Walking without fear

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invoke images of how we might walk without fear bringing Good News to those we encounter.

Walking to others

The Letter to the Hebrews compares the Covenant resulting from the theophany experienced by Moses to the Covenant we know as people who live in Christ.

 * [12:18–29] As a final appeal for adherence to Christian teaching, the two covenants, of Moses and of Christ, are compared. The Mosaic covenant, the author argues, is shown to have originated in fear of God and threats of divine punishment (Heb 12:18–21). The covenant in Christ gives us direct access to God (Heb 12:22), makes us members of the Christian community, God’s children, a sanctified people (Heb 12:23), who have Jesus as mediator to speak for us (Heb 12:24).1

The Gospel from Mark describes the nature of disciples of Christ who trust God to take them to and through encounters with God’s people.

 * [6:8–9] In Mark the use of a walking stick (Mk 6:8) and sandals (Mk 6:9) is permitted, but not in Mt 10:10 nor in Lk 10:4. Mark does not mention any prohibition to visit pagan territory and to enter Samaritan towns. These differences indicate a certain adaptation to conditions in and outside of Palestine and suggest in Mark’s account a later activity in the church. For the rest, Jesus required of his apostles a total dependence on God for food and shelter; cf. Mk 6:35–44; 8:1–9.2

Steve Scholer senses that sadly, in today’s world, it seems the two things headed for extinction are communicating with strangers and trusting in their innate goodness.

During our daily Examen of Consciousness, we need to remember that we have a unique spiritual identity and that God is calling us to develop that identity. Is the real “us” one who is closed to new ideas and ways of looking at problems in our world? We must listen to the Holy Spirit calling in our hearts and learn to let go of our baggage and experience the type of empowering vulnerability experienced by the 12 Disciples and Jesuits, so that we, too, can learn to communicate more freely, trust more deeply and love with our whole hearts.3 

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus gives them power to heal and cast out evil spirits, “ by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"The grace bestowed upon the holy apostles is worthy of all admiration. But the bountifulness of the Giver surpasses all praise and admiration. He gives them, as I said, his own glory. They receive authority over the evil spirits. They reduce to nothing the pride of the devil that was so highly exalted and arrogant. They render ineffectual the demon’s wickedness. By the might and efficacy of the Holy Spirit, burning them as if they were on fire, they make the devil come forth with groans and weeping from those whom he had possessed...    "He glorified his disciples, therefore, by giving them authority and power over the evil spirits and over sicknesses. Did he honor them without reason and make them famous without any logical cause? How can this be true? It was necessary, most necessary, that they should be able to work miracles, having been publicly appointed ministers of sacred proclamations. By means of their works, they then could convince men that they were the ministers of God and mediators of all beneath the heaven. The apostles then could invite them all to reconciliation and justification by faith and point out the way of salvation and of life that is this justification." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 47)4 

The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 6:7-13 recognizes that there are times when we feel ill equipped to share the gospel with people. We feel that we need more patience, more energy, better health, or more discipline. But like the apostles, we can trust God to provide what we need to do the job at hand. He’s just waiting for us to take that first step!

What is Jesus sending you out to do today? Start with the people closest to you. Care for your family, and in doing so, show them the love of God. Bring peace into your workplace by upholding the dignity of your coworkers, especially when conversations fall into gossip. But don’t stop with the “normal” life that’s comfortable to you. Let the Holy Spirit call you a bit further today, to a place where you will need to rely on God’s provision.5 

Friar Jude Winkler connects the theophany of Moses to our role as Church to be the Presence of Christ in the world. Our Baptism anoints us a priest, prophet and king. Friar Jude asserts that we have the healing task of bringing the consolation of God to people who most need relief.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares that the Divine Mind transforms all human suffering by identifying completely with the human predicament and standing in full solidarity with it from beginning to end. Jesus demonstrated that Reality is not meaningless and absurd just because it isn’t perfectly logical, fair, or consistent. Reality, we know, is always filled with contradictions, what St. Bonaventure and others (such as Alan of Lille [c. 1128–1202/03] and Nicholas of Cusa [1401–1464]) called the “coincidence of opposites.” This is what we all resist and oppose much of our life.

Christians are meant to be the visible compassion of God on earth more than “those who are going to heaven.” They are the leaven who agree to share the fate of God for the life of the world now, and thus keep the whole batch of dough from falling back on itself. A Christian is invited, not required, to accept and live the cruciform shape of all reality. It is not a duty or even a requirement as much as a free vocation. Some people feel called and agree to not hide from the dark side of things or the rejected group, but in fact draw close to the pain of the world and allow it to radically change their perspective. They agree to embrace the imperfection and even the injustices of our world, allowing these situations to change them from the inside out, which is the only way things are changed anyway.6 

Our invitation to participate in a new Covenant involves trust in Providence to transform our lives as agents of the visible compassion of God.

References

1	(n.d.). great a cloud of witnesses - usccb. Retrieved February 7, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/hebrews/hebrews12.htm
2	(n.d.). Mark, chapter 6 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved February 7, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/mark/6
3	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved February 7, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
4	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 7, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
5	(2019, February 6). Mass Readings .... Retrieved February 7, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/02/07/
6	(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive: February 2019 - Center for Action and .... Retrieved February 7, 2019, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/2019/02