Seeds for the future

The text in the Roman Catholic Lectionarytoday from the Book of Samuel tells of the adultery of King David with Bathsheba and the plan executed at David’s command to kill Uriah the Hittite, husband of Bathsheba, in an attempt to cover up the pregnancy which resulted from his transgression. The psalm today is a portion of Psalm 51, which is a deep and moving prayer for forgiveness and reconciliation. Bob Deffinbaugh writes a teaching on the events in 2 Samuel 11 and he suggests that our contemplation of great sin and the forgiveness of God should include the understanding of the likelihood that there was a relationship of friends between David and Uriah and that Uriah knew about the indiscretion of David with Bathsheba. Friar Jude Winkler comments that Uriah the Hittite is more observant of Jewish law and certainly more loyal than the one anointed by God to be King. Certainly believers are capable of great sin. The seed of sin can be more sin. When we are able to form the attitude expressed by the sinner in Psalm 51, we have begun our path to being able to accept mercy, forgiveness and reconciliation with God.  The Gospel from Mark today looks at the growth that comes from the seed of mercy, love, trust and forgiveness which we can extend to others. We sow this seed without guarantees that we will see or understand the fruits of our efforts. Maryanne Rouse of Creighton University tells of the some of the fruit which is present today in the ongoing work of the Salesian Society, founded by 19^th century Father Don Bosco, who is remembered as Saint Don Bosco in the liturgy today.

Light Love and Legacy

The texts from the Roman CatholicLectionary today link together thoughts of legacy, love and light. The king of Israel, David, is giving praise and thanksgiving to God as a response to prophesy proclaimed by Nathan of the promise of God that the kingship of the family of David would become a dynasty and it would extend beyond David’s life. Friar JudeWinkler notes the deep and typically Middle East expression of the gratitude of David. The question of legacy is certainly associated with political leaders, dictators and presidents when the press asks about the nature of their legacy. Psychologists have indicated that legacy is both a concern and perhaps even a motivation technique for people to build a bigger pie. Alex Roedlach of Creighton University considers the danger that we may attribute more of our success in achieving goals for our legacy to our selves than is true or wise. The humility of David and his profession to God that the blessing on his house is for the people of God reminds us of how grace, circumstance and the people whom God brings into our lives are so important in the success we may feel we have. Our motivation is identified by Friar Jude as the key component which decides whether we work, pray and give in secret or we let our light shine before others as Jesus declares in the wisdom statement in the Gospel from Mark today. When we are trying to increase the Love in which we act with others, our self aggrandizement will not be our concern. Friar Jude reminds us that God is not an accountant but that the wisdom of this passage reveals to us that the more we love the greater is our capacity for Love. Psychologists, life coaches and motivational experts may grab on legacy as a rung on our ladder to personal satisfaction. Jesus legacy as Love with no limit for humanity is that eternal light which we are blessed to know and encouraged to set on our lamppost.

Hear and Act

A theme in the texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary is the consequence of hearing the Word of God. The Gospel passage from Mark today concludes with “they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold”. (Mark 4.20) This describes the situation of the Seed from the Sower landing in fertile soil. Earlier verses in this passage (Mark 4.10-12) have raised questions about the intended audience for the parables of Jesus. Is the truth of the teaching of Jesus meant to be revealed to a remnant of the people as in the time of Isaiah or as some commentators have noted the realization of the teaching of Jesus in Mark’s Gospel is action. Don Schwager emphasizes that an open mind and a hunger for truth prepare the soil for reception of the message to act in Love. The soil must be worked for it to work at fruitful yields. The text from the second book of Samuel is presented by David Moster as a key passage in the Hebrew Bible which firmly establishes a Covenant with David which is the seed of the messianic promise of the Presence of God with Israel. In the case of David, the Prophet Nathan was able to convey to the king that God had a plan for David which was not what the king wanted. The acceptance of the Will of God by David is a model for us to seek open and active understanding of how we can hear the Word and be fertile soil for the growth of the Kingdom.

Good things bad ways

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today are proclaimed on the memorial day of St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church. The second Book of Samuel tells of the great procession of the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem under the leadership of King David. This marked a change of approach of the people of Israel to the sign of Presence. David brings the Ark to his capital Jerusalem and focuses the spiritual, religious and political life of the people in a positive way to the central place which God should have in their lives. FriarJude Winkler explains that the priestly functions performed by David in this passage are actions in the line of the priesthood of Melchizedek. The difficulties encountered in the transport of the Ark to Jerusalem are linked to neglect of attention to the sacred traditions concerning how God is recognized among us. The intimacy of the relationship with God though Jesus is explained today in the Gospel from Mark as one of brothers, sister and mother. We honour and live that relationship through action in accord with the Will of God. AndyAlexander, S.J. of Creighton University, recalls words of Pope Francis on the primary place of mercy as the virtue which God is to humanity. Our relationship with people is in accord with the Will of God when it shows mercy and forgiveness. The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis apostolic exhortation, comments on Thomas Aquinas understanding of mercy as the greatest of all virtues. The brilliant scholarship of many theologians is a great gift to the Church as we struggle through exegesis and study to perceive how we need to evolve toward the complete life as brothers, sisters and mother of Jesus. The controversy and conflict which sometimes accompany our David-like journey in His Presence remind us that good things are often hidden in bad ways or procedures. 

