. Our human ego balks at the thought that we may have made bad decisions for ourselves and others. We rush quickly to our own defense. We miss the healing leaves of the Tree of Life which are offered to us without regard for our state of worthiness before God or the details of our life experience. The Gospel of Luke advises that we not reject or reduce the volume of the call we hear to relationship with God by self medication or distraction. The world ends for all. This may come in somewhat predictable fashion and we may be able to deal with “our issues” over time or as Luke suggests, it may come suddenly without notice. The time of tribulation is mentioned by Friar Jude in two contexts. It may be the “final days” struggle of the person attracted to relationship with God as the stubbornness of life is resolved or it may be the daily struggle of believers who try to live faithfully to the relationship they practice with God.

Scottish Patron brings Good News

Today, the feast of St Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland, is sheepishly compared to the celebration of the other Celtic patron, St Patrick. The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary have a theme of the spreading of the Good News. The calling of St Andrew, from the gospel of Matthew started his lifelong mission as a fisher of people in distant lands. The evangelization of people is ongoing and top of mind in the Western Church. The psalmist proclaims the Nature of God which attracts the attention of people through the sheer awe we experience in living. Our sense of the divine is stirred by the world around us, the immensity of the cosmos and the charity, devotion, trust and self giving of people. Paul proclaims to the Romans the two pronged experience of faith and confession. We come to peace with God, justification, as noted by Friar Jude Winkler through faith. We are saved as we work out our lives confessing to the truth in which we believe by our actions. For Paul, salvation occurs at the end time when Jesus returns for us. The passage from the Gospel of Matthew is an image of the great attractiveness of Jesus as the person with whom Christians grow in faith and trust. The process of this conversion, comments Friar Jude, is transformation of the person created by God with unique human characteristics into a person shaped and focused by the encounter with Jesus to work out our relationship as living examples of the attractiveness of the Good News through our uniqueness as His creatures. The life of Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, transformed from zealous Pharisee persecuting the Way to great voice of the Good News is the outstanding example of Christian tradition. Our own transformations are the only Bible that some people may read and our impact may not be like that of St Patrick but to the individuals we touch we may be their St Andrew.

Peace in our turmoil

The psalmist proclaims “we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture” in the text chosen for the Roman Catholic Lectionary today. The passage from the Book of Revelation today is the vision of the destruction of Rome, the centre of the evil empire which is persecuting Christians. The Gospel from Luke is the foretelling of the destruction of Jerusalem, which occurred at the hands of the Romans before the Gospel was written. The destruction of the evil cities is a theme which goes at least as far back as Sodom and Gomorrah in the Book of Genesis. (Genesis 19.24). Luke presents the destruction of Jerusalem as the consequence of the failure of the Holy City to embrace Jesus message of trust in God. The failure to trust in God has been attributed as the root of much of the trouble in our salvation history. The exile of the people of God to foreign lands seems to be contrary to the praise heaped on God by the psalmist. The unfolding of tragedy to peoples and individuals is multi causal. Failure to trust in God and direct our actions according to His Will can be the loss of moral compass which brings us to exile from loved people and places. The other phenomena cited by Luke are natural occurrences in our world. Fire, flood and the action of nature are not divine punishment. They do remind us that our personal exile from the world may come without notice. Trust in God is the faith that the praise of the psalmist holds true regardless of the circumstances in which natural disaster, disease or our own choices have brought us destruction. Rabbi Harold Kushner has written very insight fully about the position of God in the lives of people in turmoil and trouble. He asserts, echoing the psalmist, that God is the first to cry with us in our exile in mourning, remorse, loss and destruction. 

Punish good deeds

The text from the Book of Revelation in the Roman CatholicLectionary today presents the vision of the triumph of Jesus, the Lamb, over evil. Friar Jude Winkler expands the symbols of glass and water to show Jesus as the New Moses and those following the Way as being in the new Exodus to freedom from the slavery of sin through Jesus sacrifice on the cross. FatherRobert Barron, in the video series Catholicism, seeks to present the ‘edginess’ of Jesus. This includes Jesus person as God and the triumph for Christians over the secular empire of Rome represented by the mechanism of terror and torture, the crucifixion, becoming the sign of forgiveness, mercy and love and the victory of the Lamb. The Gospel of Luke tells the followers of Jesus that they will endure persecution. We continue to find that the Way of Jesus is in conflict and tension with so much of modern life. The powerful continue to oppress the children of God as the Pharaoh once dominated the Israelites. The philosophies of “get “attract many to reject the message of Christ to “give”. Living as a Christian will attract attention. We know that Francis of Assisi directed followers of Jesus to make their lives models which preached the love of God. We know that our lives may be the only Bible that some people may read. The decision presented by Jesus to people is extremely consequential. Luke asserts that the believer trust in the support of Jesus for those who decide to follow the Way.

