He raises Hope for Love

The Resurrection is Hope. Today the texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary offer the message of the fundamental change which Jesus invites in our lives. Friar Jude Winkler characterizes the passage from the Acts of the Apostles as Kerugma, the first or fundamental preaching of the Gospel. Luke relates the events of Jesus life, death and resurrection through which the promise of life in communion with God and forgiveness of sin is the fulfillment of the Promise which has been the hope of the believers since Abraham. Paul addresses the Colossians to proclaim that they share in the Resurrection as believers who are aware that death with Jesus is also Resurrection with Him. The Life with Christ invites us to set our minds and actions in the things of heaven rather than the distractions of the temporal world. The Gospel from John tells of the encounter of Mary of Magdalene with the empty tomb at sunrise on of the day of Resurrection. Her report to the Apostles sets up the running of Peter and the beloved disciple to the site. They witness an empty tomb with the burial clothes folded in a place within the tomb. John notes that they returned home in hope but not in understanding of this event as revealed in Scripture. The encounter, a bit later, of Mary of Magdalene with Jesus, who she initially mistakes as a gardener, is an experience of the Presence of Jesus which is brought into focus by love. Friar Jude comments that the reason the beloved disciple reached the tomb before Peter is that his love motivation was very deep and Peter was obedient and anxious to restore his loyalty. Love conquers even death.

Resurrection Vigil

The Roman Catholic Church waits today near the tomb for the Resurrection to be represented. The Triduum will continue until the declaration that “He is Risen! Alleluia, Alleluia” is exchanged by participants in the Easter Vigil Liturgy. The presentation of Word and Sacrament during the Easter Vigil celebrates the relationship with God which is traced from Creation until today. The old portions of the liturgy, as noted by Friar Jude Winkler, date to the 13^th Century BCE. This year, the date of the celebration coincides with Land Day, an annual day of commemoration for Palestinians of the events in 1976 which resulted in the expropriation of Palestinian land for Israeli security. Passover, this year, is also being celebrated during this time. The overall theme of the Word Liturgy which includes 7 passages from Genesis to Luke is the steadfast Love of the Creator-God who persists to call and recall people to a Covenant relationship. In Christian times, the Evangelist to the Gentiles, Paul, proclaims the Resurrection as the invitation from the Father to die to ourselves in Christ so that we might rise with Him to New Life. It does not surprise us that rising to New Life is a real and personal hope of many in our troubled world. The history of human struggle against oppression and death is at least as old as Exodus and as present as today. The themes of the Book of Exodus and the Resurrection of Jesus have fueled hope in people like Julia Esquivel, chosen by the editors of Living in Christ, as the "Thought for Today" on the texts. The Gospel from Luke is, according to Friar Jude, one of three Resurrection accounts from this Evangelist. The news that “He is Risen” is significantly proclaimed to the woman as Word collaborated by the witness of two angels. The requirement of faith and trust in what the women saw as being from God tells us that the understanding and expressions of Abraham, the Prophets, the Evangelists and Jesus are presented to us this evening to build our hope that the Promised Land of milk and honey for all God’s people awaits our trust in Providence.

our Via Dolorosa

The liturgy of the Triduum continues and the RomanCatholic Lectionary proclaims the Word which presents comparison, contrast and contradiction as the journey of Jesus from exaltation by the crowds, through intimate giving of Himself as Servant Love in His Eucharistic Presence as the Pascal Lamb leads to the proclamation in the Gospel of John of the Kingship of Jesus, fully Divine and human who rules from a throne of torture and death. Pilgrims to Jerusalem, since Emperor Constantine legalized their worship, have traced the steps of Jesus journey from the garden which was across the Kidron Valley from the room of His Passover meal (John 18:1) to Golgotha, the site of His crucifixion. Father Thomas Rosica, in his reflection for Living with Christ, invites us to consider all the via dolorosa of the lives of people who are made into scapegoats, betrayed, rejected, ignored and abused. Jesus picks up the cross in compassion. He is with people as they walk their passion. The prophet Isaiah shows that the Suffering Servant, who Jesus takes as related to His mission, is a scapegoat. Our tendency to transfer our inadequacy or responsibility to the other is at the core of the grief we give others and ourselves. The text from the Letter to the Hebrews declares the familiarity of the one who John proclaims as God with the sin and suffering of humanity. Friar Jude Winkler takes us through some of the deep symbols and structures within the literary structure of the Gospel of John. This Sacred Book is crafted in an inspired manner so that some commentators have stated that every word is chosen to be deeply significant. At the same time, we can read the events of Jesus passion as the compelling story of human love and human failing as the One who has brought life is rejected and betrayed from the fear of the message of giving all in love to others. The theme of the use of others for our own purposes comes to mind on the journey to Calvary today. The description of the Suffering Servant who by his wounds heals us and the position of the Hebrew high priest who placed the sins of the people on the sacrificial animal indicate how the scapegoat is a technique which we understand as a way to reduce our own responsibility and pursue our own success. The dialog of Jesus and Pilate in the Gospel of John is described by Friar Jude as Jesus, in full presentation of His Divinity, proclaiming His Kingship as Servant Lover while the political advantage of manipulation of the truth to use Jesus dilemma, while sensing some real fear and trepidation in His Presence, to rub the noses of the Jewish leadership in the dominance of Rome in their lives points to the degree of destruction of the lives of others to which to we are capable to descend for our own advantage. The Presence of Jesus with us as we act in the example of Pilate or when we are suffering a passion journey on our Via Dolorosa is guaranteed to the end.