Unity and division

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today contain themes of unity and division. The passage from the Second Book of Samuel tells of the petition to David to unite the northern and southern tribes of Israel under his rule as king who FriarJude Winkler notes as shepherd of my people Israel (2 Samuel 5:2). The attributes of rule by a king in ancient times were too often oppression and submission of the people. David acts to make Jerusalem the political and religious capital of the united Israel. He maintains a standing army and needto impose taxes on the people to support the kingdom. The role of shepherd to guide, protect and encourage the growth of the flock is expressed in Psalm 23. The focus on the Lord who is the source of our sustenance, peace and security is in tension with attending to the political and temporal decisions of human leaders who share with all people some division of their attention between Love, service and self aggrandizement. Patrick Borchers of Creighton University identifies the compartmentalization of our lives into time for God and time for other action. The danger in not attending to the ways in which we are moved away from God is the capture of the our lives by the rule of Satan under an oppression and submission which may lead to, an end suggested by Don Schwager, of falling into apostasy (giving up the faith) out of cowardice or disbelief. We pray with the psalmist to petition God “You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation!”(Psalm 89:26)

Fishing with joy

The experience of going to the lake, river or seaside to fish with simple equipment is peaceful and joyful for many people. Small boats on the big ocean at dawn are in tension between the peace of working in nature and the awesome power which is demonstrated when that sea is disturbed by storms. The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary present peace, joy and storms. The Gospel from Matthew, which Friar Jude Winkler reminds us is written as a very Jewish Gospel to Christians with a Jewish heritage, draws attention to the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, pagan areas where the Prophet Isaiah proclaims that people in darkness will see a great light. This apologia of Matthew is in harmony with a purpose of his writing to tell of Jesus as the Messiah Who fulfills Hebrew prophesy as He brings about the transformation to the Kingdom of Heaven. The first disciples called to follow Jesus are fishing. Simon and Andrew, James and John leave their nets but not the life talent which has been given them by God. They are being transformed through their relationship with Jesus to fishers of men. Several commentators on the work in Christianity today note that we may have been distracted by desires or assumptions that our vocation will involve a road to Damascus event which will radically change us from the dark side to the side of those in light.  Maybe, as Keith Krell, writes we tend to focus on the "purely indifferent things" listed by CS Lewis rather than our unity as Christians in relationship with Jesus. The joy we have now is the root of the joy we are called to bring to others through our relationship with Jesus. PopeFrancis apostolic exhortation on the Joy of the Gospel is recalled by DennisHamm, S.J. of Creighton University with the caution that we sometimes see divisions, within our own faith communities, where some of us consider ourselves more “orthodox” or better informed than others because of our training, education, or sources of information. The Letter to the Corinthians today tells us that this trouble was one which Paul needed to address in the Church he established in that community. David Lose of the Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN discusses our real vocation and the nature of being joyful witnesses in the same sense as Pope Francis and Friar Jude. Our relationship with joy in using our God given talents is transformed though our relationship with Jesus to be the basis of the loving actions and service we are for others. We continue to fish but we know that our joy in our work is baptized to bring Love to others.

Conversion for all

A surprising part of the story of the conversion of Saint Paul which is celebrated in the texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today as noted by Andy Alexander, S.J of Creighton University is how Jesus identifies himself to Paul. He says that he is the one Paul is persecuting. He completely identifies with his people. Andy Alexander details some of Pope Francis teaching about this in a talk he gave on the Body of Christ. Friar Jude Winkler reviews the key points of the conversion of Paul from the three accounts in theActs of the Apostles. The appearances of Jesus after His resurrection are presented in the longer ending of the Gospel of Mark (Mark 16.9-18) from which the text for today is taken. This ending was likely added by a disciple of Mark. The Gospel ends proclaiming the experience of the risen Christ to Mary Magdalene and two disciples and commissioning the Apostles to proclaim the Good News to all creation. The intimacy with which Jesus makes Himself known to us in daily life is described by Andy Alexander. In most cases these encounters are not as momentous as the conversion narrative of Paul but they are intended to open our eyes to the invitation to be “as his body those brothers of his who are called together from every nation'" (Lumen Gentium, n. 7)” The great rabbi Gamaliel, a teacher of St Paul, who is also mentioned in Acts, where he takes an open-minded view of Christianity, urging that it not be persecuted (Acts 5:34-42), establishes Paul’s status as a learned and observant Jew. The ending of the Gospel of Mark is explained by Friar Jude as a summary of the protection of God for those, Paul in particular, who are acting to bring the Good News to Jew and Gentile alike.