Final days

The end of the liturgical year and the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary point us toward consideration of the last day or days. The vision from the Book of Revelation imagines the Final Judgement. The psalmist praises God who comes to judge the people in righteousness and truth. Friar Jude Winkler brings our personal last day into consideration as he comments on the permission God grants that our choices during life will be our experience at death. The fruit of righteous relationship with God will be knowledge of true depth of the communion with the Divine. The decisions to be self centered will continue to limit us to the worlds of our own creation. The Gospel from Luke contains the prediction from Jesus of the destruction of the Temple. This destruction occurred before the Gospel was written. Luke is presenting the destruction by the Romans as a consequence of the failure of Jerusalem to accept Jesus. The natural signs presented in the Gospel and Revelation of the end times are visible to people as daily events in the world. The end is celebrated at the time of death for us all.

Witnesses and Widows

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary offer at least two areas of our lives as Disciples of Christ to consider in reflection. The passage from the Book of Revelation images the gathering of the incredible multiplication of the old Israel and the New Jerusalem a thousand times over as explained by Friar Jude Winkler. This gathering sings a radically new hymn to Jesus the Lamb which trumpets the triumph of Love over totalitarian oppression and the propaganda of the secular age. The nature of Love that conquers all is that it is radically non self centered. It abandons all for the Beloved. It trusts in the Love to sustain. The psalmist sees such people as having clean hands and pure hearts who ascend to the hill of the Lord. Christian teaching has offered the challenge of doing only what gives honour to God. Luke describes Jesus recognition of such love in the action of the widow who gives all she has to live on as her Temple offering. Living on Love is the confidence of the young couple who go forward into life together without the practical necessities the consideration of which too often replaces the radical giving of all to the other with the ‘sensible” utility of needing to take care of myself. Living Love is one reflection for the disciple. The other is to develop the awareness that we are differently gifted and the measure of our response to the life in the New Jerusalem is proportional to the inner spiritual gifts of which we are aware. The pursuit of self knowledge is powerful in people. The knowledge we seek is promised by Paul to the Corinthians as the fruit of our relationship with Jesus when “then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known” (1 Cor. 13:12)

Christ the King

The history of salvation is known among believers as a story of persecution of the people of God by secular rulers and empires. Commentators on the Book of Daniel, from which the first reading of the Roman Catholic Lectionary is taken today, have associated the persecution stories with four world kingdoms, Babylonian, Median, Persian, and Greek. The beast imagery of the Book of Daniel has been used extensively in the Book of Revelation, where it is applied to the Roman Empire as persecutor of the Church. Friar Jude Winkler notes that the image of the Son of Man coming on a cloud to overcome the evil forces represents the people of Israel who will have dominion over the their persecutors through their Covenant with God. The image of the Son of Man in the passage from the Book of Revelation is the Servant King who transforms us to be priests and witnesses to the majesty of the Love of God. Father Larry GillickSJ writes of the three tensions experienced by Pilate and known to us when we encounter Jesus. We are drawn to Jesus. Perhaps, like Pilate, we are perplexed by the lack of concern for the power of worldly forces we witness in Jesus. We know the tension of the world with its demands and expectations and the consequential slavery we accept to meet those demands. We, like Pilate, struggle with an ego which always sets us up to expect to deserve and receive better attention for our own kingdom of self image in the world. The Gospel of John presents the Christ the King as glorious on the cross which defines the Word made Flesh as Love. The message of dominion over the kingdoms of the world in Daniel and Revelation is the first and last statement of God in Glory. Love conquers all.