partaking of the Body and Blood

The Lectionary of the Roman Catholic Church presents the texts which are the Word proclaimed today at the beginning of the Triduum, the three day journey with Jesus through the events of a new Passover meal where service, love and life are celebrated tonight, His passion and death on the cross, tomorrow and His triumph over death at Easter. The text from the Book of Exodus presents the instructions to the Israelites about how they are to commemorate the mighty action of God to free them from slavery and oppression in Egypt. The ongoing celebration of this meal by Jews concludes with the exhortation of “next year in Jerusalem” The longing for God which this phrase invokes is the prayer of the psalmist who seeks the cup of blessing which is his thanksgiving reflection of the action of God in his life. Paul addresses the Corinthians as he explains the action of Jesus in representing His sacrifice as the Pascal Lamb to believers through the Eucharistic celebration. The Gospel of John reveals the Servant described by Isaiah as He models humility, service and love to His friends. This is the fruit of the communion which Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop of Jerusalem and Doctor of the Church from the fourth century, expresses as being made of the same body and the same blood with Him. Our mission to wash feet is made achievable through our intimate acceptance of His Person and leadership in our lives.

Surely not I

The Gospel today in the Roman Catholic Lectionary contains the phrase “‘Surely not I, Rabbi?’”( Matthew 26:25) spoken by Judas to Jesus after those gathered for the Passover meal are made aware by Jesus that He will be betrayed into the hands of the religious authorities by one who is at table with them. Friar Jude Winkler comments on the tradition concerning this betrayal including the practice of the Orthodox Church to observe Wednesday fasting to commemorate the day of betrayal. The text from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah describes the Suffering Servant who endures torture, insults and ridicule as he follows the Will of God to proclaim the truth which is the weapon that sustains him through difficulty which is beyond his expectations. He is sustained in his struggle, which draws more than his human strength, by God. Friar Jude has noted in previous commentaries that Jesus takes the language of Isaiah about the Suffering Servant and applies it to Himself. The followers of Jesus today are aware that persecution, ridicule and torment, beyond the expectations of our human limit, are possibilities while journeying to holiness. The psalmist comes to thanksgiving to God for the witness he is able to become through suffering for the will of God. The sword that pierces our heart may not be as close as Judas action was to Jesus. We are aware that the power to transcend these extreme difficulties comes from the grace of God as we accept our cross in trust.

Glory giving

The battle between good and evil is set up as we consider the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today. The passage from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah is the description of the mission of the Messianic figure, the suffering servant, who is commissioned by God to bring light, the goodness of God, to all the nations. Friar Jude Winkler comments on several persons who could have been in the mind of the author of this text likely written during the exile in Babylon. The confidence that God is leading the people to light and restoration through the actions of this figure is the theme of this text. Friar Jude notes that Jesus referred to His ministry using the language from Isaiah of the suffering servant. The text from the Gospel of John is setting the stage for the confrontation between Jesus and the religious authorities which would lead to His passion and death. The evangelist presents the glory of God as the love for humanity which God presents through the complete giving of Jesus life to overcome the night, darkness and evil. The light to the nations comes with Jesus giving all for Love and humanity. The ongoing mission of giving all, like the Suffering Servant, is the eternal holiness to which the followers of Jesus are invited.

Thanksgiving anointing

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary for today touch on many themes which will enhance our contemplation of the journey of Jesus during Holy Week. The “collect” prayer which begins the liturgy for today seeks our revival through the Passion of Jesus. This outcome from mediation on events in which evil appears to have the day is not initially obvious. The Gospel of John tells of the two faced behaviour of Judas who responds with apparent righteous indignation that Mary should anoint the feet of Jesus with costly ointment that could have been sold to raise money for the poor. Much ink has been spilled over the relationship to the poor portrayed here. Spiritual revival is not rooted in condemnation of the treachery of Judas or even in the justice/injustice tension around decisions on how to use gifts given to people of God. The thread for spiritual revival is the thanksgiving expressed by Mary for the compassion and love of Jesus who restored life to her beloved Lazarus. This thanksgiving comes even as we here that the religious authorities have enlarged the web of evil by seeking the death of Lazarus. Mary is not disposed to cry out that this death sentence for her brother has meant Jesus action has been for naught. The prophet Isaiah describes the one who will heal the wounds of Israel, establish justice, and free people from their imprisonment by material and political concerns. This spiritual revival will be marked by gentle action, demonstrating the desire of God to be in Covenant relationship with people. The movement toward spiritual revival will be through a personal experience of the love and compassion of God. The journey with the Suffering Servant of God is the gift for our restoration at this time of year.