Authority anointed and mercy

The commentary and the life of Saint Francisde Sales who is remembered in the liturgy today are linked to the events in the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary through the practice of mercy. FriarJude Winkler tells of the murderous paranoia of Saul who is terrified that David will take his throne. The overkill of the force Saul assembles to hunt down David reflects this mania. David finds that the Lord delivers his enemy Saul to him so that David has the opportunity to kill Saul. David extends mercy to his enemy and spares his life. Friar Jude sees in some other lifetime actions of David that he respects the rights and authority of the anointed. We understand that anointing conveys special authority and responsibility to people from God. The Gospel from Mark details the twelve to whom Jesus chooses to give “ambassadorial” responsibility to represent Him. The Lord, who sees the heart when he chooses, as in the anointing of David, does not see people as we see them. The selection of these twelve would not be the recommendation of the human resource department. The biography of the 16^th century priest, bishop and Doctor of the Church, Francis de Sales  tells of a transformed person who uses the talents, responsibility and authority given him  to lead the community through living meekness and gentleness as he struggled with his  tendency to anger and wrote books and articles that moved others toward deeper relationship with Jesus. He collaborated with another saint, Jane Frances de Chantal in the work of establishing the Sisters of the Visitation. These women were to practice the virtues exemplified in Mary’s visit to Elizabeth: humility, piety and mutual charity. These acts of mercy  link St Francis de Sales to the reflection of Bob Whipple, Jr, of Creighton University, who urges us to act toward others with the restraint, respect and Love required by Mercy.

Building the case

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary offer some reminders that God is present and working in the people around us. Our attentiveness to this can be sharpened as we meditate on the struggle described in the First Book of Samuel between Saul and David which is described by FriarJude Winkler as a murderous paranoia within Saul. The choice of David over Saul, by Samuel, the people, and perhaps even God was clear to the first king of Israel. Amy Hoover of Creighton University links the messages of Jonathan to his father Saul about David to a reminder for the king that God who protects, as in Psalm 56, is acting for Saul through David. Concern over our own position, our pride and our privilege can blind us to actions of others to help and support us. It takes time and reflection to see sometimes how those we may have viewed with suspicion were really not our detractors but people who were trying to help us out. Commentators of the Gospel of Mark, including DonSchwager and Matthew Charlesworth SJ understand a preference for the Evangelist to present the Son of God (Mark 1:1) through actions of healing and casting out demons as present today in an episode where great crowds are pressing Jesus to touch Him for healing. The opening of Jesus ministry at His Baptism by John and the ending of His Life in the proclamation of the centurion (Mark 15:39) are among the declarations enumerated by Matthew Charlesworth SJ of Jesus nature as Son of God. The Gentile Greco-Roman audience of the Gospel of Mark and the Jewish tradition of the Apostles understand this title in different ways. The Presence, acknowledged in this salutation, is brought to our attention today in the action of those people, believers and not so much, we encounter daily.

Da Jesus surprises

Psalm 144 in the texts from the RomanCatholic Lectionary today praises God as the rescuer of his servant David. The context of the psalm is a deliverance from enemies in battle. The passage from the first Book of Samuel tells of the battle between the giant of the Philistines, Goliath and the shepherd boy of the Israelites, David. The role of Divine Providence in this battle may be slightly different than we assume. The decision of David to engage Goliath, who was armed as heavy infantry, with the deadly accurate weapon of the Middle East ‘slinger’ is described by MalcolmGladwell as a strategic advantage for David especially considering that Goliath exhibited some symptoms of a medical condition which made him slow to react and likely caused double vision. There are more surprises associated with the Gospel today including the choice of Pope Francis to reflect on this episode from the Gospel of Mark as translated by the Da Jesus Book, which is a Hawaiian version of the New Testament written in Hawaiian Pidgin. Friar Jude Winkler comments on how the observance of the Sabbath for Christians, in the light of Jesus example in the Gospel, is to love through service. Our very busy work weeks point to Sunday as a time to be of service to those who will benefit from our presence and kindness to bring them restoration now. Our tendency to procrastinate for a better or more acceptable time is brought to question by Jesus, Who would have likely avoided the controversy if He decided to quietly help the man with the withered hand. Friar Jude declared that Jesus would not wait any longer to restore the man to health. Our need to seek Divine Providence in how we act to protect unborn children is emphasized by Jeanne Schuler from Creighton University as she cites Annie Dillard, an English journalist, observing the Sisters of Charity in Calcutta who perceived that the sisters had decided that in all circumstances life is sacred.  The sanctity of life stands as a truth which challenges us to act without waiting any longer to restore health to a society which treats termination of life as a personal choice, a military collateral damage, a judicial necessity, a social economic consequence and a release from burden for the elderly. The shepherd boy moves with God to reveal great strength. Pope Francis in his apostolic letter on the Joy of the Gospel encourages the learned to seek the Gospel lived by the poor and marginalized. The victory of truth is guided by God.

Spirit leads to enlightenment

 Reflections, which come from the texts in the Roman CatholicLectionary today, lead in many directions. The First book of Samuel tells of the mission of the prophet to respond to the call of God to reject Saul as King of Israel and to go to the sons of Jesse in Bethlehem to anoint David as King. Friar Jude Winkler comments that the text declares that the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David like a hawk. A commentary on the Holy Spirit in the HebrewTestament quotes’ When David was anointed, “the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward” (1 Samuel 16:13b)’. The Spirit on David is related to the the ruah ’elohim (Spirit of God) which hovered over the waters in Genesis. The historical facts of the monarchy of the united empire ofpeople of Israel of 1000 BCE show the tension between living under the direction of Yahweh or being ruled by kings who had objectives of power and privilege. Barbara Dilly of Creighton University recalls her investigation of the question raised by Jesus when he is criticized by Pharisees and religious authorities for breaking the rules of the Sabbath in the passage today from the Gospel of Mark. The observance of Sabbath as a legal requirement is surprisingly more prevalent in large organized religious groups and the understanding of Sabbath as a gift to liberate us, voiced by Friar Jude, is held by those who seek the guidance of the Spirit to practice “Sabbath for humankind” (Mark 2:27). The “historical fact” that Jesus reference to the priesthood of Abiathar is in error (his father, Ahimelech was priest) shows the tension in apologist writing between evidence of Jesus humanity, for Friar Jude, and the better interpretation of the text by Hank Hanegraaff. The Gospel theme of Sabbath, caring for the planet and attending to the Spirit moved Barbara Dilly to tie the Jesuit REFLECTIONS ON ECOLOGY (1999) into the stream of consciousness which springs from our reflections today.

