Shining treasure

Let’s face it. A veil is meant to cover things which are not to be seen. The texts today from the Roman CatholicLectionary explore the great value which is sometimes hidden by a veil. The text from the Book of Exodus describes the change in the appearance of the face of Moses which occurred after he was meeting with God on Mt Sinai and in the tent of meeting. We understand and may have experienced how intimate encounter with the Divine changes our attitude. Friar Jude Winkler notes that our encounter with God changes our heart. It promotes a change in attitude. This may be joy, peace, forgiveness and generosity. This change is visible on our face and in our action. It is our shining because of the great value we contain. Our life in the Spirit, which Paul presented in a particular way to the Corinthians as outshining the life of the Covenant with Moses (2 Cor 3:7-9) and which Friar Jude notes is marked by the tearing of the veil before the Holy of Holies in the Temple so that the full glory of God in Christ can be seen by all people at all times, is the visible witness which Paul declared to the Philippians (Philippians 3:8) made everything refuse by comparison. The Gospel of Matthew looks at two parables which compare the Kingdom of Heaven, our living in relationship with Jesus, to finding treasure and pearls. The action of the people who encounter such value in the parables and who sell everything to acquire that value is a difficult movement for modern people to contemplate when we are so connected to social economic activity which appears to be connected to our sustenance and which spreads our time and treasure over many areas. What do we sell? Friar Jude phrases the question in a way which we can better approach our attitude toward the value of our relationship with Jesus. What event in life would cause me to lose my faith? That death of a loved one, the loss of my employment, a natural disaster, humiliation or loss of prestige which would cause my loss of faith is something I value more than the treasure of relationship with the Divine.

Looking for a clear choice

How can we get a picture of God from the texts today in the Roman Catholic Lectionary? The obvious answer might be from simply reading the texts. There are apparent contradictions and paradox in these passages. FriarJude Winkler notes that the Exodus reading is two passages which have been pasted together and from which we are encouraged to be aware of signs around us of the Presence of God. Friar Jude notes the disagreement in Biblical text about seeing God face to face. We too often think that our understanding of God would be so much better if He, or His Prophets, or Jesus would just clearly define Him and tell us what He wants us to do to get the prize. The God who introduces Himself in the words in Exodus today declares, in the opinion of John Piper, five attributes or Five Expressions of God's Nature. We understand merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness and forgiveness as the attributes for which psalmists and prophets praise God. These attributes of Father are certainly part of the experience of many believers. The texts raise the question of how God deals with sin. Most people have internal sensitivity to the difference between good and evil. The nature of God is good. The relationship to which we are invited by God transcends human limitations. We, like the Israelites following Moses, are required to choose. The encounter of Moses with God presented today is his second visit toreceive the Ten Commandments. The people chose to reject the Law from God after the first visit. The Gospel from Matthew today underlines the difference between good seed and weeds. Those who chose to join Jesus living in the Kingdom of God today through charity, selflessness and service will be Good Seed and they will produce the fruit of the Love of God in society. Those who choose to ignore the invitation of God to live in service, selflessness and charity may become impediments to the spread of the Love of God. They choose to be weeds. The parable from Matthew and the long experience of the people of God since the time of Moses is that God is patient and prepared to accept the choice to be in relationship with Him at all times and places.

Martha time

One of the temptations which we confront in daily life as we journey in response to the invitation to be in relationship with God is “to get it done”. The Roman Catholic Lectionary today uses text from the Book of Exodus which describes the events of the creation of a golden calf by the Israelites in the desert while Moses was up the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments from God. Rabbinical commentary on this event often categorizes the sin of the people as being that of idolatry, replacing the worship of God with worship of a false god. Friar Jude Winkler notes that it is very human for us to want to shape God to be as we would like and for us to have some control over how God responds and acts in our lives. The impatience of the Israelites, who apparently did not know where Moses was, is present in our lives when getting on with the journey on our terms is chosen over the prayerful patience to take in our present situation and live in the life given us today. The Gospel from Luke tells of Jesus visit to the home of Mary and Martha. This unfolding of events during this visit may seem to be forcing a choice between service in hospitality of Martha and the study as a disciple shown by Mary. Friar Jude notes that in the Middle Ages, this passage was used to justify the superiority of the contemplative life over the life of action. Martha certainly is keen to “get it done” and Mary seems to be unaware that Jesus and probably many of His followers are gathered and will need to receive some basic hospitality from their hosts. We often live in tension between apparently opposing forces. The method of prayerful patience offers time to better appreciate the present and see the value on all sides of these tensions. We can act with service like the Sisters of St Martha of Antigonish and still offer time as Presence to others in the model of Mary, the disciple.

Words to reveal

Study of the texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary using a mind map approach could show many different words which are connected to these passages. Chutzpah is a word which Friar Jude Winkler attaches to the nervy dialog of Abraham with God about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. This walking and talking with God is a feature of the style of the Yahwist Source of the Book of Genesis. The theme of sin-punishment-grace in the revelation of God to His creatures is part of the style of this source. Father Larry Gillick SJ also finds revelation about God in the texts today through the acronym A.S.K. (Ask, Seek and Knock). He compares the Love of God to parental love and he identifies the tension between what we would ask, seek and knock in a selfish, independence seeking motivation with what a loving parent gives, that which is best for us, and which may reveal to us that we are children or creatures who are very dependent on God for Life. The Holy Father in Rio this week, on the occasion of the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, addressed the deeply important role of family love, particularly the love of grandparents for their grandchildren as a powerful and deeply human means to transmit faith, wisdom and confidence in the revelation of God to children. We add to the mind map of love words the forgiveness proclaimed by Paul from God for those who are baptized into the life of Jesus which gives us the Spirit to overcome the movement toward sin and as Friar Jude notes, the extinguishing of a part of the Life as Creatures of God. Perhaps all the words which come from the texts today lead us to the position of thanksgiving presented by the psalmist and in this attitude we are preparing well, comments Father Larry, for the Eucharist when thanksgiving centres around becoming what we are, the Body of Christ!