Palms and Passion

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary bring the Word to the liturgy which begins the journey to the celebration of the Easter Triduum of Lord’s Supper, Passion and Resurrection. Holy Week is approached with the attitude of the Suffering Servant from the Book of the prophet Isaiah. We will understand through the liturgy today that this servant suffers patiently in faith and trust in God and does no harm as evidence of his innocence. This is the role of Jesus in obedience to the will of the Father. The ancient hymn which is presented in the passage from the Letter of Paul to the Philippians proclaims the will of God that Jesus should empty Himself of His status as Son and be as slave to serve humanity inviting them to communion with God. The obedience of Jesus to His mission of humility and service is our example for the life giving attitude which will bring enhanced life to our journey. The account of the Passion from the Gospel of Luke is an experience of reading, hearing and contemplation which is offered in the liturgy today. An abstract of the experience might be phrased as below.

The account of the servant king, son of David, who has attracted many followers by His action to show the loving nature of God, as His final journey to Jerusalem to celebrate His last Passover with His friends leads Him from exultant praise to burial in the tomb of an influential Jewish leader as the betrayers and the religious leaders convince the Roman leadership, through need to control the angry mob, that He might be crucified as a common criminal for crimes against the religious practice of the Jewish people. The turmoil and tension between celebration and suffering and brotherhood and betrayal is shown in the poor decisions of Peter and Pilate and one prisoner crucified next to Him. The victory for truth and the nature of the path offered to all who are in communion with the King Who serves in suffering is the proclamation of the pagan Roman guard that He truly is innocent and the action of Joseph of Arimathea, the influential Jewish visitor, to prepare a proper tomb for Jesus. Larry Gillick, S.J. of the Deglman Center for Ignatian Spirituality comments that the Liturgy of Palms and the Liturgy of the Passion bespeak the duality of our human response to God throughout history. He suggests that we begin, with the whole Church, on Palm Sunday to pray with the various daily invitations to our being faithful to the crosses of our humanity and those of others. He advises us “The root meaning of the word “innocence” is not “guiltless”, but “no harm”. There is not much we can do with the memories which make up this liturgy and this coming week. Praying might be nothing more than staying “awake” to what is being done, offered, and remembered.”

Choose the path

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today are preparing our consciousness for the contemplation of our response to the choice between trust in a life in which God offers to be both transcendent and immanent and alternately living according to our own compass which tends to draw us toward self satisfaction and isolation from God and others. This decision to be with Jesus as He transcends death in His journey to fulfill the will of the Father to be the servant of all who are responding to the invitation to live the New Jerusalem where He reigns as the promised Messiah, Son of David, is represented in a deep way at Eastertide. The prophet Ezekiel addresses the people of Judah and Jerusalem from exile in Babylon. The second and disastrous exile to Babylon has not yet occurred and the prophet presents the deep desire of God to be in a Covenant relationship with His people so that they might trust in Him for their future rather than choosing to court the aid of the pagan power in Egypt to prevent their domination by the Chaldeans in Babylon. The Gospel of John presents another political choice which impacts the way in which the mission of Jesus to restore the people unfolds. The religious authorities, who are already threatened by One, who claims to be Son of the Father, who transcends the natural order of things and places compassion, reconciliation, healing, peace and love as being the essence of God while questioning the true righteousness of those who scrupulously adhere to Pharisaic legal interpretations, now understand that they may be able to use the death of Jesus as a political initiative to move the people against the Roman occupation. The battle against choosing our social, political and economic strategies over trust in God is ongoing.

Deep trust

The testimony of Jeremiah in the text from theRoman Catholic Lectionary that he was attracted to the mission of prophet by God rings with faith in the relationship with God to protect him from the attacks of those evil persons who are enraged by his message to trust in the will of God for the Hebrew people. The Gospel of John tells of the anger of the religious authorities that Jesus should proclaim His nature as Son of God. The disturbance of both these situations is beyond a critical opinion of the way in which religious practice was being conducted. The change of direction for the Hebrew nation would mean accepting the collapse of political alliances which would open the population to conquest by foreign power. The intimate relationship with God offered by Jesus, which attracted crowds to follow Him, would remove the yoke of control and legalism administered by the Pharisees. We prepare to contemplate the journey of Jesus from public acclaim by the crowds as He enters Jerusalem through His celebration of Eucharist, death on the cross and resurrection on Easter. Jesus journey is the model which strengthens His followers in trust that God remains as our companion through the events of life.