Ambiguity and discipline

The Roman Catholic Lectionary today invites us to consider texts which challenge our desire to have our instructions presented to us clearly so we might know exactly the right answer. Friar Jude Winkler comments that Saul apparently is rejected by the prophet Samuel for incidents which when compared to the transgressions of David seem trivial. Gregorio Billikopf finds the desire of Saul to please people rather than to attend to the discipline of obedience to God as the reason for his rejection. Ambiguity over the role of fasting in the spiritual life of Christians is more difficult when we expect that there should be clear cut rules about where and when. Michele Bogard of  CreightonUniversity notes that the Ash Wednesday fast is a liturgical practice which continues to draw people to Church. The journey which tradition makes for us through practice of our faith will offer time and seasons for action which may seem contradictory and it will allow us to appreciate that God is in relationship with each us individually the Gospel of Mark today appears to make a case for a theme in Jewish culture, observed by Friar Jude that mixing is to be avoided. This is tension and maybe a form of Jewish thinking that leaves us with no clear answer as we move to be light to all people. The prayerful attending to our relationship with God is our guide to navigate the ups and downs in accord with His will.

Word and Trinity

The texts today from the Roman CatholicLectionary have a quality of beginning about them. The liturgical cycle of the Church has moved into the green days of which today is marked by the ordinal number two as the Second Sunday in Ordinary (numbered) time. We may misunderstand this numbering system and be psychologically biased to think that the journey with Jesus in our Christian communities might become routine and ordinary. The new beginnings in the Scripture today should call us to be alert for the surprises which are presented to us daily in our spiritual development. FriarJude Winkler associates the proclamation in the Book of the prophet Isaiah of a suffering servant in whom the light of God will be brought to all the nations with the transformation of spiritual awareness among the people to universalism or the understanding that the One God is God for all nations. This beginning, from centuries BCE, may not be fully realized in the hearts of all today. The Letter of Paul (and Sosthenes ?) to the people of Corinth begins correspondence with the community who, according to Friar Jude, are having difficulty with the role of the Holy Spirit in the beliefs of the new converts, particularly those of Greek culture. The sense of the Spirit of God which is placed with us in the womb as suggested by the words of Isaiah or which gives voice to the music and song of God as in the psalm today confronts the Greek attitude that things of the spirit are superior to things of the flesh. The Gospel from the first chapter of John continues the revelation of the nature of God which in the first verses of the chapter takes us to Creation and the sense in Genesis of the Spirit which hovered over the waters launching the Love Project of God. John reveals this Love being expressed as the Word becoming flesh. This chapter contains many situations of the positioning of Jesus in relation to God as Son, to John the Baptist as the One upon whom the Father is related through the Love, symbolized by the dove, between Father and Son, the Spirit. The beginning of the mystery of the servant of God (wordplay as Aramaic for lamb), with the Spirit known in Isaiah, to live as Word incarnate and to bring the light of the nations to those who have understood as Greek and Jew is the beginning of transcendent experience. This is a beginning to consider Trinity a mystery gathered together by the Church into the Creed after hundreds of years of guidance by the Spirit.

Chosen and invited

The path to deeper relationship with God is a reflection which may be generated by the texts in the Roman CatholicLectionary. The passage from the First Book of Samuel tells of how Saul, the very handsome Benjaminite, came to be anointed by the prophet Samuel to transition the people of Israel and Judah to rule by a king from the method of rule by charismatic judges who had none of the political resources of standing armies or a capital city to support their authority. Friar Jude Winkler comments on this as a weak start to a monarchy. We might reflect that the tallest and most handsome may not have had the skills for this role? The anointing of a king with oil reminds Tom Shanahan, S.J. at Creighton University of Baptism when Christians are signed as priest, prophet and king with oil. The nature of our baptismal call is not to have us rule over others with special religious status, wisdom and authority but to be priest as Christ present to those who are described in the Gospel of Mark as the sick and sinners. Our prophetic words invite others, as Jesus does Levi, to follow. Our kingly position is modeled by Jesus in leading by action for those like the tax collectors in the Gospel of Mark who are shunned for fear of the sickness of their sin being contagious. Friar Jude reminds us that disciples of Jesus do not seek the reason for the sickness or sin of others. The situation of people may be rooted in circumstances beyond their control or they may have brought their difficulty upon themselves by poor decisions. We are challenged to act as Jesus and invite all to be brothers and sisters on the path to a deeper relationship with God. 