Wheat witness

The relationship we have with God is not one sided. The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary emphasize that we choose to live in relationship with God and we demonstrate by our life the reality of our acceptance of His invitation. In the passage from the Book of Exodus, we read a description of the memorial built by Moses to witness to the Covenant which would be demonstrated by the adherence of the people of Israel to the Commandments which God had delivered to them through Moses. The ritual of the cutting of the Covenant is explained by Friar Jude Winkler as witness and acceptance and understanding of the people about the choice they are making between life and death. The psalmist praises the Covenant of the people with God with brings Life. The Gospel from Matthew is the parable of the Wheat and the Weeds. The parable form of teaching is very much in the style of the rabbi of Jesus time. We are attracted by the story. We need to be aware that there may be an illogical or paradoxical proposition in the text with which we need to dialogue and dispute. Some commentators note that there are weeds which we want to remove from the wheat of our lives. The life style which pursues power, privilege, pride and pleasure will contain weeds of selfish habits which can and should be plucked from our lives. The struggle of faithful believers against some of the weeds in their lives is a long battle. This parable is interpreted by Friar Jude as containing the message that God is extremely patient and gives us time to work these weeds from our lives. The Evangelist may have been, as we often seem to be, impatient with the inaction of God to clear out the “bad” influences from the community of faithful. Let the relationship we have with God open our eyes to the weeds and give us the wisdom to work with God to bring our lives to be witness to our relationship with the Divine.

Parents Provide Promise

The parents of Mary, Mother of Jesus, are celebrated today in the liturgy for which the texts in the Roman CatholicLectionary are chosen. The texts today for Canada are different from those in the United States about which Friar Jude Winkler has prepared his reflection. Honouring our parents is a way of following the Will of God. This is a command of the Law which is in the Ten Commandments. It is a deep cultural component of life for many people of the earth. We are genetically tied to our parents. We learn how to live in family and community from our parents. The life of Mary prior to her ``Yes`` to God, which is the Incarnation, was under the guidance of Saint Anne and Saint Joachim. The learning of parenthood is grounded in our experience of parenting from our family. The life of Jesus until He began His Public Ministry was in the family of Mary and Joseph. The promise to David for which the psalmist praises God today would be fulfilled by Jesus. The action of Jesus described by Matthew, to an audience with a Jewish culture, in Chapter 13 of his Gospel, presents a teacher who uses parables to bring deep truths about God to people who come to learn from Him. This image of Jesus fits the action of the rabbi who taught Jewish students in His time. The development of a rabbi inJesus time was a process which according to some scholars was most devotedly followed in Galilee. The establishment of the Holy Family in Nazareth exposed them to an environment which it is argued was quite different than the world of the Jews in Jerusalem and Judah. In this community, the skills of being mother which Mary brought from her home, the ancestry of Joseph which called for faith in the Promise to David and an environment which encouraged the development of people prepared as rabbi would form the humanity of Jesus. The text from Matthew has Jesus celebrate the insight which those who are His disciples have through His Life and the Holy Spirit into His Mission to fulfill the Promise.

Strength in earthen vessels

A powerful paradox of living in the Kingdom is that strength comes so often from weakness. The Roman Catholic Lectionary today is chosen for the feast of James martyr and Apostle. The feast day of this saint is particularly important for the suffering people today in Santiago de Compostela who are attempting to cope with the tragic death of 77 people in a high speed train accident on the evening before the feast of Santiago (Saint James). The nature of believers is proclaimed by Paul to the Corinthians as fragile earthen vessels who show the life of Christ within their lives by the service and love they give to others in the midst of suffering and human failure. The message of our relationship with Jesus is that we are conduits of the great things that God does to free and sustain us which are raised today in praise by the psalmist. The stories of the weak and fragile carrying hope and life to others abound in the history of the recovery program of Doctor Bob and Bill W known as Alcoholics Anonymous. Pope Francesco is shown in press reports today listening to earthen vessels at a Brazilian Addiction Recovery Center speak to him of change and the triumph of Life over death in their lives. The death to self which opens our lives to serve and radiate the Life of Christ is the Christian mission which Jesus explains to the Jewish Mother of the sons of Zebedee as she intervenes for the placing of her sons in places of importance in the coming Kingdom of Jesus. Friar Jude Winkler notes that the Gospel of Matthew is more respectful of the Apostles than the Gospel of Mark where the request to Jesus is made by James and John themselves. The leadership to Life is through becoming a slave, like Paul to the Will of God to be the conduit of life and, as Pope Francesco proclaims, joy to all. Saint James is credited with the wisdom that “prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective”. The tension between God Present and God apparently absent in the wake of great personal tragedy among believers in Santiago and the tension between tradition and reform living in the person of the “Pope of the poor” presents suffering today for earthen vessels who will know the prayer of the Living Body of Christ as they shine with His Love today.