Father Abraham

The Book of Genesis is the source of the description of the Covenant between God and the descendants of Abraham from the Roman CatholicLectionary for today. The Promise made by God as He changes a name from Abram to Abraham that He will be their God and they will be His people is a starting point for the Abrahamic religions, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and  Bahá'í Faith. The adherents to these religions comprise over 54% of those who have religious affiliation in the world. The question which is posed is whether they understand the same God. The Promise of God has taken form in descendants of Abraham who do not always live in recognition of the family in which this lineage places them. In the Gospel of John, Jesus proclaims His link to Father Abraham by declaring to the Pharisees and religious authorities of His time that He is able to fulfill the Promise of eternal life because “before Abraham was, I am”( John 8.58). The possibility that God would fulfill the Messianic Promise which involves the eternal restoration of a David-like kingdom through Incarnation of the Divine in human form and that the eternal life promised is one of eternal intimate relationship with the Life of God was “a stumbling block for the Jews”. (1 Corinthians 1.23 ) When we contemplate the fruit of the Promise to Abraham, we need to pray for inspiration from God to discontinue our stumbling over the beliefs of other descendants of Abraham and focus on discernment of His Plan to restore our brothers and sisters to our hearts.

Comfortable distance

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary reveal our tendency to be led away from deep relationship with God through which we live by faith and are directed by the Spirit of God to superficial contact wherein we maintain links to our religion yet are not so engaged that we are likely to forego our point of view and plan for life in pursuit of holiness. The refusal of the Jewish men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, of the third chapter of the Book of Daniel to accept worship of the god of the 7^th century BCE ruler of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, is understood by Friar JudeWinkler to be referring to the oppression of Jerusalem by the Assyrian Emperor, ANTIOCHUS IV, who lived closer to the time of Daniel and who attempted to destroy the national identity of the people conquered by his force. Jesus is shown in the passage from the Gospel of John to be pointing out to the religious authorities that they had moved away from the relationship of faith which their ancestors lived with God. The inability of the leaders to see the relationship of Jesus to God the Father and the life of Jesus as being in the faith tradition of Abraham and Moses is evidence of the loss of depth in their contact with God. The Pharisees point to the kind of religiosity which we fall into where our practices and habits become self satisfying ritual and, as Friar Jude reminds us, we avoid the expressions of our faith which set us aside and identify us as people on the journey to holiness as we seek, through faith the full flowering of our being as transformed into living in and as Christ.

Faith evidenced in action

Throughout salvation history, the relationship between God and people has been presented in the actions of individuals who have responded in faith and obedience to the Will of God. The Roman Catholic Lectionary today touches on the response of Abraham, David, Joseph and Jesus. Friar Jude Winkler points out the passage from the 2^nd Book of Samuel in which the prophet Nathan tells David of the change from charismatic selection of the kings of Israel to the establishment of a Davidic line of succession which remained intact until the Exile to Babylon. Paul explains in the letter to the Romans the nature of the righteousness of Abraham before God. The relationship between God and Abraham is established on faith. The trust in God that the Covenant promises would be fulfilled was at a level beyond the limits of rational thought. The Gospel from Matthew tells of the faith of Joseph who was open to the prompting of the Spirit of God, in a dream, to go beyond the righteous requirements of an observant Jew, which Friar Jude comments would have been to allow Mary to be stoned according to the Law, and to take her as his wife. The example of Joseph is the compassion, obedience, prayerfulness and faithfulness of his response to the mission God had set before him. The alternate Gospel from Luke describes the action of Jesus in faithfulness to the mission to be about the affairs of His Father. This episode, which introduces the anxiety which sometimes accompanies our choice of the Way, also underlines the essential mission of being faithful to our calling and obedient to the guiding people and inspiration of the Spirit as we journey to holiness

False Accusations

The scenario of being judged in court figures prominently in the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today. We are not surprised about stories of the manipulation of justice by lies and deception. The specter of being falsely accused is in the consciousness of those who follow Jesus. The young man Daniel is characterized by Friar Jude Winkler as being an unexpected source of wisdom, light and truth in the passage from the Book of Daniel about the trial of Susanna. The trust of Susanna and her family in Providence is the trust which Christians depend will strengthen our relationship with Jesus. We experience the love, light, wisdom, truth and intimacy with God that is Jesus. In the passage from the Gospel of John, He is the extremely unlikely Messiah to the Pharisees, who have created a god who complies with their order and organization of the Law. Our assumptions about the nature of God are challenged in the intimacy of Jesus Presence. He offers the testimony of the two who are one to the Pharisees. The Father and Jesus testify to His nature. He proclaims that the Father and He are One. The delivery of this testimony in the life of someone who strikes the people as ringing true in the authority and profound authenticity of the Word is more than the Pharisees can counter. They seek a judgement to cause His death.

