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.

A too temporal temple

The psalmist in the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary for Canada today quotes the instruction to ‘‘Be still, and know that I am God!”. This attitude of stillness before the awesome is the experience of Elijah (1 Kings 19) of finding God in the still small voice. The passage from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel describes the living giving power of God which flows from the Temple. Water as the symbol of the restoration of life in relationship with God is deep in Judeo-Christian tradition. The Lateran Basilica was dedicated by Pope Sylvester I in 324. The Edict of Milan, proclaimed by Emperor Constantine in 313, permitted the establishment of the Church throughout the Roman Empire without opposition from the authorities. The Church may have been recipient, at that time, of the peace for which the psalmist today praises God. The Gospel of John relates the episode of Jesus cleansing the Temple in Jerusalem by casting out the commercial activity which was making it a den of thieves. The difficulty of hearing the still small voice and being washed in the waters of life in an environment too close to the culture of everyday life is obvious. Jesus proclaims the Temple of God to be within people. We can find the beauty, awe, peace, still voice and cleansing Spirit within ourselves. The bricks and mortar which we use to build places of peace, beauty and solitude are serving an important purpose to focus our stillness. Our affiliation of religious structure with the political, cultural and commercial structures of our time may be filling our holy place with the thieves of attractive human authority and power.

Conservative counter culture

The Roman Catholic Lectionary today presents texts which illuminate the counter cultural history and mission of Christianity. The reassurance that a counter cultural approach is the path of greater communion with God is echoed in the praise of the psalmist for the wonderful work of the Lord in salvation history. We continue to respond to the call to change. Paul describes  to the Philippians his conversion from orthodox Jewish Pharisee to one who has come to live in abandonment of all that social and cultural success and recognition for the mission to pour himself out so that the Good News of the Gospel will be witnessed in his life to the Gentiles. The radical Luke proposes that the tradition of avoiding sinners, as Friar Jude Winkler explains from a fear of contagion, is reversed by Jesus action of eating with and inviting ‘sinners’ to follow Him. The scandal of His teaching even suggests that the lost or the sinner is deserving of the overwhelming attention of the teacher as the parables of the one lost sheep among the 99 and the one lost coin among 10 take all the energy of the shepherd and the woman to joyfully search and find the sinner. The transformation of attitude in the believer is evidenced when we appreciate that all are sinners and all have fallen short. The gracious pursuit and invitation to reconciliation by Jesus is the mission of the Spirit to all humanity. Friar Jude points out the counter cultural organization used by Luke to place women with men as equal participants in the mission of followers of the Way.

Faith allows joy to pour out

The psalmist in the texts today from the Roman CatholicLectionary declares his belief in seeing God in the land of the living. This expression is often associated with our funeral liturgies and it presents the hope we hold in the eternal nature of Love, our relationship with God. Paul addresses the Philippians to encourage them to be lights to the world in the joy and generosity with which they give life to others and allow themselves to be offered and “poured out” in the process. Friar Jude Winkler describes our works in faith in the Christian phrases of washing feet and feeding the poor. This work is continued with the help of Faith at all times. It is the will of God that we act for good and the fear and trembling appreciation of the salvation of God in all circumstances. Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish's daughters were killed, in 2009, by an Israeli shell in Gaza. He remains passionately devoted to peace and gives praise to God for the Faith which has enabled him to redirect anger to action in words and support for the education of the women of the Middle East. He expresses the depth of his Muslim faith tradition of surrender to the Divine Plan which invites us to faith that transcends all tragedy. Friar Jude comments that the Gentile Evangelist, Luke, probably provides the most accurate quotation of the words of Jesus. Luke apparently expresses the “Jewish exaggeration” method used by Jesus most literally. The cost of discipleship is addressed in the passage of the Gospel today. Jesus is not hiding the degree to which Love of God will be the overriding motive of the disciple. It will transcend all other plans and purposes of the faithful person. It will contain the cross the acceptance of which will require the strength of Faith in the Love of God to generate the joy shown as light to the world in the action we are called to perform.

Going to attend the Banquet

The motives which drive our actions come to our meditation today from the texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary. The passage from the Letter to the Philippians is known as the “Christ hymn” among some theologians. It tells of the choice of Christ to become human and to humble Himself to the status of slave and accept the death of criminals on the cross. The path to the ascent of Jesus to be exalted by the Father was through His Passion. One motive of Christians is imitating Jesus. This path calls us to seek the death of our selfish tendencies as we allow our humility to bring us the freedom of being in service to God and others. The psalmist understands the life which comes to humans by recognition of the primacy of the reign of God. The universe is the gift of God and our celebration of love, peace and family is a thanksgiving to Providence. The invitation to join in deep relationship with God, like the invitation of the king in the passage from the Gospel of Luke today is long standing and we like the guests are aware that acceptance of this invitation is something we are motivated to include in our plans. We can easily be distracted by our self interest in work, pleasure, acquisition of temporal goods and even other people. This means we defer our decision to be present to God. Our moving away from the Banquet does not cause it to be postponed. Our personal struggles to follow the model of humility and selflessness of Jesus continue. The history of salvation shows us that too many tribes and peoples have not accepted the invitation to the Banquet. When we gather as communities in worship, we need to reflect whether our particular tribe is being replaced at the Banquet by others who are truly open to the invitation.