Master and disciple

The psalm today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary is entitled a “Prayer for National Deliverance and Security”. We need not look far to see that many people of the world suffer under the oppression of war and governments which rule in totalitarian ways. The vision from the author of the Book of Revelation describes the witness of two creatures which are olive trees and lamp stands. The audience to whom Revelations is addressed suffered persecution at the hands of the Roman Empire.  Friar Jude Winkler explains that these witnesses are disciples of Jesus who radiate the light of His message to the world. The lamp is provided the oil it needs from the olive tree, so that it is always giving light. The message of the vision becomes the revelation that the life of the Master Jesus is the life of the disciple. The world rises up against the witnesses and kills them. Friar Jude decodes the numerology of the text to translate the three and one half day period as half of 7 which is the fullness of time. This persecution of witnesses will not last forever. The communion of Jesus with the Father is the destiny also of the disciple of Jesus. The Sadducees, who question Jesus, in the text from the Gospel of Luke, do not believe in the resurrection of the dead. They craft a clever scenario to attempt to ridicule Jesus. The revelation that Love is perfected in communion with Jesus and the Father reminds us of the Christian assertion, prayed during the Liturgy of the Resurrection of the Dead, that life is changed not ended by death. Luke cites Moses understanding from Exodus that God, experienced in the burning bush, is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God is present tense and even though the patriarchs have died, they are in the present time with God.

Bitter taste in living the Word

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary bring the experience of Ezekiel into the vision of the author of Revelation. Ezekiel tastes the Word of God and finds it sweet on the tongue but bitter in the stomach. The episode in Revelation repeats this experience and the author is instructed by the angel to preach the Good News to the whole world. Friar JudeWinker notes how we often hear the Word, like the psalmist in the texts today, with joy and praise of God and how the living of the Word as disciples of Jesus brings the cross which will be upsetting to mind and body. The Collect for the Mass today petitions God to keep us from the adversity of mind and body which deter us from pursuit of the things of God. Another aspect is the adversity of mind and body which result from pursuit of the things of God. The Gospel of Luke tells of Jesus chasing the merchants and money changers from the Temple. This action was celebrated by the people who may have felt the commerce of the Temple was inappropriate and even taking advantage of visitors. Jesus action inflamed the authorities who administered the Temple and they resolved that Jesus must die for His action. Friar Jude mentioned the political edge of Luke who was writing as a Gentile to Gentiles. He desired to portray the followers of Jesus, the common people, as good citizens of the Empire. The leaders of society from in which Jesus lived were the trouble makers for the Empire. Luke wrote his Gospel after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans. A theme of the Evangelist is that acceptance of Jesus was the opportunity missed by Jerusalem which may have averted the destruction of the city.

Invitation from the Worthy One

The texts today are from the Roman Catholic Lectionary for Canada. Happy Thanksgiving to our American cousins. The vision from the Book of Revelation presents Jesus the Lamb as being present with the perfection and magnificence of God the Father. The number 7 in Jewish symbols represents the fullness or perfection. Seven signs of authority indicate perfect authority. The Lamb, Jesus, is proclaimed as the fulfillment of the Promise to Judah and David. He is the perfect sacrificial offering who is praised by the Patriarchs of the Hebrew Testament and the Apostles of the Christian Testament. The revelation contained in the Scroll is only able to be demonstrated by Jesus. The psalmist today calls people to bow down and worship God through whom we have experienced care as the people of His pasture. The deeply felt plea of Psalm 95 that we accept the invitation to communion with God and not reject His call as our spiritual ancestors did at Massah and Meribah is prayed daily through the practice of Christian Prayer known as the Liturgy of the Hours. The Gospel of Luke, written after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem drips with the regret of Jesus that the people did not recognize His Way as the path to maintain peace. Luke writes about choices that we see around us to pursue conflict instead of cooperation in the resolution of difficulties between the people of God.

Greatest Goodness

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary present images and narrative which give us an opportunity to meditate on the nature of God. Friar Jude Winkler describes the symbols which we see gathered around the throne of God in the vision described in Revelation. God is, as we experience, the locus of surpassing greatness. The psalmist exhorts that everything that breathes gives praise to God. The author of the Book of Revelation paints a picture of God enthroned in majesty with the symbols of both justice and mercy in the image. Friar Jude reminds us of a Jewish proverb which claims that a Creation without mercy would have been destroyed by God and Creation without justice would have been destroyed by humans. We are serving God when we try to balance mercy and justice in our dealings and we seek His guidance as our application of these virtues is far from perfect. The patriarchs from the Hebrew Testament and the apostles of the Christian Testament are present along with the brightest and best creatures in nature. All fall down in adoration and praise of God. The Gospel from Luke, written after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, about Jesus journey to His Passion and Resurrection in Jerusalem presents the “parable of the talents” in the understanding of the learned Gentile physician and Evangelist. The gifts we receive from God are intended for the building of the Kingdom. Our mission is active and moving us toward Jesus when we are open to being His servant in using our lives. Our knowledge of His Mission and our role in it compels our response. The disaster of the fate of Jerusalem is seen by Luke as the consequence of the failure of the people to accept Jesus invitation to be good and faithful servants.