King over us

The tension in the texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary is between the desire of human beings to have ultimate authority over their lives and the deep understanding that we are in intimate contact with Divine Presence.  The people of Israel in the First Book of Samuel seek to have a king. The tradition for centuries was to have a charismatic choice of a judge like Samuel to be responsible for the national needs of the people but also to remind them of their Covenant as the chosen people to bring witness of life in harmony with the will of God to the world. R.J.Moeller shares his understanding of how the decision of Samuel to appoint his sons as judges had not worked out because of their action to seize personal gain through their authority. In the text today, God declares that the people have rejected Him as their leader. Their desire, according to Moeller, was to be like the other nations. The Gospel from Mark sets a scene of a great number of people clamouring to be with Jesus in Capernaum. The sense of immediacy which Don Schwager finds in the Gospel of Mark is present as the friends of the paralytic remove the roof covering to lower the man to Jesus for healing. What did they seek? The words of Jesus brought many to hear. His action is most important to Mark. The words of Jesus to this paralysed man shock the Jewish audience. The forgiveness of sins is the prerogative of God. There is evidence that this was a deeply held conviction of Jewish religious belief. The restoration of this man to health was anti climatic, but it did show action that supported Jesus bold declaration of Divine Presence. We are torn as our culture insists that as masters of our own destiny we will know happiness and satisfaction. We are aware of a greater deeper loving Presence Who offers what human ability cannot create… peace.

Response is where Love happens

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary reveal the nature of Love which is initiated by our response to the circumstances we perceive around us. The passage from the First Book of Samuel tells how the development of this last judge of Israel into a prophet and leader who serves is advanced by his response to God in obedience to the instruction of his mentor the priest Eli. Our awareness of the calling of God in our lives may be in need of a tutor like the ancient priest. Friar JudeWinkler reminds us that the Eucharistic Celebration is one of gift and response. We receive life and energy from God and our mission is to be Jesus to others in service. Cindy Murphy McMahon of Creighton University recalls the parenting experience of requiring children to verify they had heard the voice of Mom or Dad by responding. The urgency which Don Schwager comments is an important part of the message in the Gospel from Mark is presented today in the response of Jesus to the illness and demon possession of the people He encounters during His visit at the house of Simon. The energy which He expends is one aspect of service which we experience as gift from God when doing His Will. Our ability to continue at times beyond our human limits is a transcendent experience of the power of Love in response to the call to serve.

From quiet to mighty

The quiet proclamation and the subtle sign of God are evident to us in the texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary.  Hanna who will become the mother of Samuel, who she “asked of God” prays silently and intently and leaves the sanctuary with a renewed joy and peace. Later as she becomes pregnant after many barren years she proclaims the exaltation of her heart and strength in the Lord.  The Lord God has reversed the pattern of domination of the strong and wealthy with glory for the poor and weak. FriarJude Winkler comments on the sign of dedication to the Lord which is expressed in the Hebrew and New Testament by attention to hair. The Gospel from Mark, according to Don Schwager, contains a sense of urgency about the Good News being proclaimed mainly in the actions of Jesus. The text, quoted by Schwager, today uses the word immediately twice. The immediate appearance, in this account from Mark, of a man with an evil spirit in the Synagogue at Capernaum, Peter’s home town, is an expression of how the temptations to move away from the Good News are not far from our attention. The crowd recognizes that Jesus is One who speaks with authority. He demonstrates the authority of God as He silences the evil spirit. Friar Jude reminds us of the Messianic Secret which is presented in this Gospel. Jesus is the Son of God, Divine and with Authority, yet the Messiah expected by the Jews is not the person who loves through service and death as modeled by Jesus action. Jesus will teach His Revelation through action which liberates people and draws them into intimate relationship with God.

Transformed Nets

The texts today from the Roman CatholicLectionary remind us that the path of our lives is changeable. Maureen McCannWaldron of Creighton University notes that liturgically, the Church moves into a cycle of days which are tracked by numbers, ordinal numbers, known as Ordinary Time. The temptation to settle our expectations into a sense of bland sameness certainly is supported by the season of the year and the letdown from Christmas activity. As we may tend to our nets like the fishers in the Gospel of Mark our innate radar for opportunity may still detect disturbances which are calling us to change. Mark describes Jesus moving among these men and inviting them to follow Him. Friar Jude Winkler notes that the charismatic presence of Jesus attracts these men. This pattern was common among the rabbis who gathered followers in the time of Jesus but Friar Jude points out that Galilee fishers were not the usual disciples of the religious scholars. This beginning of Jesus ministry by gathering a community of unusual seekers who will be re directed to use their existing talents in the service of the Body is a model of our loving relationship with God. Our present situation is our starting point. Our vocation and mission is to direct our being to service through Love. We will use all the gifts we have received, and we will acquire many more as we put down our nets used for personal gain and join our brothers and sisters in communities to exercise our gifts with nets transformed to be a charismatic call to many to join us working in the Body.