Looking toward others

The virtue of humility is the theme of the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary for today. The letter to the Philippians expresses the hope that the life of the followers in the Way of Christ and their experience of the Love of God which has led them in the Spirit of compassion and sympathy will bring about a practice of humility which regards the other as more important than self. This life style is not easy to maintain. The ego brings messages about our position, wealth, knowledge, experience, religiosity and even age which cry out for respect or “notice me” or “I have earned better treatment”. Our sense of the direction of the events around us can be enhanced by the momentary reunion with our experience of Jesus humility to be in relationship with us by choosing to human with us. The psalmist prays that he will not raise his thoughts about himself too high to lose his quiet trust in Providence. Our motives so quickly gravitate to our own gain. This may even be true when we set out to prepare to do for others. The Gospel of Luke recounts Jesus reminder that our generosity toward others must move away from our hope for personal gain if it is to be the genuine selflessness which is the desired disposition of His disciple.

A Great Commandment

The Roman Catholic Lectionary today presents texts which focus on the nature of the Great Commandment. The reading from the Book of Deuteronomy and the episode related in the Gospel of Mark present the wording of the commandment which Moses prescribed to the people as the way to continue to know the favour of God who had raised them up from slavery in Egypt. Jesus answers the question of the scribe and through dialogue confirms that He is of the same understanding as the Jewish tradition about the Law of Moses. He announces that the scribe who acknowledges this Law is close to the Kingdom of God. Father Larry Gillick SJ notes that Jesus does not give us the kind of detailed prescriptions of the later chapters of Deuteronomy for us to be aware of how close we have come to disobedience as we skirt our assumptions about the nature of whole heart, neighbour and loving like self. The Letter to the Hebrews reminds us that our success with keeping the Law is often poor and that we frequently seek reconciliation with God for the transgressions which can be marked in comparison with the practices prescribed in the Law. The psalmist celebrates the victory of the king over the enemies of the people of Israel as the evidence of the steadfast love of God for David. This love is maintained even as David finds himself in violation of the Law in the treatment of Uriah the husband of Bathsheba. The Great Commandment is lived out, according to Father Larry, in the context of a spirituality or relationship with this God that is centered in thankful appreciation for life. Love is a good thing. Love of God is the relationship which strives through faith to be participant in fullness of life. We understand that this holiness or “wholiness” is the answer to the “Why obey the Great Commandment?” question. As Father Larry suggests we should not get bogged down in the endless debates about who is neighbour and how to love completely but to let the Love we are invited to know in our relationship with God be the force which propels us to loving action with others as witnesses to the nearness of the Kingdom of God.

Uniting in purpose

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today present situations which inform our decisions about how we best can serve the will of God when we act to serve our brothers and sisters. Paul discusses the dilemma of our personal attraction to Jesus being played out in a desire to focus all our life and even our life energy on the future eternal communion with Him. Our personal preparation for this destiny is important and in doing this preparation we will witness the power of the transforming Love. The nature of the Love of God is that it reaches out to invite all to be included. This activity is the Way which the disciple follows in encountering and welcoming brothers and sisters for their sake and not for ours. The choice which brings us closer to others in the name of Jesus involves being humble, peaceful, patient, compassionate and forgiving. It is the path of self giving and real recognition and support of the value of others. The episode in the Gospel of Luke illustrates disposition of the disciple as one who seeks no recognition of him or herself but lets the relationships within the Body of Christ be connected and revealed according to the will of God. The recent tragedy of the storm which wreaked havoc and destruction in the Northeast United States showed that we need to rediscover acting with unity of purpose when we witness the inability of our individualistic life styles to provide the necessities of life spiritually and materially to our communities. 

proclamation of Job

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary for Canada today describe the relationship with God which is eternal. We hear the proclamation of Job that he knows that his Redeemer lives. The strength of his faith and the experience of attraction he has known in his relationship with the Divine convince him that he shall continue to grow toward God after death. The understanding he expects is that of our most powerful sense, our sight. The psalmist understands that the love of God for us, like the love between parent and child, is eternal and is not diminished by death. The experience of the steadfast love of God is true in all times and beyond time. The letter of Paul to the Corinthians and the description, in the Gospel of John, of the Way to be a follower and servant of Jesus can be taken together to emphasize the importance of service to God and others in life which of necessity causes the disciple to know little deaths to self and self interest. Perhaps we do see some of the fruit of our death to self. Paul preaches from the certainty of his encounter with the Risen Christ which becomes the experience of intimacy with the Divine that bears fruit in attracting people to Jesus in Paul’s time and for as long as people accept the eternal and Divine invitation to live as members of the Body of Christ.

Ascending the hill

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today provide deeper insight into the depth of the relationship to which we are invited by our Father, God. The Church marks the feast of All Saints with descriptive spiritual and symbolic words which draw us to seek the intervention of the communion of saints in our journey to deep revelation of ourselves as children of God. The deeply beautiful and symbolic language of the Book of Revelation is explained by Friar Jude Winkler as the perfect praise to God for the reconciliation of so many in communion with God through their lives of witness to the transformation wrought in them by the Blood of the Lamb. The first letter of John proclaims our status as children of God who will necessarily be transformed to be more like God when we come to see Him. The Beatitudes are the introduction to Jesus Sermon on the Mount where the image of those who are under transformation is developed. Friar Jude sees those who are not arrogant as blessed by living with God. Those who morn are consoled by God. Changes in the way the world works will be accomplished by the meek with the blessing of God and not with violence. The righteous will be those who are blessed by living the will of God to be compassionate and forgiving. The suffering of the peacemakers will bring blessing to them and the world by the witness of their lives. The question of the psalmist in the text today about who shall ascend the hill of the Lord is answered in some depth by the selections forn Sacred Scripture for the feast today.