Hot or cold

The images from the texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today may seem, at first glance, to be remote and distant. The signs and symbols of the passage from the Book of Revelation are explained by Friar JudeWinkler as being specifically related to the conditions existing in the communities and Churches to which the text is addressed. Sardis was a nearly impenetrable city which had only experienced conquest as a result of inattention and sleep of the watchman. The author uses this particular local understanding to share Jesus revelation that the people had gone dead in their action as disciples and that Jesus would return to them as a thief in the night. The city of Laodicea had hot water from springs which is the physical link to Jesus exhortation to choose hot or cold. This message is to us to act and decide our direction. We are followers of Jesus and we will respond to His invitation like Zacchaeus from the episode, today, from the Gospel of Luke. The disciple is called to conversion. Luke presents our salvation as the coming of Jesus into our lives and our response by becoming more loving as our entry into an eternal relationship with the Divine.

Looking to see

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary use symbols and narrative to reveal truths which cause us to reflect on our actions as people attracted to be followers of Jesus. Friar Jude Winkler comments on the use of pseudonyms and symbols in the opening of the Apocalypse or Book of Revelation. The author is addressing both spiritual and physical ideas of Church. We gather in time and place to be in relationship with the eternal and infinite. Some practical problems surface when the orthodoxy of those attracted by Jesus comes into question. The history of the Church is a story with many initiatives to combat heresy and reinforce sound doctrine. Friar Jude comments on the concern of the author of the text from Revelation that the Church not loose charity as it attempts to root out those who hold different views. Today we seem to be continuing our campaign for doctrinal purity as we define and declare the seamless garment which we all must wear and profess to be real Catholics. Standing up for the orthodoxy as the absolute right may again be offering a less than charitable presentation of life in relationship with Jesus. The understanding with which we are blessed is similar to the sense of the blind man of Jericho who calls out in the Gospel of Luke today for the attention of the Son of David, who is moving toward Jerusalem to establish His reign of peace and love. We are drawn to Jesus and we seek to be enlightened and healed by Him so that we might live in the Kingdom which is based on Love. The attempts of the learned who understand protocol and our place are resisted by the fire of faith which the King acknowledges is the path to participation in His Church.

Coming to an end

Life is changed but not ended. This phrase is part of the Eucharistic prayer of the liturgy celebrated for the dead. The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary bring us to consider the how the joy, life and security which the psalmist praises as his experience in relationship with God may change as the world ends either in an apocalypse, according to the will of the Creator, or for us personally as we pass through death. The verse from the Book of Daniel envisions a time of judgement heralded by Archangel Michael, who marks the Presence of God, when people will rise to everlasting life or to everlasting shame and contempt. What attribute of God do we focus on when contemplating this scenario? Friar Jude Winkler comments on the text of the thirteenth chapter of Mark which describes the signs which we have to prepare us for the end time. Friar Jude points out that the signs are both singular, tied to the final day, and familiar as eclipse events. Is the message for the end time or our life now? Yes is the answer which applies, as it reminds us of the Jewish technique for presenting the argument for both choices and underlining that we have been gifted with free choice. Perhaps we can also identify with the time of turmoil and suffering prior to the end which is mentioned in both Daniel and Luke. Believers will be rejected and persecuted for the lifestyle which follows the Way. Friar Jude comments that the description of Jesus as high priest in the text from Hebrews appeals to Greek thought that the perfect act of, in this case, of seeking forgiveness for sin, is done once. Imperfect acts need to be repeated. The annual sacrifices of the Jewish high priest for this forgiveness are presented as imperfect. The Perfection of God is an attribute which perhaps does not give us imperfect beings much comfort when thinking about the last days. Father Larry Gillick SJ is careful to remind us that the legalistic view of mercy is something that Jesus spoke strongly against and therefore is not the approach of God. Father Larry reminds us of Creator, who continues to offer us the choice to be recreated and restored through our relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit so that the Resurrection begins for us an eternal changing direction in our lives toward greater intimacy with God.