Nothing Ordinary in Baptism

But Jesus answered him ‘Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness.’ (Matthew 3.15).  The texts today in the Roman Catholic Lectionary are proclaimed today in Christian Churches to mark the Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. The Gospel of Matthew records the reluctance of John, the one who must decrease to baptize Jesus, the One who must increase. Paddy Gilger, S.J., writing for Creighton University on-line ministry, suggests that the self humbling of God to be Incarnate in human flesh is shown at a deeper level in the fulfillment of all righteousness through a sign that Jesus, though sinless, walks with the children of God even in their sin and their movement to reconciliation. The quality of the One who is anointed King as Son of Yahweh, which Friar JudeWinkler links to Psalm 110, is to accept everything the Father plans for Him. The passage of the Suffering Servant from Isaiah describes the One who moves without breaking the reed or quenching the feeble flame.  Like the inspired movement of Peter to visit the home of the unclean Gentile Cornelius we are to be open to the grace spoken of by Dr. Bruce Epperly which urges us to witness to the reality that there is much salvation outside the church and its rituals and doctrines.  God breaks down every theological and sociological barrier to save the lost and vulnerable. Our baptism is the acceptance of the grace of the Holy Spirit which will invite us to be followers of Jesus and members of His Body. Paddy Gilger identifies the hesitation we have to move out from the sheltered warmth of the Christmas season of gifts and good will into the days numbered in an ordinary way, known as Ordinary Time, through which our giftedness will be given opportunity to be the light which attracts others to hear from God that they are His beloved children in whom He is well pleased.

Hear the Bride

The Roman Catholic Lectionary today brings us  a paraenesis,  a series of instructions on how to live a good Christian life, which according to Friar Jude Winkler, is the format of the ending of many letters in Scripture. The author reminds us of our life within God which permits the boldness to place our request of God in words which Friar Jude comments have power. Our prayer for the other is a transfer of Love to them. The impact of this Love is to call them away from what is damaging to them and toward deeper communion with God. The dualism of the first letter of John and his battle against the heresy of Docetism are evident in the positioning of those who reject Jesus (the “world”) as being in mortal danger. Our turning away from the direction of greater intimacy with God is a turning toward idols. The Gospel today from John uses the image of bride and bridegroom for Jesus and John the Baptist. Friar Jude analyses the three messages of despair in the Book of Jeremiah about the silencing of the voice of the bride and bridegroom by the choice of Israel to hear the voices of idols over the voice of God. The last mention of the marriage voices by Jeremiah is the celebration of the consolation of Israel as God returns the Bride to His people. The Gospel refers to Jesus as the fulfillment of the prophesy of Jeremiah which is the context in which the bridegroom must step back and decrease as the bride increases. This is the expression of the humility which is the desired attitude of all those who seek to show Jesus to the world. 

Witness the action of God

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to be wary of our tendency to make God in our image. We are gifted with enormous curiosity and a drive to resolve mystery in how we understand our environment. This deeply human attribute is likely a cause for our amazing development as a species. We are reminded by Friar Jude Winker that the community to which the first letter of John was written was struggling with a heresy (Docetism) which prescribed a view of Jesus as pure spirit.  The challenge of the intimacy which is implied when God humbles to be born in human flesh does not allow us to push God away from our daily and physical existence. God chooses to be with us in physical reality. The author of the letter expresses this witness of God in Jesus as water, a spiritual sign and blood a sign of physical reality. Friar Jude reminds us of the Sacrament encounters with God in Baptism (as Spirit) and in Eucharist (as Flesh). Our indwelling Spirit resonates with the Spirit of God as witness to the experience of Jesus as spiritual and physical reality. In the Gospel from Luke, Jesus touches the unclean man. Friar Jude reminds us of the deep fear of leprosy in the ancient world. The body is important. It is the Temple in which we Present Jesus to the world. Jesus healing is intimate through the action of touching and laying on of hands. Biblical experience of Divine intervention in our lives does not require physical contact but the message to us when Jesus touches, feeds, rejoices and weeps with us is reconciliation and compassion. We have our mission to be His Body.

Faith conquers the World

The texts today from the Roman CatholicLectionary cover a wide span of abstract and concrete guidelines for our journey in the world. EdwardMorse of Creighton University is concerned that the tendency of human beings to fit abstraction to our own world view and adjust our filters to have it agree with our concepts may rob us of the insight which is contained in the text. Keeping the Commandments, which the passage from the letter of John declares as the way in which we know we love God, is compared by Friar Jude Winkler with the direction attributed to Augustine that we “Love God and do what we want”. The Gospel of John, written earlier than the letter, does not seem to emphasize the Commandments as much. (though the USCCB Lectionary today cites John 14:15).  Other commentators have proposed that the Ten Commandments stand as a measure of how well we love God and neighbor. Those who Love will find that their lives are not burdened with the sins which are detailed in the Commandments. The world which John proclaims will be conquered by faith is comprised, according to Friar Jude, of all that reject the core message of John that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. The Gospel today from Luke is Jesus public proclamation, in the synagogue of his home, that He is the fulfillment of the prophesy of Isaiah that God’s plan is to send the Chosen One to liberate the people of Israel. One idea of the role of the Messiah was to restore the kingdom of David which would conquer the world of the people of Israel that had brought them centuries of domination by foreign powers. Jesus conquers the world of our sins of personal power, privilege and passions that result in situations of poverty, enslavement and oppression and our blindness to these situations. As we allow faith to guide us through the errors we practice in living our world view, we will be more aligned with the direction of the Commandments and our compassion, forgiveness and love will be witness to Jesus Presence and our Love of God.