The New Journey

The text from the Letter of Paul to the Philippians from theRoman Catholic Lectionary for today expresses the revelation to Paul, which Friar Jude Winkler suggests may have come from a near death experience, that the titles, privilege and preference attributed to the Pharisee, descendant of Benjamin and protector of the Law of his previous life are rubbish compared to the relationship he is coming to know in Christ. The Prophet Isaiah tells the people of Israel, in exile in Babylon, that God seeks a new relationship with them through which the desolation of exile will be replaced with the Promise in the renewed Covenant that they will be protected in a second Exodus as they return through the desert to Jerusalem. We are presented individually and as a community and Church with opportunities to reset our direction and strike out with the power of the Spirit of God on a new journey. Our steps in the new direction hesitate because of the new territory through which we are being led. Father Larry Gillick SJ reflects on the way in which the Pharisees bring Jesus to trial in the episode from the Gospel of John. They present Him with a choice to follow the old path of strict adherence to the Law and the authority of the Pharisees who defend their interpretation of the Law or to present the vision of God who fulfills the Law in Jesus and calls the religious authorities to a new path of compassion, reconciliation and freedom from sin as He graces the woman brought to Him with this loving attention. The election of a Pope can be a time to hear a call from God to a new direction which leads us to be the believer who contemplates the love and compassion of God for all creation as we scratch our markings on the ground in humble service to others as vessels of the mercy of God.

Our jump to the conclusion

The Roman Catholic Lectionary today reminds us of our tendency to jump to our own conclusions. This quick think may lead us to further confusion. Friar Jude Winkler tells of the difficulty voiced by Jeremiah as he calls on the justice of God to spare his life as the righteous servant of God and punish those who seek his death. The powerful leaders of Judah, who were urged by Jeremiah to accept the punishment of God for their abandonment of the Covenant with God, direct the blame for the situation to Jeremiah. Our natural inclination is to agree with Jeremiah, though the degree of vengeance we see in this passage and in the words of the psalmist may not sit well with modern Christian thought. Friar Jude reminds us that the justice of God is exercised over an eternal time frame. We are invited to be the ambassadors of Christ, Who offers forgiveness to His persecutors and Who creates changed hearts in those who follow Him. The Gospel from John describes the quick and faulty analysis of the people who try to resolve the question of the Messianic nature of Jesus. He is determined to be not from Bethlehem and not approved by the religious authorities so obviously He cannot be the Messiah. Our methodology of finding the evidence to suit our conclusions is at least as old as Jesus ministry in Jerusalem. The theme of the conversion of Nicodemus, which can be traced in the Gospel of John, is evidence for the impact of reserving judgement and allowing the grace of God to shine through situations.

Handle the Truth

The Roman Catholic Lectionary today presents texts which suggest meditation on the impact people who try to live according to the prompting of the Spirit of God have on those who have rejected God in their lives. The choice of a life based on self serving attention to our passions seems to be easily accepted by the world as the natural way of humanity. The text from the Book of Wisdom shows the emptiness of this direction is revealed in the bright light of the people who practice compassion, care and forgiveness. These people rely on a relationship with God to see their brothers and sisters as God sees them. This choice to focus on the other as instruments of the Love of God arouses the ire of those who have rejected this direction of selflessness. In the passage from the Gospel of John, we see how the followers of Jesus often share the rejection and disdain which He suffered as the confusion, which Friar Jude Winkler comments was sown among the people of Jesus time about His origin and mission, remains today. Our humanity is not comfortable with cognitive dissonance. We struggle to relieve the stress of conflict between different ideas by elimination and selection of our own truth. Too often the truth of the Servant Son of God present with us is the option which our self interest rejects. 

How I see it

The tendency of people to read into events the interpretation which best suits our own plan and desire comes to mind through the texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today. In the passage from the Book of Exodus, God confronts Moses with the decision of the Israelites he has left in the desert to build and worship a representation of a calf made from gold they have brought out of Egypt. Friar Jude Winkler mentions the Yiddish word chutzpah to describe the challenging dialog Moses engages in with God. He comments that Catholic dialog with God rarely takes this form. The conviction that God provides everything we need should call us to be more persistent and passionate as we petition Him. Jesus presents three forms of testimony about His Divinity to the Scribes and Pharisees who seek to destroy Him. He cites the mission of John the Baptist, the declaration of the Father and the evidence that the followers of Moses can find in Scripture. As Friar Jude notes, we do often read and interpret Scripture according to our own exegesis. The Tradition of the Church is a great resource to bring to our Scriptural interpretation. Our contemplation of the Divine, inspired by the Spirit and guided by the history of those who have wrestled with the same questions will produce conclusions less of our own making and more in accord with the steadfast love of God.

Bold proclamation

The Roman Catholic Lectionary today presents texts with a bold proclamation of the dominion of God. The Book of the prophet Isaiah proclaims the protection of God as the exiles are welcomed to return to Jerusalem where a city which the scattered, desolate and prisoners can again be the example of the Covenant between God and His people. The impression that God has forgotten His people is to be rejected as Isaiah compares God to being more faithful than the nursing mother who cannot forget the child at her breast. (lyrics of Isaiah49 by Carey Landry). The psalmist proclaims the grace and mercy of God of steadfast love, Who is slow to anger and Who shows compassion to all Creation. In the Gospel from John, Jesus counters the disapproval of the Pharisees about healing on the Sabbath with a bold assertion that He must follow the Will of His Father, God. The idea of God being in human form as Jesus states is beyond even the understanding of the Messiah who would return to restore the Kingdom of David to Israel. Jesus declares that passage from death to life is Present to those who accept the Son of God. The invitation to life and the healing actions of Jesus are the Will of the Father to which Jesus is subject and through which resurrection to life is offered to people. 