PS Prayer is the focus of the Gospel for Sunday. Check it out 

Hear Saints

The question of how much of our heart is in our attention to our relationship with God arises from the texts today in the Roman CatholicLectionary. The Book of Exodus tells us that the people, who had witnessed their freedom from slavery in Egypt through the action of the mighty arm of God, now complain of hunger and protest that God has left them to die. Our focus can return to our own needs and wants even as we journey with God. The Church today celebrates the Lebanese saint, Sharbel Makhluf, who was a priest hermit known for holiness and healing who did not move far from his hermitage for his entire life. The openness of the heart of the saint to the Word of God is contrasted to the attitude of stubbornness which causes people not to hear or see the action of the Word, presented by Jesus in the parable of the sower from the Gospel of Matthew. The stony ground of the stubborn heart is described by FriarJude Winkler as the person who has not received the portion of the Great Commandment which calls on people to love God with their whole heart. The heart, to the people of Jesus time, was the source of complete thinking and feeling. This parable of the sower was a way in which the people could understand the relationship to God of the Great Commandment in the practical experience of sowing seed which can easily be easily imagined and recalled in sketches and images. The love of God with our full soul will strengthen us against being shallow soil which rejects the Word when trial and disappointment comes into our lives. The love of God with all our material possessions, according to Friar Jude, will prevent our self concern for security or lust for pleasures from being the cause of our rejection of God. The Good Soil which produces the fruit of spreading the Word to others is nourished by good works, self sacrifice and penitential practice. As this chapter from Matthew continues, Jesus compares the stubborn of heart to those people in the prophesy of Isaiah (Isaiah 6:9). The Great Commandment in Deuteronomy 6:5-9 follows the great Shema prayer of Israel which is a daily reminder to listen to God as we journey to holiness. 

Song of Crossing the Sea

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary open quite a few paths for our reflection and study. The passages from Exodus which detail the crossing of the sea may be a starting point for contemplation on the violence which claims the Egyptian forces and the relationship this has to God. Many commentators use this passage to present “Red Sea” versus “reed sea” comments to bring the mighty action of God in greater harmony with geography and archaeology. Friar Jude Winkler takes us to the ancient origin of the Song of Miriam which concludes the Exodus texts today. This song has deep spiritualmeaning in Jewish Tradition. It touches a truth in human experience that we often turn to music and song (poetry and art) to try to capture experience which is beyond words. The saving action of God in bringing the Israelites out of Egypt at the time of persecution in the personal experience of Miriam is seen by some rabbinic commentators as a threefold development of the faith of the people in God. Trust as the foundation of faith is experienced by Miriam as she places Moses in the Nile to escape the death sentence of Pharaoh. The trust is deepened for her, the Israelites and for many believers by an experience of transcendence. The Presence is experienced as truly beyond human understanding and the change promised in trust becomes believable. The third phase of faith development comes with Moses delivering the Law whereby the mission of the people to live according to the will of God is faith in action. In the Gospel from Matthew today, the seeds are also sown, as noted by Friar Jude, to explore the nature of Jesus “brothers and sisters” through language and comparison of Roman Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox tradition but the deeper link to faith development and to Exodus is through the proclamation of Jesus to the Christian Jewish audience of Matthew that the faith relationship with God is to do the Will of the Father.

Magdalene sings Love

The Calendar of Saints in Canada assigns today to Saint Mary Magdalene, disciple of the Lord. The Roman Catholic Lectionary for Canada offers two options for the first reading. The Song of Songs is love poetry. It expresses the deep passion of lovers for the presence of each to the other. Jewish and Christian scholars have seen the depth of the passion for the Presence of God in these verses. The alternate passage from the second letter of Paul to the Corinthians proclaims the new person who we are as we join in the victory over death that Christ gives humanity through His Love. This victory is lived by followers of the Way as love which is selfless and directed to the other. The life of Mary Magdalene is associated with deep love of Jesus. Friar JudeWinkler notes that she is the proto-Apostle because Jesus first appearance to His disciples after His Resurrection is to her. Popular accounts of the life ofMary where she is associated with other figures in the Gospels, a prostitute, the woman washing the feet of Jesus with her tears and Mary the sister of Lazarus are not proper according to Friar Jude. The sense of Mary from the Gospel is of one deeply in love and single minded about Jesus. The dialogue with the man, who she initially mistakes as the gardener, presents two important points to lovers and Christian believers. Jesus receives and acknowledges the great love of Mary and He cautions her not to cling to Him. Love requires giving all to the beloved, especially the freedom to choose. The new creation of the Resurrection is a changed being. We are encouraged and challenged by change. Love brings and sustains change. Embrace it!

Hospitality Mystery

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary invite us to consider practical traditional and good ideas and practices in a different light. There is a tension between the path of life which our cultures, our experience, our education and our current practice expects us to follow and the possibility that leaping into a journey which relies only on trust in God is the path of fullness in life. Father Larry Gillick SJ frames this tension in terms of the practical and the impractical. The meeting of Abraham at Mamre  with three visitors touches on the practice of hospitality toward quests in the desert because, as Friar Jude Winkler notes, you may be responsible for their death if you do not supply sustaining nourishment. The response of Abraham is impractical and over the top. He prepares food for many more people than he has to feed. The visitors in Jewish tradition are God and two angels. Christian reflection understands them to be the Trinity. The blessing for Sarah (and Abraham) that they will be parents of a son within the year is an impractical gift to an elderly couple expecting to be at the end of life. The plan of God is a mystery. The blessing of Abraham and Sarah may be thought to be a consequence of their hospitality or their hospitality is an aspect of their giftedness which the Lord will develop as they continue their journey in the mystery.  Paul addresses the Colossians proclaiming thanksgiving for the suffering he has endured in his mission to reveal the Promise of Life in Jesus to the Gentiles. The impractical journey which trusts in the God is not without suffering. The very idea of choosing such a path is likely to attract ridicule and rejection. The privilege experienced by Paul in being persecuted, treated rudely, imprisoned and rejected by the leaders of the Jewish Pharisee community, who had nurtured his development in the practical practice of faith in God, is difficult for the practical mind to accept. The Gospel from Luke, who is continuing to express Jesus instructions to His disciples for the method to navigate the journey which they have begun, shows the reaction of Martha and Mary to the arrival of Jesus (and likely many disciples) at their home during Passover. In our hospitality tradition we can imagine an Easter visit by good friends and their friends which appears to overwhelm our expectations and we begin to dig up food and drink for our quests. It is Martha who appears to take the practical (and perhaps necessary) steps to be hospitable. The impracticality of Jesus pointing out that Mary has chosen the better part challenges us to move toward the mystery and trust that God has a plan. In a practical sense, Friar Jude notes that the better hospitality toward quests is probably related to listening to them and being present with them.