Necessary to judge

The psalmist from the texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today praises God who blesses the righteous. We can reflect on who are the righteous and how they are blessed. The psalmist describes the righteous as lights who are gracious, merciful, generous and conduct their affairs with justice. What are the blessings? We understand that a relationship with God has already blessed them with the very qualities that attract others and provide a light for today and a path for their descendants to follow. Do they win the Super 7? The association of blessings with material wealth is troublesome as it may lead us to practice our faith with the expectation that the “prosperity gospel” is our reward. The motivation to be gracious and merciful is to live in harmony with our experience of God. Friar Jude Winkler discusses the events behind the third letter of John where hospitality toward missionaries with philosophies in opposition to the Good News is questioned. There is a need to look a bit deeper here. We are called to hospitality to all. We are not required to accept the teaching of all and we may need to refute error and provide examples of our belief in circumstances where the civility of hospitality is being stretched by a proselyte. The Docitist missionaries are not welcome in this letter of John. They are preaching that Jesus is a material being and is not Divine. Friar Jude explains the statement of faith, Jesus is the Christ, is the proclamation against this heresy. The nature of our prayer relationship with God is described by Jesus in the text from the Gospel of Luke as one where we are to trust that the goodness of God will not delay in response to our petition and we need to approach prayer with the expectation that God seeks to draw us to the best possible result in the situation for which we pray. The process of drawing us to that best possible outcome is already underway because God can do nothing less. We need to continue to consult through prayer with God for the directions whereby we will trust His plan and experience resurrection from our lack of peace into the joy of following the Way.

Possibly incorrect ending

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today present the struggle which exists for believers to continue to be walking in the truth. Friar Jude Winkler comments that the second Letter of John is advice to members of a believing community to continue to love as Jesus in the face of teaching from Gnostic group known as the Docitists, who did not accept that Jesus (human) was also the Christ (Divine). The Gnostic sense of the corruption of the created world is an easy argument for their point of view. Friar Jude defines the anti-Christ as those who are opposed to the truth of the Divine nature of Jesus. The personification of the anti-Christ as a creature of the apocalyptic battles is not a Roman Catholic approach. The yearning for the relationship with God in the Word of the Lord and in the wisdom of His commandments expressed by the psalmist is an expression of ongoing love of God with the sacred understanding that certainty in the understanding of humans about the domain and plans of the Divine is not given to mortals. The text from the Gospel of Luke also looks to the time when the Jesus returns. The message of Luke advises to prepare for this time. Our meeting with the Lord will come as a surprise to most of us. The concept of the “rapture” which is sometimes linked to the text today is not the interpretation of Roman Catholic theology of the glorious triumph of Jesus in the celebration of the end times.

Change and move to the Kingdom

The question of who looks out for us is given an answer by the psalmist in the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today. The Lord is praised for the way He watches over widows and orphans and brings the wicked to ruin. We often have opinions on how quickly God should work to take care of things even when we are not certain of who can be considered widow, orphan or wicked. The letter of Paul to the wealthy Church leader in Colossi from whom the slave, Onesimus, had run to Paul who was writing this letter from prison, is a plea for a widow-orphan person that he might be returned to Philemon as more than a slave. Friar Jude Winkler does not understand this petition of Paul as a condemnation of slavery. It is an appeal for change in attitude toward a person who is accepted as a brother in Christ. Our social structures and our traditions bias our thinking about justice and righteousness. The Gospel passage from Luke today had been understood by some in Jesus time, according to Friar Jude, to associate the Passion of Christ with the end of the world. The caution of Jesus to His disciples is to be prepared. Our personal time line is a mystery to us. The Kingdom of God is proclaimed by Luke to be among us. Indeed our relationship with Jesus today is our participation as subject in the eternal kingdom. Our preparation for the future is to trust that faith will motivate us to be active in support of the widows and orphans of our time and place while we make decisions like the one placed before Philemon to bring life and celebrate our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Faith in Life

The question of how to earn my place among the saved comes to mind from the Letter to Titus in the texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today. The fall semester in education is drawing to a close. "What do I have to do to pass or get a desired grade?" is a question which is deep in our education system. We have difficulty with a relationship with Jesus wherein we do not earn our place but we are invited to join the righteous by His graciousness and mercy which charges our faith to trust the loving promise of God to be Our Shepherd and to lead us so that we might dwell in the House of The Lord all the days of our life. The Gospel of Luke presents the episode in which ten lepers are cured by Jesus but the only one to return and offer thanksgiving for the new life is the pagan. Could our expectation of a "pass" be dampening our appreciation, awe and wonder of the Life in the Spirit of gracious compassion, mercy and healing?  Practice faith to have it open life to us.