Grace flows

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary call on our imagination and our logical mind. The description of the life flowing from the Temple in Jerusalem which is crafted by the priest Ezekiel in exile in Babylon creates the picture of how life and healing flows from the worship of God. Friar Jude Winkler comments that Roman Catholic understanding of these phenomena would be grace. He notes that communion with God and our rejection of His Presence are not private matters. When people assess our mood as good or bad they are detecting the aura which we radiate to them. The person in search of life and holiness draws the life and goodness of others to the surface and brightens the environment. This can be evidenced as we offer a smiling face and happy eyes to the people we encounter. We will see the life in others drawn to the surface. Conversely our self serving and inward focused face will deflect the generosity in others from rising to our attention. The Gospel from John tells of Jesus encounter with a paralysed man who had spent 38 years in his condition as he tried to seek healing in the pool of the five porticos near the Temple. The response of Jesus to the need of the man was compassion and healing. The rules in the Law, as interpreted by Pharisees, prohibit healing and carrying your mat on the Sabbath. The suggestion which may seem logical and reasonable to us that after 38 years “what difference would another day make?” is not the decision of Jesus. The tensions in this choice inform our decisions about priorities. The rules in society are sometimes obstacles to seeing the action we need to take in care and compassion. The practice of patience and the maintenance of peace among people may favour action at a later time or in a different manner. Our call for Grace in making these decisions will dispose us to be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit as make these decisions today.

new heaven new earth

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary point to the transformation which comes from the Word of God. Friar JudeWinkler comments on the passage from the third section of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah in which the desolation and destruction in Jerusalem experienced by the returning exiles from Babylon is countered by the promise in the Word of God of an entirely new creation of heaven and earth and the full restoration of life within the Holy City. The psalm today is titled to indicate thanksgiving to God for recovery from an incurable disease. The Gospel of John relates the healing of the son of a royal official who lay ill in Capernaum by Jesus Word proclaiming that it is done. Our Christian experience of the Word is expressed in the beginning of John’s Gospel. The Word is made flesh and dwells among us. This Presence of the Word in Eucharist and our desire to model Mary and declare in faith that the Will of God be accomplished though our lives is the transformation which begins the new heaven and the new earth promised through the message of  Isaiah.

The turn to wholeness

The reconciliation mission is prominent in the texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary. The Will of God which was accomplished by the exodus of His people from Egypt to life in the Promised Land is marked in the text from the Book of Joshua. The desire of God is to roll back the disgrace of Egypt and remove the guilt and disconnection which has been the experience of the people in the desert. The Israelites at Gilgal accept the return to Jewish tradition and customs as the men are circumcised and the Passover is celebrated with the fruits of the land of Canaan. Paul addresses the Corinthians with the proclamation that we are new creations in Christ. The disgrace of our previous journey is redeemed by Jesus. We are invited to celebrate our forgiveness and let it be transforming to us so that we who are forgiven become the forgiving people. Friar Jude Winkler comments on the power of love which is unconditional to transform lives. We can witness transformation as a consequence of love. The Gospel from Luke is a parable which Jesus uses to draw attention to the difficulties we have with inclusion and exclusion. Jesus eats with sinners. The generous or “prodigal” Father in the parable is not behaving as a Righteous Jew. The younger son who takes his inheritance should be considered “as dead” to his father. The text indicates that the father kept vigil in hope of the return of his son as he saw him return while he was a long way off. Father Larry Gillick SJ comments on how we likely live internally with some of both sons in our personal relationship with God. Our righteous, hard working, loyal and productive self is the older son. We understand the rules and we follow them. Everyone should follow the rules. The consequence of not following the rules is trouble brought upon ourselves. The younger son in our being challenges the norms and desires self gratification. We experience in our younger son the separation from God which calls us to return. We are aware of our unworthiness and we are overwhelmed by the generosity of God in blessing our decision to redirect and reset our way. The parable invites us to place ourselves in the character of all three, younger, older and father. We can acknowledge parts of our lives where we live the good and bad actions of all of them. As we celebrate reconciliation with God we continue the mission as ambassadors of Christ.