Fearing love lose

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary continue to explore the manifestation of God in the person of Jesus Christ as initiated this week by the feast of the Epiphany. The process whereby John in the text from his first letter declares that we are able to recognize God is through the indwelling Holy Spirit. As we confess our understanding that Jesus is the Son of God we are aware that we abide in Love and God abides in us. The heresy which John was combating in this letter is identified by in the comments today from Friar Jude Winkler as one which denied the Divinity of Jesus. The manifestation of the Divine can be a source of fear. Friar Jude notes that we fear punishment. The “fear of God” which is positive and not related to punishment is better expressed as awe. It is the reaction which stops us in our tracks as “God passes by” in our lives. This fear is mingled with the fear we experience in difficult times of life in the account from the Gospel of Mark of Jesus walking on the water to the disciples who experience the Psalm 23 like action of being led to still waters. The immediate action of Jesus and how that reveals His Divinity to His disciples, who are slow to comprehend, is identified by Don Schwager as a typical theme in the Gospel from Mark. Our fear for loved ones may also be tied to the possibility that we may lose them from our lives through death or separation. Love which is the evidence of our communion with God survives eternally. Our Love of others builds the confidence we have in the hope of eternal connection to Love and diminishes our fears of separation.

Loaves fishes and love

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary offer an example of how our satisfaction with a surface appreciation or a good story sometimes robs us of a deeper experience of wonder at things which we struggle to understand and insight which comes from our efforts to learn and live the Scriptures. Robert P. Heaney, John A. Creighton University Chair, brings insight into the passage from the First Letter of John which proclaims that God is love. This truth to identify God is a starting point. Too often we are satisfied that it is also an ending point. This description of God, Heaney points out, is the underlying of everything else in the Bible and Christianity when we look for the self giving which John describes as being in the gift of Jesus and which Friar Jude Winkler expresses is the very impetus for Creation. Friar Jude reminds us of the extent of this self giving which is God is to the death. Consider, as Heaney notes, that the Commandments of the Law are not rules to follow to gain the favour of God but behaviours which result from our living with the Love which is God. This mission of showing God in the world is Christian life. The miracle of the loaves and fishes is rich with opportunity for meditation on the mystery of how God loves humanity both at the level of our basic needs for sustenance, support and guidance and at our deep need for spiritual nourishment in our pondering the great questions around Why. Friar Jude explains many of the symbolic references in this story, which is told in all four Gospel (twice in Matthew). He links the event to the images in Psalm 23. The back story of this manifestation of Jesus relationship with the Father is in the ancient understanding of the Shepherd who provides and He leads us to repose beside still waters. The exegesis of Steve Ray on loaves and fishes for Catholic Answers Magazine is a bit confrontational but it does describe the spiritual truths which are deep in this miracle of Love. The concluding deeper story which is associated with the Letter of John, and mentioned by Heaney, is that this statement of the essence of God which we take quickly as a standalone truth is rooted in a time and situation of much dissention and discussion in the Johannine community which was splitting into factions. Loaves and fishes feed all (Jews and Gentiles from Matthew) with the perfect (five plus two) food communion with God through Jesus.

Discern the Spirit

The Gospel passage from Matthew in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today tells us Jesus left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. (Matthew 4.12). The First Letter of John continues to warn the community, to which the author speaks, that there are spirits which do not come from God. When we live to put God at the forefront of our consciousness and we act with love toward our neighbours, the Sprit of God which is given to us is activated and we become aware of those spirits which are not truth and light which do not confess the Incarnation of God in Jesus flesh. The author warns that these spirits will lead us away from our journey in intimacy with the Divine. Marcia Shadle Cusic of CreightonUniversity reminds us of Ignatian Spirituality which speaks about the spirits and describes the need to discern whether or not the spirit, which is moving you, is of a good or of an evil spirit. St. Ignatius came to discern that the spirits which came from God led to happiness and peace. Those from the devil led him to sadness. The Spirit moving in Jesus took Him to the land of commercial traffic and pagan beliefs. Don Schwager enumerates the good news which Jesus brought these people was of peace (restoration of relationship with God), of hope (the hope of resurrection and heaven), of truth (God's word is true and reliable), of promise (he rewards those who seek him), of immortality (God gives everlasting life), and the good news of salvation (liberty from sin and freedom to live as sons and daughters of God). The response of the people of the region is (Matthew4:25) great crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.  The message which brings peace and which activates the indwelling Spirit to action is both gift and mission to those who discern it.

Epiphany for mission

Today the Roman Catholic Lectionary for North America presents the texts for the celebration of the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord. We hear the psalmist proclaim that “Lord, every nation on earth will adore you” (Psalm 72). The Gospel of Matthew tells of the journey of the Magi who Friar Jude Winkler notes were astronomers following a sign they had witnessed in the heavens which moved them to the west to find and pay homage to a new born king.  Some astronomicalresearch has indicated a celestial alignment of planets which would convey this message to the Magi occurred prior to Jesus birth. Of course, the ruler of Israel, at the time of Jesus birth, Herod, was determined to prevent any new king from being a threat to his dynasty. Friar Jude picks up the message of the prophet from the Book of Isaiah to the exiles returning to Jerusalem from Babylon that God is going to have them shine as a light guiding nations to see them as witnesses to the Presence of God as the gift of shalom, for all people. BruceG. Epperly, a process theologian, invites us to be more attentive to the divine (revelation) in its many manifestations … prayer and meditation, dream work, mysticism, healing, and domestic holiness.  He comments that justice emerges out of our awareness that all creation, even the stranger and vulnerable, shine with divine love. Andy Alexander, S.J. of Creighton University invites us to share an “epiphany", discovery or an amazing insight like that of Paul as he proclaims to the Ephesians that “the mystery was made known to me by revelation ... that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”(Ephesians 3) The amazing insight into the will of God that all people come to be the light of God in the world for each other is a mission statement which we transform into action in life assured through faith that the Presence and gracious protection of God has brought us here and will guide our continuing journey of discovery.