Choosing the servant’s place

The phrase “know your place” comes to mind in reflection about the texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary. Much of the language in the letter to Titus does not fit well with our modern sense to rebel against prescriptions for behaviour from authority figures. Certainly we know too well of the abuse which has been wrought by those in power. In many family traditions, the elder family members are treated politely with deference. The expectation on parents is for them to be wise teachers of children. Love motivates partners to care for each other. The picture of order in the letter to Titus is attractive to many. The witness of a life within these bounds is evidence of the transformation from lives of impiety and worldly passions to the self control and self sacrifice of those living to deepen their relationship with Jesus. The Gospel of Luke offers us the place chosen by Jesus as slave to others. Our life in Jesus is involved with our choice to follow Him in putting the needs of others at the forefront of our work in the vineyard.

Called by God to serve in public

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary present qualities desirable in those who are the public leaders in the Church. The spread of scandal and the offering of bad example to those who are being initiated into their understanding of the Church is particularly noted as being a serious sin by Jesus in the passage from the Gospel of Luke. Our society today exhibits dualistic concern in this area. The hypocrisy and evil actions of some Church leaders continue to be an obstacle for many to investigate development of their relationship with God within the traditional Church. At the same time, the idea that someone else can prescribe discipline in our behaviour is taken as a violation of our freedom to choose. The attributes of those, according to the psalmist, who ascend the mountain of the Lord are clean hands and pure heart. These people who experience the Presence do not lift up their souls to what is false and they do not swear. The authentic faith of the blessed is described by Jesus as being the size of the mustard seed. Living in that faith transforms the disciple so that the qualities enumerated in the letter to Titus for the selection of bishops develop in people. The ancient understanding of “orders” is a calling by God from the community of believers. The evidence of a call inspired by God is the growth of the virtues of selflessness, charity, compassion, peace, forgiveness and faithfulness in the candidate for ordination.

Widows and orphans lead the way

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today use the lives of widows and orphans to present witnesses to goodness and trust. The Prophet Elijah is instructed to go to pagan territory which is in a state of famine. Friar Jude Winkler comments that his encounter with the non Jewish widow is a reminder that goodness exists outside our religious tradition. The widow makes a decision to share her meagre food resources with the man, FatherLarry Gillick SJ comments, is known to be a holy man. The understanding of God and perhaps the tradition of hospitality toward strangers may be the background for the generosity and trust shown by this woman. In the Gospel from Mark, Jesus questions the practice of the scribes and Pharisees who parade their holiness in the public square by long open prayer and seek the positions of honour which their devotion to religiosity demands from observant believers. The demonstration of attention to prayer and relationship to God is a priestly function which is required by those formally called to the role. The Letter tothe Hebrews reminds the Jewish Christians of the role of Jesus as the High Priest who perfects the ancient Temple sacrifices for sin. This exhortation to see the Way of Jesus as invitation to a New Covenant is delivered, in the opinion of some scripture scholars, to believers who have been exiled from Temple and synagogue worship in a time when persecution of Jewish and Christian is the policy of Rome. The one sacrifice of Jesus and His entry into the heavenly “Holy of Hollies” is the perfection of the New Covenant. The orphaned Jewish Christians are rich in reconciliation relationship with God. Friar Jude observes that we all have been gifted differently in the grace of God which empowers our acts of love, selflessness and trust. The celebration of the “widow’s mite” recognizes how her life is blessed in deep trust in God. The psalmist reminds proclaims the faithfulness of God to the orphan and widow as the wicked are condemned to ruin.

Generous and life giving

It goes well with those who are generous is a message today in the Roman Catholic Lectionary from the psalmist. In the Letter to the Philippians, Paul expresses his thanks and satisfaction that the community of Philippi has sent money to support him in prison as he awaits trial. Friar Jude Winkler reminds us that prisoners were responsible for their own support. Paul may be uncomfortable with accepting this assistance. Paul declares that he has lived both with material wealth and without it. He proclaims that he is empowered to be able to endure all things by Jesus who strengthens him.  Paul is pleased that the community has shown such generosity. The generous response of people to need is witness to a desire to put the welfare of brothers and sisters before our attachment to our possessions. The Gospel of Luke offers advice on using our possessions and wealth in the service of the will of God. This path of generosity is evidence that we are choosing to serve the Divine Master rather than the allure of wealth. A difficulty in some expressions of our relationship with God is the concept that the Lord blesses the righteous with wealth. The Christian form of this idea is found in the “prosperity Gospel”. The children of God are the recipients of the overwhelming generosity and graciousness of the Father. When our giftedness begins to own us and we see our welfare and prestige as our just reward, we are drifting from the witness of the community of Philippi who served God in generosity to the needs of Paul.