Steadfast and for All

The text in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today from the Book of Exodus tells of the beginning of the journey to freedom as the agricultural feast of Passover becomes the celebration of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. The number of people cited is likely an exaggeration, as noted by Friar Jude Winkler. A range of 5 to 15 thousand people is thought more likely. The exultation of the psalmist captures the thanksgiving of Israel to God for this mighty action. Research shows that there were Gentiles who escaped with the Jews from Egypt. The Steadfast Love experienced in the events of Passover is for all people. The text from the Gospel of Matthew, written by a Jew for a Jewish Christian audience, tells of Jesus as the Suffering Servant of the Prophet Isaiah. This servant is to bring justice and hope to the Gentiles through the actions lived by Jesus in surrender, obedience and love. The journey from Rameses to Succoth in Exodus continues toward the freedom of all people through living daily in relationship with God who is with us.

Remember

The path of those who seek God is, of course, woven throughout history. The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary are important statements of faith relationships which are in tension with the events of time which may be historically different than the application of those events in our belief and practice. The psalmist praises aspects of the relationship with God which are timeless and experienced throughout history. The text from the Book of Exodus is the prescription to Moses of the manner of the celebration of the Passover prior to the freeing of the Hebrew people from captivity in Egypt. Friar Jude Winkler explores the history of the Passover as it has been put together by scholars. The faithfulness of Israel is to God and the remembering the freedom resulting from “passing over” which moved a chosen people to bring experience of relationship with God to all peoples. The Gospel of Matthew today is Jesus explanation to the Pharisees that over scrupulous observation of every legalistic point of the “Law” is not the “mercy of God”. It is not even an accurate presentation of Jewish tradition that the Law was always observed to the letter. The final verses of the Gospel today have been often been interpreted to justify conclusions about Jesus which agree with our personal Christology. Friar Jude notes that Jesus may be claiming rabbinic authority of the binding and loosing of the Law or He may be revealing the Divine Authority over all Law. The linking of the “Son of Man” is to Daniel 7 and the SufferingServant of Isaiah. The believer can use these links to present a fuller vision of the nature of Jesus, not restricted to being in time, from a point of view of faith in time and tradition. The questions of faith are often more important than the answers.

Want to know by name

The Name of God is an exploration for contemplation which can start with the texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary for today. The naming of people in earlier times, even two or three generations ago, in many cultures, was far more significant than today. In many European cultures, your name was tied to the work done by your family, baker, muller, carpenter, and parsons (Macpherson is son of the parson) are some examples. The Hebrew culture understood the name to be related to the essence of the being. Moses in the dialogue with God, at the burning bush from the passage from the Book of Exodus, asks God to reveal His name. The rabbis have different understandings of the response to Moses. Friar Jude Winkler notes two interpretations one which reveals God as a mystery about which Creatures are not likely to understand and a second which emphasizes the faithful Presence of God in service to His creatures. The psalmist proclaims the wonders that God would do through Moses “in the land of Ham” as he accepts the mission to free the Hebrews from Egypt. The Gospel from Matthew resonates, as noted by Friar Jude, with the “poor in spirit” who know disappointment, fatigue, oppression and struggle. The invitation from Jesus to be yoked with Him as we move through our journey comes in the Gospel of Matthew at the end of a chapter where the cities and people who have rejected His invitation are identified as He expresses woe over their fateful decision. The Name of Jesus “God Saves” is the expression of the restorative, reconciliatory, compassionate and merciful nature of the Son.

PS Look ahead to Sunday 

Revelation of God

Revelation of God is a phrase which comes to mind through the texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today. The praise of the psalmist for the steadfast love, healing and mercy of God is closer to our experience of God than perhaps either the encounter of Moses with the burning bush inExodus or the praise of Jesus, Son for the revelation of the Father through the Son to the childlike in the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus points to the understanding of the childlike of God in this Gospel. Friar Jude Winkler comments that the rabbinical thought at the time of Jesus was that greater study of the Law and the Tradition would reveal God to seekers. The danger of the study approach is that we build our own concept of the Divine into which we require that God fit. The openness of the childlike is to listen and not form opinions based on what they know. The Father knowing the Son and the Son knowing the Father is the relationship which reveals God. The childlike explore relationship without setting preconditions. Those inflected with building their own castle want to tie experience to structures, rules and human constraints in the time and space we understand and study. In accord with Moses, our humanity recognizes Holiness and our inadequacy to follow the will of God without the relationship offered by God to be with us along the journey. The childlike respond with the enthusiasm of “Let’s go!”