The seed of faith

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary have levels of impact on us as we engage the words in study. The passage from the First Letter of John is described by Friar Jude Winkler as very dualistic. The cognitive dissonance for modern believers who trust that they are following Jesus is the assertion “those who have been born of God do not sin, because God’s seed abides in them; they cannot sin, because they have been born of God.” (1 John 3.9) The exegesis of Christian writers and theologians concerning this passage opens some understanding of the ways in which Satan works to draw us away from our trust in God and love of our brothers and sisters. The calling of Andrew and the “beloved disciple” ( in the opinion of some scholars) to Jesus is a call to a change in direction. We, like these searchers from the disciplesof John the Baptist , are, as Don Schwager notes, invited by Jesus to “come and see”. In our attraction to Jesus we take the first step in a direction. The direction we choose is dualistic. We are either headed  toward Jesus to become one with the Father as expressed in Johannine teaching or we are being taken in the direction of darkness by Satan. The seed of God, Creator, in us is the compass which activates our faith and allows us to hear, see and taste the experience of staying with Jesus.

Need to go deeper

The text from the First Letter of John, in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, declares the gift of being affiliated with God is one of being children of God. This level of intimacy may seem to stand in contrast with the dualistic statements which clearly separate those in sin from God. Our position in relation to God, like children in relation to parents, is not static. We are on a journey of development. As John indicates we do not know how our relationship will reveal God but we have faith and trust that we will mature and our vision of the Divine intensify. Our free will, at times, moves us to seek our passions without attention to God. Moving away from God is moving toward the possibility that we reject our inheritance as children and find only the death which is the consequence of our decision. This outcome was feared for some in the community to whom John writes as the difficulty of the “Word becoming flesh” for some influenced by Greek philosophy meant they were turning in a direction leading them away from greater intimacy with God. The gift of seeing Jesus is through revelation by the Holy Spirit. The Gospel of John today expresses the revelation to John the Baptist through the action of the Holy Spirit that Jesus is to be the Lamb who can take away the sins of the world. Don Schwager comments that the experience of the Baptist as son of the priest Zachariah gave him the experience of how the sacrifices in the Temple for expiation of sin would be completed through the sacrifice of the Son of God revealed to the Baptist as Jesus. As we grow in our relationship with Jesus we are more aware of the Presence of God in those around us. Our brothers and sisters are revealed to us as Children of God by the Spirit. We pray to move together as members of the Body of Christ toward our Father.

We live the Word

Psalm 98 is chosen today in the texts of the Roman CatholicLectionary as a hymn of praise to God who is steadfast love and faithfulness throughout our human experience. The Scriptures present this relationship as expressed by inspired writers for thousands of years. In the first centuryFriar Jude Winkler comments that the First Letter of John was written in a dualistic style to combat teaching from a sect "whom we callDocetae", which was unable to accept the revelation of Incarnation that the Word is made flesh (John1:14).   The Jesuit Post has recently published a web site called The Gospel of Intimacy: Pictures Worth a Thousand Words which show Pope Francis using intimate meetings of human body and spirit to live the Word. Theologians and philosophers may provide some principles and rules about relationships between God and people but our experience guided by the indwelling Spirit mentioned in the letter of John move us like the Jews, described in the Gospel today from John, to send priests and Levites to query John the Baptist about who he was and what he was doing. Our comfort level is higher when we have answers to the five W questions about people and situations. The danger of dualistic thinking and prescription of how things are is the shutting down of our search to know better the depth of the relationship of trust and faith which the Scriptures reveal is a journey with God. This journey is about transcending human limitation while retaining our mission of living the Word in our human condition.

THE SOLEMNITY OF MARY

In the Roman Catholic Lectionary, the texts for today provide inspiration to conclude the Octave of Christmas by returning us to Jesus birth and the account from the Gospel of Luke of how Mary holds all the miraculous events in her heart. The blessings which are with humanity in the person of Jesus, with the name meaning “God saves”, are the realization of the prayer and exhortation of the passage from the Book of Numbers where God chooses to be present in a special way to the Israelites. They will be the witness to all people of the Covenant which the Divine is with humanity. Paul declares to the Galatians that Jesus is with us to be the Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, who will call us to our relationship as children of God through our brotherhood with Jesus. In this relationship, we are free to address God as “Abba” or as we say in western culture “daddy”. It is the intimacy to which we are invited which is in a paradoxical way both elementarily simple as in the response of Mary to treasure these things in her heart and the seed of much reflection and inspiration which we see in a way in the number of citations which curator DonSchwager has gathered in his short article on Luke’s account of the birth of the Messiah. We begin the new calendar year in the great joy of our inclusion in the family of Jesus and the Great Graciousness which is a relationship of intimacy with the Divine which is modeled in the person of Mary. We pray to be free to live as Mary who “treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. “(Luke 2.19)