Reflect on our position

Psalm 51 from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today is a powerful prayer of the person who is deeply aware of his place as one who sins against God. Humility is the path through which we become aware of our state and like the author of the text from Hosea we seek restoration of our relationship with God. Friar Jude Winkler comments that we too often can approach God with attitudes of pride and pious pretending. We present ourselves in ways which we hope will give others a sense of how observant we are of religious practice. The message of the Gospel from Luke where the proud Pharisee and the humble publican pray in the temple does not surprise us. We are too aware sometime of the religious hypocrisy of others while we avoid the deep reflection of the author of Psalm 51 about our state before God, Who desires to wash us clean and have us bloom like the desert of Jesus homeland after the spring rain.

Hear of God

The scribe and Jesus come to agree on the nature of the first Commandment today in the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary. This agreement between Jesus and the religious authorities of His time seems to be rare in the works of the Evangelists. This section of the Gospel of Mark is Jesus presentation of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). The central prayer and instruction to Israel is to hear. The Word which we hear tells us that God is the focus of our life. We love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Friar Jude Winkler explains the heart is understood in Jesus time as the centre of our intellect, the soul as our life force, the mind as our conscious awareness of the worldly distractions from God, and the strength as our physical possessions which we use to serve the Will of God. This ancient and modern commitment to God is the basis whereby we can act to treat our neighbours as ourselves. The texts from Hosea and the petition of the psalmist today reveal what we know too well that we are in need of reset and return to God as we continue to be attracted by and stumble on the illusions of better life and greater freedom from a world focused on self satisfaction and getting all we can by trust in human motivations and intrigues. The command echoes in our consciousness “Hear, O Israel”.

Our own direction

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today present dualistic arguments to people concerning the direction in which they are taking their lives. In some sense, the dualism is an important parameter here. God tells Jeremiah that he is to tell the people how they have turned their backs on the statutes and decrees He has given them to live in accord with the Will of God. That Will is for the people to be examples of the goodness which results from Covenant relationship with God. Friar Jude Winkler comments on the stiff necked disposition of the people who need to turn around to know the love, mercy and forgiveness of God. The image of turning our back is the dualism. Some might contend that we really try to keep God in view over our shoulder as we turn slightly away from the good that He would want for us. One aspect of that good for us that we find difficult is discipline. The person who chooses good and God is the opposite of those who hardened their hearts at Maribah in the desert as recalled by the psalmist. The Gospel from Luke today concludes with a strong dualistic statement for people to choose being with Jesus or being against Him. Friar Jude comments that this passage contains literary and argument devices and word plays. The Jewish technique to create a dualism for the purpose of discussion and discovery of truth may play a role in the ending of this passage as the sense of Jesus instructions to His disciples from earlier in His ministry is the opposite phrase. Stiff necked, back turned, heart hardened and possessed by demons are reflections of our decisions to do it our way.  The Way of Love is a different direction.  

Law of Life

The Law is celebrated in the texts from the RomanCatholic Lectionary today. The passage from the Book of Deuteronomy is the presentation of the Laws which God has given the Israelites so that they may prosper in the land which has been given them after the Exodus and time in the desert. These Laws will show a people who are wise and gifted with direction from God. Our mission today continues to be to show the world a people in relationship with God through our intimate contact with Jesus. The Gospel from Matthew proclaims Jesus assertion that He is to fulfill the Law not to reject it. Friar Jude Winkler points out that this passage is within the Sermon on the Mount where the description of those blessed by God describes behaviour in which humility, compassion, mercy, peace, truth and the struggle for holiness in the face of ridicule are the signs of people in harmony with the Will of God. As the Law and Prophets provide a discipline which guides holiness, the Spirit of God writes the Law of Love in our hearts so that our action will anticipate and strive to complete the intention of a strictly legalistic moral code.

Most merciful

A theme which emerges out of the texts of the Roman CatholicLectionary today is mercy. The petition to God for mercy comes when we face our limits and we are aware of the promise of a full life from God in which we have not been full participants. The desire we have to be returned to life initiates our call for mercy which we hope will result in our restoration. The prayer for intervention in the passage from the Book of Daniel is recognition of God as faithful to the Covenant and the presentation of a people who have by their own actions been reduced so they no longer have the life which might be examples of the graciousness of God. In the Gospel from Matthew, Peter begins his conversation about forgiveness with the suggestion to Jesus that he need forgive his brother seven times. Friar Jude Winkler points out that in Hebrew numerology “7” is the perfect number and in this context Peter is expressing that he gets it. He needs to forgive a perfect or “infinite” number of times. Jesus makes the point that even the most generous forgiveness imagined by humanity is trumped an infinite number of infinities of forgiveness by God. Friar Jude warns of the temptation to quantify sin and forgiveness as we often do in comparing our sins, which we might classify as insignificant, to the great transgressions of others. The mystics and Fathers of the Church understood that our sin is to be considered in relation to the graciousness we have known from God.  From those to whom much is given, much is expected. Our petition to God for mercy is rooted in our experience of the loss of intimacy which has resulted from our choices in life. We give thanks for the infinite Love which triumphs.