Making Hope a Habit

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary bring us to the geography of The Holy Land and some of the hope and despair which is in our spiritual heritage. The Land of Egypt which welcomed Joseph and his family was at that time controlled in the north by Hyksos, a Semitic people from Palestine. When the authority in Egypt returned to native people, Friar Jude Winkler reminds us that the Israelites were persecuted and the male children killed. The passage from Exodus today places Moses in the care of the daughter of Pharaoh until his rash action in killing an Egyptian, forces his exile to Midian in the Sinaitic Peninsula. The despair which prompted Moses to flee Egypt reminds us of those situations which are echoed in the prayer of the psalmist when we know that God will act in our lives at the acceptable time.  Friar Jude notes rabbinic tradition that Moses lived 40 years in each of three places, Egypt, Midian and the Sinai desert. We continue to put one foot in front of the other trusting in the abundance of the steadfast love of God. We will receive an answer to our petition. Our faithfulness is to continue to “Listen.” The residents of the cities around Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee have not heard the Word spoken by Jesus. We feel the distress in the expression of Jesus concern in the Gospel of Matthew about the woe they are bringing upon themselves. The feast, today, of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is tied to the geography of the region of northwesternIsrael near Haifa and the Mediterranean Sea. A Carmelite monastery was founded at the site shortly after the order itself was created, and was dedicated to Mary, in her aspect of Star of the Sea (stella maris in Latin) This is a common medieval presentation of Mary and one which is familiar in l’Acadie. The despair about the many persecutions raised against the Order of Mount Carmel, when it was newly arrived in Europe, prompted Saint Simon Stock, General of the Order, to turn with filial confidence to the Blessed Mother of God. As he knelt in prayer on July 16, 1251, in the White Friars’ convent at Cambridge, she appeared before him and presented him with the well-known brown scapular, a loose sleeveless garment destined for the Order of Carmel. Friar Jude encourages us to listen and live the Word we have heard from Jesus to avoid the fate of those cities mentioned in the Gospel today.

Getting to peace

The praise of the psalmist in the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today is for God who has saved His people from the snare of the fowler. This prayer looks beyond the details shared in the texts from Exodus and the Gospel of Matthew. The Semite rulers of Egypt who accepted Joseph and his family from Canaan have been overthrown. The Israelites are seen as a foreign threat within Egypt. They are oppressed and forced into slavery. The male children of the Israelites are ordered to be killed. We understand that the mighty arm of God will free the Israelites from the snare of the fowler through the leadership of Moses. It is natural for believers to wonder why the lives of these people, who would be freed by God, were lived in such difficulty. Friar Jude Winkler addresses some difficult sayings of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew which we find difficult to associate with the Prince of Peace. We know from history that the impact of the acceptance of Jesus Way by some has been their rejection, oppression and persecution by others. We also can find evidence that many of the wars in our history were fought with “God on our side” (and on both sides). The surrender of our will and what we may hold closer than our relationship with God is necessary to fully live in Christ. When ideas, country, economic security, ethnicity and even family come before our relationship with God, the Kingdom of the Prince of Peace is given second priority. We need to surrender our selfish motivations as we praise God for saving us from the fowler’s snare.

Comfort and distaste

Comfort and distaste are both present in the messages today from the texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary. Moses positions the Law and the Commandments of God as a revelation of the Will of God for the Israelites. God has not kept the Law distant from the people but has written the Law in their hearts. This passage from the Book of Deuteronomy prepares the dialogue which Jesus has with a lawyer, who may have been a student of Jesus, about how to practice the Great Commandment of God. The psalmist appeals to the mercy and steadfast Love of God to revive his heart as he is experiencing suffering and pain. The call to God in time of distress will also underlie the parable which is related by Jesus in the Gospel from Luke. Friar Jude Winkler notes that the portion of the letter of Paul to the Colossians which we read today is a likely part of a hymn which is about trying to figure out the nature of Jesus. The idea of Jesus, the Divine in a human body, would be distasteful to Greek thought which placed the spiritual invisible universe above the visible world. A visible God who had dominion over the powers of the spiritual world from Creation would be very much against the mainline thinking of Greeks. Commandments from God are ancient and the great commandment which Jesus prompts the lawyer to proclaim is rooted in the Shema of Deuteronomy 6:4-9. The question of Who is my neighbour is addressed by Father Larry Gillick SJ as he casts Jesus in the role of a hated Samaritan who acts as neighbour in response to the great commandment which is direction for all people not just the descendants of Israel. Father Larry notes that Mark Twain spoke of this parable as the part of the Bible which we wish everyone else has read. The role of the priest and the Levi in this parable are interpreted by Father Larry as an answer to the question about the relative importance of service of God in liturgy and ritual observance ( as might have concerned the priest and Levite) and service of God in the people placed in our lives now as in the example of the Good Samaritan. We are reminded today of the recent action of Pope Francesco in calling attention to the plight of the immigrants and refugees of the world. These people are lying beside the road today needing human help from we who know the Great Commandment.

Witness in life

The text from Genesis in the Roman CatholicLectionary today describes the burial desires of Jacob and Joseph. They desired that their bones be returned to the cave in Canaan where Abraham and other family members are buried. Our attachment to our homeland and family is often very strong. This desire when it is intended to keep us connected to our mission from God which is intimately connected to our life story assists our growth. The decision to set ourselves apart to be better than other families, communities or ethnic groups is a false hope and a possible obstacle to bring the Good News to others. Friar Jude Winkler notes that brothers of Joseph seek forgiveness from him after the death of Jacob perhaps for fear of his retribution which he may have deferred while his father was alive. The action of Joseph to rise above revenge shows an understanding that his circumstance and the life which he lives are the will of God. When Jesus addresses the disciples in the words from the Gospel of Matthew, He proclaims that the disciple should expect to live like the Master. The lives of the followers of Jesus will be opportunities to witness to the Love and faith experienced in relationship with Jesus. Friar Jude points out that the Christian will attract the rejection and disdain of people in the culture when we act and react to the events of daily living as the Master would have us. The Truth of the Word will prevail. Our challenge is to be able to acknowledge Him and the role of His Presence in our lives in the public square.

