The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with paradox and simplicity as we contemplate making friends of enemies and how I find my true identity being with Christ.
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In the First Book of Samuel, David spares Saul, imploring the Lord to judge between them, resulting in Saul’s remorse.
* [24:1] The first of two accounts (see chap. 26) in which David spares Saul’s life. The two accounts, which do not make reference to each other, are probably alternative versions of the same story.1
Psalm 57 contains a prayer for rescue from enemies.
* [Psalm 57] Each of the two equal strophes contains a prayer for rescue from enemies, accompanied by joyful trust in God (Ps 57:2–5, 7–11). The refrain prays that God be manifested as saving (Ps 57:6, 12). Ps 108 is nearly identical to part of this Psalm (cf. Ps 57:8–11, Ps 108:2–6).2
In the Gospel of Mark Jesus appoints the Twelve.
* [3:14–15] He appointed twelve [whom he also named apostles] that they might be with him: literally “he made,” i.e., instituted them as apostles to extend his messianic mission through them (Mk 6:7–13). See notes on Mt 10:1 and 10:2–4.3
Kyle Lierk, commenting on the texts chosen for the Memorial of Saint Francis de Sales, notes that In order to truly know how to love like Jesus, we must keep our eyes constantly on him. Buried within his commandment to us is an invitation to draw near to him and bask in the radiance of his love.
Jesus is bold and confident in his command to us: love one another. May we be so lavish, liberal and lofty in how we love today (friend and foe alike). There is nothing “ordinary” about that!4
Don Schwager quotes “The renaming of Matthew by Jesus,” by Bede the Venerable, 672-735 A.D.
"We must not pass over the fact that Matthew had two names, for he was also called Levi, and that name too bears witness to the grace granted to him. Levi means 'added' (or 'a joining') or 'taken up,' signifying that he was 'taken up' through being chosen by the Lord, and 'added' to the number of the apostolic band. Mark and Luke generously chose to use this name alone, so as to not make glaringly conspicuous his former way of life, for he was now their companion in the work of the Gospel (Mark 2:14, Luke 5:27). In setting down the list of the twelve apostles, they simply called him Matthew, not mentioning Levi (Mark 3:18, Luke 6:15). Matthew himself, on the other hand (in accord with what is written, 'The just man is the first accuser of himself; his friend came and searched him out' - Proverbs 18:17), calls himself by his ordinary name when telling of being called from his tax-collector's place, but adds pointedly 'the publican' (Matthew 10:3) - 'Thomas,' he says, 'and Matthew the publican.' In this way he offers to publicans and sinners greater confidence in securing their salvation." (excerpt from HOMILIES ON THE GOSPELS 1.21)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 3:13-19 comments that the disciples were probably used to being in the middle of the action, watching people get healed and delivered. And yet Jesus knew that they couldn’t maintain their pace—or retain their sense of peace—without spending time with him.
Have you ever felt the call to just “be” with the Lord? Sometimes, it’s a nudge to simplify our schedules to focus on the important things in life. But most of the time, it comes in the subtle twists and turns of life. Maybe you have experienced this when your children went away to college or when you left your job to spend more time with family. Or maybe it happened when you struggled with an extended illness. All of a sudden, there was a lot more space in your schedule and a lot less activity. These life changes can be very challenging for any number of reasons. But in the midst of them, we can listen for God’s still, small voice inviting us to spend more time with him.6
A post by Franciscan media comments that Francis de Sales took seriously the words of Christ, “Learn of me for I am meek and humble of heart.” As he said himself, it took him 20 years to conquer his quick temper, but no one ever suspected he had such a problem, so overflowing with good nature and kindness was his usual manner of acting. His perennial meekness and sunny disposition won for him the title of “Gentleman Saint.”
His writings, filled with his characteristic gentle spirit, are addressed to lay people. He wants to make them understand that they too are called to be saints. As he wrote in The Introduction to the Devout Life: “It is an error, or rather a heresy, to say devotion is incompatible with the life of a soldier, a tradesman, a prince, or a married woman…. It has happened that many have lost perfection in the desert who had preserved it in the world.”7
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares that Abba Poemen (340–450) taught that the right question in all circumstances was “Who am I?” [1] St. Francis of Assisi (1182–1226) would spend whole nights praying “Who are you, my most dear God, and who am I . . . ?” [2] It is through encountering the absolute safety of God that we discover our True Self, and in finding our truest self, we find a God who is always and forever larger than we expected. The truth of our identity, wrapped up in God, gives us a deep sense of radical okayness and yet humility about our fragility. What a paradox!
One day Abba Arsenius consulted an old Egyptian monk about his own thoughts. Someone noticed this and said to him, “Abba Arsenius, how is it that you with such a good Latin and Greek education, ask this peasant about your thoughts?” He replied, “I have indeed been taught Latin and Greek, but I do not know even the alphabet of this peasant.” [3]
Abba Anthony said, “A time is coming when men will go mad, and when they see someone who is not mad, they will attack him saying, ‘You are mad, you are not like us.’” [4]
Abba Isaiah, when someone asked him what avarice was, replied, “Not to believe that God cares for you, to despair of the promises of God and to love boasting.” [5]8
The apostles selected by Jesus are a reminder to us that those we too often ignore may be channels of Divine care and Presence.
References
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