Expectations for God

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today bring us into contact with our tendency to want God to be according to our expectations. We miss the irony that the One from whom we often seek extra human evidence of His existence is expected to adhere to human direction. The tone of the psalmist and some of the Prophets to present God with the argument that His intervention is necessary to demonstrate to the godless the reality of the God of Israel seems to border on irreverent. The healing of the Syrian, Naamen, in the episode from the Second Book of Kings reveals the danger of our self image becoming an obstacle to receiving life from God. We often dismiss opportunities which arise and attract us for a moment as not suitable for our attention because they don’t fit our image of where we are in our spiritual journey. We set them aside as too simple, too complicated, too intense, too frivolous, too early, too late... Our disposition sets the environment in which we are prepared to hear and react. The prayer of seekers for humility and vulnerability sets our encounter with the Divine in a direction of openness to change. Moving toward less of self allows us to begin to see the light and truth praised by the psalmist which leads us to the dwelling place of God. The Gospel from Luke concludes the scene in the synagogue of Nazareth where Jesus attracts and captures the attention of the people with His message of the graciousness of God and the authority with which He presents the Word, yet the openness to see Him as the fulfillment of the Promise is a “bridge too far” for the believers in His home town. Why can’t we see? This is the rearrangement of the question we naturally have for the people of Nazareth so that we might reflect on our own disposition for revelation of Truth.

Identity and Mission

The psalmist from the texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today presents the way whereby we can approach God when we are aware of our own distance from the life giving mission in which we are continuously invited to live. We begin in thanksgiving. The episode in the Book of Exodus of the encounter between God and Moses at Mount Horeb, which is outside Egypt on the Sinai peninsula, is preceded by the story of the gratitude which Moses father-in-law expressed to him by giving Moses his daughter in marriage. With gratitude to God for his position as shepherd of the flocks of Jethro, Moses is attracted to the manifestation of God in the burning bush. God addresses the guilt and sense of inadequacy of Moses by making it clear that the instrument of the mission to free His people Israel from the oppression of the Egyptians is the unworthy one, Moses. The people of Corinth to whom Paul writes were in difficulty because self centered attitudes and practices were moving them to consider the messages of other spiritual guides who were arguing that their desires for self service could be accommodated in their search for spiritual enlightenment. Paul cites the experience of the Israelites as the complaining and selfish desires of some prevented them from attaining the promise of the mission of exodus through which God was leading them. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus uses the example of grave consequences which fell upon some Jewish people who appeared, in popular opinion, to be condemned as grievous sinners, to instruct us that our mission to bear fruit of love, compassion and forgiveness is routed in our own attraction to God and is constantly nourished by the Shepherd to be life giving.

Need not worthiness

The Gospel text from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today is the Parable of the Prodigal. Luke sets this powerful teaching by Jesus in a scene where Jesus is eating with tax collectors and sinners. Friar JudeWinkler notes that the attitude of the Pharisees that sin is contagious lives on in our concern about the company we keep. The difficulty with the approach of the Pharisees is that the people who need to know God as portrayed in this powerful parable are those who know deep separation from God. The irony that bites believers is that we can identify all too well with the older brother who has been doing the bidding of the Father and still waits for his day when the reward will come for his effort. The truth that we live in relationship with God is sometimes under appreciated by believers. The need for forgiveness which the Father addresses in the superlative way while waiting for the separated, and in Jewish tradition as if dead, son to turn home without interrogation of motive and with overwhelming signs of welcome is played out continuously in the lives of those who still live in the Father`s house. The joy of the psalmist who knows the deep life that God provides the sheep of His flock in which He remains steadfast in removing the obstacles to growing Love in our relationship rings out in praise and thanksgiving. The text from the Prophet Micah proclaims the fidelity of God to compassion and the destruction of our sin. The Shepherd of Israel continues to be made visible through the generous forgiveness taught by Jesus which is based on our need for return to God not on our deserving to come Home.

Becoming the cornerstone

The texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary bring us to consider how jealousy and envy can be fanned into severe action against others. The story of the treatment of Joseph, favoured son of Jacob and Rachael, by his brothers who were not living up to their responsibility to their brother, but were driven by their assessment of events to desire his death. Friar JudeWinkler refers to the Jewish concept of goel as the kinsperson who takes care of your welfare. We might think of the one who “has your back”. Matthew writes of Jesus telling a parable of the tenants who reject their responsibility to care for the vineyard and kill those sent by the landowner, even his son, when attempts are made to restore the vineyard to production. Friar Jude notes the Pharisees understood that Jesus was referring to the care of the people of Israel and the lack of life giving relationship with God under the control of the religious authorities. We find difficulty with those who point out our inadequacy. This is a dilemma. Changes we desire in others may be for “their own good”. As we find ourselves in the role of Joseph or the son of the landlord, we may pause to wonder if our approach to the other may have been a source of their extreme reaction to us. Perhaps the messenger has no responsibility for the reaction of those who reject him. Jesus reminds us that the injustice which causes rejection will be transformed as the one rejected is raised as the cornerstone.