Moving difficulties

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary tell of movement and the anticipation of the consequences of this action. Our relationship with God is an invitation to transformation which continues daily. Friar JudeWinkler notes that Jacob (Israel) is reluctant to go to Egypt. Perhaps the decision to go and move toward change was difficult for an elderly person with his personality. The decision of Joseph to settle his family in Goshen, a fertile part of Egypt which is closest to Canaan, is seen by some commentators as an attempt to bring the people of God into the world of Egypt but at the same time to attempt to set them apart from the excesses of Egyptian society and the worship of ungodly things. The mission to be in the world and yet not of the world is translated to the disciples of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew as advice about the suffering, rejection and persecution they will experience as they begin to live according to the Way. This gospel was written to Jewish followers of Jesus who, at the time were being expelled from the synagogues and who experienced the full distain of the communities who perceived them as being outside the circle of the people who had tried since Israel to separate themselves from influences which threatened the status quo of their culture. We are called to live with love for all. This mission makes it necessary to break down walls of separation between people which have been erected by ethnic, cultural, religious, racial and economic groups to avoid interaction, reconciliation, compassion, empathy and love. Movement is required. 

All is well

The episode from the life of Joseph, son of Jacob, from the Book Of Genesis in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today shows how even the evil which might be done to us can create opportunities for witness to the steadfast love and protection of God. Friar Jude Winkler looks at the action of forgiveness from Joseph as a model which reminds us that great good can result when we seize the opportunity to let the grace of God move us to compassion, acceptance, reconciliation and love. If the reaction of Joseph had been revenge, retaliation and rejection, we might conclude that his brothers deserved it after all. God does not act to make sure we experience what we deserve; He continually calls us to receive more than we deserve. We cannot be worthy of the intimate relationship He desires with us. The Gospel of Matthew provides advice to those going out to spread the Good News of Jesus and the reign of God over the people. This Kingdom of God brings healing and peace as people move toward trust in Providence. The worthy, who the disciples are advised to seek out, are those people who live open to the will of God for their lives. In the company of these good souls, who we see in all our communities, the Word will be heard and the power of transformation may begin to act. Matthew presents the advice of Jesus, from His experience, that some will not be open to hear. Some will reject the evangelists. The shaking off of the dust from our feet is not a wish of condemnation but it is a sign that there is an obstacle to moving forward which we identify, while trusting that God will transform the situation in His time.

Getting to diversity

The Roman Catholic Lectionary today offers some texts which point to how our mission to announce the Presence of God among us may be facilitated by working within the culture which is familiar to us. The Book of Genesis describes an encounter between Joseph, son of Israel (Jacob) and his brothers who had sold him into Egypt years earlier. They did not recognize their brother who had risen to a place of power among the rulers of Egypt. Friar JudeWinkler notes that Joseph and the Pharaohs of Egypt, at this time, were both of the Semitic race. Joseph’s plan to send grain to Canaan for the family of his brothers was acceptable because of this racial closeness. The Gospel from Matthew tells of the selection of the twelve Apostles from those who were following Jesus. Twelve is the number of the tribes of Israel. The instructions given the Apostles for their mission are to go first to the people of their own Jewish religion and culture to announce the nearness of the Kingdom of Heaven. The expression which we might use, the Kingdom of God, is not written in Jewish practice. Terms for God are treated with the greatest reverence. Today, the Christian and Catholic cultures are perhaps better known among the population than the actual practice of faith in Jesus. Working within the expectations and language of culture to evangelize nominal Christians may be a wise starting point. The ancient mission from the time of Abraham is to bring the Kingdom to all peoples and this will necessitate the broadening of the cultural, ethnic, and racial makeup of the people of faith. The more diversity we welcome in our daily practice of living with Jesus, the more cultural and ethnic paths open to us to present the Good News in familiar terms to all.

Hear, Limp and Do

The text from Deuteronomy 6 which is the central prayer of the Jews, "Hear O Israel theLord our God the Lord is One," is not part of the texts prescribed today in the Roman Catholic Lectionary but the episode of the life of Jacob through which he is renamed Israel as the “one who has seen God and lived” is the content of the passage today from Genesis. This example of a restlessness before God resonates with most believers. Friar Jude Winkler suggests that we all need to be more open to a struggle with God. Some rabbis have noted that the wrestling of Jacob with God is a reconciliation of Jacob with God wherein Jacob accepts the invitation of God to continue the promise of the Covenant according to the will of God. This acceptance is marked by the blessing requested by Jacob, his renaming as Israel and the “limp” which marks his struggle and the consequent change in his life. The psalmist expresses the position which we and Jacob might seek in relationship with God where we are the apple of His eye and we have the protection of being under His wings. This relationship is the desire of the palmist who also seems to express this struggle with God. The turmoil of determining how we address the petition of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew to provide more workers for His vineyard comes with the perhaps surprising revelation that God chooses to work through us. The Good Shepherd will care for His people, the descendants of the Promise in the Covenant with Israel, through the physical movement and action of people. The assurance of His Presence in Psalm 23 and the healing and compassion of the Gospel of Matthew will be delivered through real human beings. We welcome our wrestling to determine our task and we give thanks for the “limp” which will point to the conversion we live to be workers in His vineyard.

Powerful protection

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary involve the protection of God from death and disaster and the restoration by Jesus of health and life. The passage from the Book of Genesis tells of the flight of Jacob from his brother Esau. Jacob sleeps on a stone and experiences a dream of the renewal of the Covenant. This is the form, according to Friar Jude Winkler, of the discernment of the Will of God for many in the Old Testament. The place of this event is called Bethel, the House of God. Friar Jude recognizes that this episode is the etiology of the founding of a Jewish sacred place at Bethel. The promise of God in the Covenant is for lands and descendants. The people respond by promising worship of the One God. Jacob suggests to God that his worship will be conditional on his safety in his journey. Psalm 91 is a prayer for the ongoing protection from God against the dangers which we encounter moving in difficult areas, through difficult times or in loving difficult people. Jesus addresses two serious difficulties in the Gospel from Matthew today. The daughter of a synagogueofficial, Jairus, is sick and Jesus is taken to her and re-animates the girl. This event is also presented in Mark 5:21-43 is more detail with more dialogue. Along the way to the daughter of Jairus, Jesus is interrupted by a woman long suffering with hemorrhage. Jesus remarks that her faith has made her well. These passages of protection, healing and restoration of life are familiar territory for believers who are frequently seeking these for themselves or others. When our petition to God results in the action we have requested, we rightfully praise and thank God. When we are waiting for God to see and do things our way, we need to be open to the Will of God as Jacob and to work with our response to His Will also in the manner of Jacob.

Mission dependence

This weekend in July in North America is marked by the National Day celebrations of Canada and the United States. The texts in theRoman Catholic Lectionary today contain celebration too. The Prophet Isaiah calls on the exiles who have returned to Jerusalem from Babylon to celebrate the rebuilding of the Temple. He pictures the spiritual centre for the Israelites as a mother who feeds her children with great prosperity rooted in the steadfast love and protection of God for His children. This praise is echoed by the psalmist today, too. The letter of Paul to the Galatians celebrates not independence but the praise of Paul to God for the privilege of being crucified to the world through carrying the Cross of Jesus. The radical dependence of Paul on Jesus has brought him much physical and spiritual suffering which is the experience whereby Paul can “boast” of the deep intimate relationship with Jesus which has made him a new creation. Father Larry Gillick SJ comments on the theme of dependence in relationship to God as he notes that “In Jesus, God has extended the Holy of Holies from bricks into hearts”. Friar Jude Winkler looks at the mission of theseventy two in the text from the Gospel of Luke as witness to the Providence of God and the hospitality of people as the key components in the mission of assisting Jesus in His mission of rebuilding relationship with God. The Love of God is the power to change situations and motivate good actions. Being an agent of this Love may tend to lead missionaries to boast in a manner less self deprecating than Paul. Father Larry observes that the combination of our talent and skill and the acceptance of our mission for God may have us discover that “Who we are is a bit tangential to whom we will be through our own achievements”. Paul achieved great intellectual status, power and privilege as a learned Pharisee. He is the tangential “new creation” of Jesus who depends of his intimate Life in the Spirit to bring Good News to the whole world.

A tradition of change

The Roman Catholic Lectionary offers texts today which promote thoughts about tradition and change. We are creatures of habit. Our culture certainly points us to social practices regarding how to relate to family and tribe in the way we celebrate birth, marriage, succession and inheritance. The first born son in western culture and in Middle East culture is granted special status in family hierarchy. The passage from the Book of Genesis which tells of the action of Rebekah and Jacob to steal the blessing of Isaac for his firstborn Easu violates the cultural norm. The life of Easu and his disposition towards conflict and abuse of power are offered as justification for the deception of Isaac. Prior to the episode of the blessing, Easu had sold hisbirthright to Jacob for a bowl of soup. (Genesis 25:29-34) Friar Jude Winkler notes that this text was written during the reign of Solomon, who was not the eldest son. King David was the youngest son and the message of the author of the text may be related to those situations. We can recall many situations in cultural, political and spiritual history where the intended recipient has failed to exercise the responsibility and the mantle has passed to an unexpected heir. The Gospel of Matthew today offers Jesus response to the disciples of John about the practice of fasting which is not evident among His disciples. It is a valuable spiritual discipline for the disciples of John and the Pharisees. Jesus tells us of the relationship of fasting and mourning which we can understand as appropriate from our experience. The theme of testing tradition for appropriateness is our take away. Change is necessary. The mixing of old and new can be disastrous as the concluding text indicates. A small paradox is presented here wherein the tradition of not mixing old and new is present as guide for the testing of our other traditional responses for appropriateness.

Generous Compassionate

Generosity and compassion are virtues which are in the texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary. The development of the line of descendants of Abraham is interesting as we not unexpectedly encounter a journey in which God does the unexpected. The mission of Abraham’s servant to find a wife for Isaac, who is 40 years old, reveals the desire of Abraham that his family line not continue through contact with the local Canaanites. Friar JudeWinkler suggests that Isaac was perhaps a bit of a wimp and may be categorized today as a “momma’s boy”. The manly heroic characteristics which we associate with the “best” leadership are not the requirements of work for God. The beauty and generosity of the woman, Rebekah, who falls in love with Isaac and becomes his wife, are legendary. The Gospel of Matthew describes the invitation of Jesus to Matthew to “follow Him”. This simple and direct offer declares at least two truths to Matthew. Jesus does not see him in the way that the society sees him. The tax collector was treated as a sinner who collaborated with the Romans and was likely dishonest in the collection of taxes. The call to relationship with Jesus is a call to move and do. Responding to the call is risky because we prefer to have done our homework and have the facts before we commit but the compassion and love of the One who invites enables us to move in trust. Friar Jude makes illusion to the solid trust and compassion of Joseph, husband of Mary, as an example of how we might move and serve God.

different from the world way

The Roman Catholic Lectionary today brings us texts which are offering us deep consideration of how we relate to the Divine. The passage from the Book of Genesis, which Friar Jude Winkler reminds us is known in Jewish writing as the Binding of Isaac, is one of the most difficult to explain lessons for understanding our relationship with God in Scripture. RabbiHillel Goldberg describes it as the most perplexing passage in all of Hebrew Scripture. The rabbi identifies several spiritual tensions which arise from this text. The sacrifice of Isaac is not permitted in the Law. Friar Jude suggests that the episode may have originally been used to instruct the Israelite people about ending child sacrifice. Rabbi Goldberg notes that the person today who told us that he had received a command from God to kill his son would be arrested by the authorities and his sanity suspected. The authenticity of Abraham’s communication with God is established by the fruit of this decision. Friar Jude cites evidence in the text that Abraham deeply loved his son. The faith of Abraham that God provides is demonstrated to be beyond what rational human reason will allow. This faith is not blind. It has developed in the life of Abraham so that he is the “God fearing” human able to put the will of God absolutely first. The “resolution” of the dilemma by the angle of God instructing Abraham not to deliver the fatal blow to the bound Isaac is followed by the appearance of a ram caught in the bushes. The ram is sacrificed by Abraham on his initiative as the act of thanksgiving which establishes the role of the righteous to act as God would direct even without the explicit command of God for action. The freedom to know and act in the light of God is established so that the human relationship to the Divine is free and not as robotic slaves. The Gospel from Matthew brings us to that great boundary of God and human interaction around forgiveness of sins and healing of our physical being. The understanding of religious authorities at the time of Jesus that sin and ill health are interrelated has some resonance of truth in our experience today. The notion that ill health is a punishment for sin is not our understanding of Divine Love. The healing of illness is the domain of our doctors and medical community. We accept that God continues to be a healer of our physical being even as the “formula” to gain that healing remains a mystery to us. The domain of the forgiveness of sin, in our spiritual heritage, is reserved for God. Jesus uses the relationship between illness and sinfulness to declare His Divine Nature. Like Abraham, we are invited to hear the authentic message of God in our lives through our sacrifices around forgiveness and healing. The mystery of how God loves remains. As the psalmist give thanks, “For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.” (Psalm 116).

No doubt

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary celebrate the Apostle Thomas and present a vision of the transformation which is experienced by the followers of Christ. The letter to the Ephesians is described by Friar Jude Winkler as a text to a Gentile Community which invites them to inclusion in the family which previously was only for those in the Jewish tradition. The transformation proclaimed here is from understanding the Presence of God in the sacred Temple to appreciation that the Incarnation has made humanity the stones of a living temple within which the Living God is Present. Our invitation to be this living temple is a deep motivation for our conversion from sin to a life style worthy of this role. The visit of Jesus to the Apostles in His Resurrected Body on Easter evening is described in the Gospel from John. Thomas was absent from the group and the Gospel records his stubborn refusal to believe events which his colleagues have related. Friar Jude notes that upon Jesus return the next week the ‘doubting Thomas” is given the privilege of pronouncing Jesus as God in the Gospel of John. The role which we are called to fill in the community of the living Temple of the Presence of God is part of the Plan of God. We pray to be open as the agent of whatever transformation God wishes to present.

But for the Grace

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today can be approached from the praise of the psalmist who recognizes the steadfast Love of God as he asserts his faithfulness to God through his integrity and the idea that he walks on level ground. (perhaps living a balanced, grounded life?). The psalmist also petitions God that he not be swept away like the sinners who are bloodthirsty, violent and dishonest. The Book of Genesis contains two episodes where it appears that the Justice of God acts to cleanse His Creation of sin. The flood and the protection of life through Noah and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as related in the text for today are the two events. A Google search will reveal that many people have expressed their opinion about the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. The passage today from the Gospel of Matthew where the Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a situation where a king forgives the enormous debt of one of his slaves is a more welcome parable about the nature of God than the picture of destruction from Genesis. Our desire may be to choose one of these scenarios and reject the other because God should not be that violent or God is should not be gracious to those who will not take care of themselves. We lose comfort when God is not as our expectations declare He should be. The desire of God to be in relationship with us is the prequel to both these events. Jesus brings us into His understanding of the Father through parables. God invites Abraham into His plan to encourage the taking up of the cause of humanity to God as the psalmist does but as advocate for all humanity, those who hold to their integrity and those, more realistic, who understand that their place of life before God rests entirely on Divine mercy.

Chutzpah to place Confidence in God

The texts today from the Roman CatholicLectionary offer some insight into the working relationship between God and people which works to make God Present in the world. The question of whether God needs humanity for His work is one with which theologians can wrestle. The psalmist blesses the mercy, faithfulness and steadfast love of God. From this understanding, we can approach the decision of God to include Abraham in the plans for the destruction of Sodom as described in the passage from the Book of Genesis. The characteristic of the friendship between God and Abraham is tied to the Covenant made by God with Abraham to be the father of the multitude who would bring knowledge of God to the world. The Covenant is honoured by Abraham in daily prayer through which the plan of God is made clearer. Rabbi Ed Feinstein identifies this bargaining of Abraham with God in prayer as the birth of Chutzpah. FriarJude Winkler comments that the authenticity in this prayer is witness to the belief of the Jewish community that God is a part of their daily lives. Our Tradition sets aside time for prayer in the morning, during the day and in the evening. As we seek to walk with Jesus as disciples, we need to engage with God in the type of dialogue which helps us give ourselves to His work of service. The Gospel from Matthew emphasizes that the mission of the disciple is to follow Jesus in carrying out the Will of the Father. This Will is not revealed to us as a “take it or leave it” blueprint but rather as the log of a journey in which we are required to keep in touch through prayer which addresses our need for a home and be open to decide “yes” in trust without putting our decision in the future as proposed by the man responding to Jesus who sought to complete the year long burial rites for his father.