The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate counter cultural action in our relationship with God.
Aware of the Presence
The reading from the Book of Exodus describes the Cloud and the Glory experienced by Moses.
36 Whenever the cloud rose from the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out on their journey.
37 But if the cloud did not lift, they would not go forward; only when it lifted did they go forward.1
Psalm 84 praises the joy of worship in the Temple.
[Psalm 84] Israelites celebrated three pilgrimage feasts in Jerusalem annually. The Psalm expresses the sentiments of the pilgrims eager to enjoy the divine presence.2
In the Gospel of John, Jesus proclaims the Resurrection and the Life.
* [11:1–44] The raising of Lazarus, the longest continuous narrative in John outside of the passion account, is the climax of the signs. It leads directly to the decision of the Sanhedrin to kill Jesus. The theme of life predominates. Lazarus is a token of the real life that Jesus dead and raised will give to all who believe in him. Johannine irony is found in the fact that Jesus’ gift of life leads to his own death. The story is not found in the synoptics, but cf. Mk 5:21 and parallels; Lk 7:11–17. There are also parallels between this story and Luke’s parable of the rich man and poor Lazarus (Lk 16:19–31). In both a man named Lazarus dies; in Luke, there is a request that he return to convince his contemporaries of the need for faith and repentance, while in John, Lazarus does return and some believe but others do not.3
Luis Rodriguez, S.J. comments on oblique communication. Are we free enough to “complain” to Jesus directly about his presence in our lives, or do we take it on the people Jesus places in our lives? Do we rather obliquely blame our children, family, bosses, fellow workers or community for the difficulties we experience in our relating to Jesus?
Martha, who on that occasion used oblique communication, grew in trust and felt more and more assured in that friendship. After her brother dies, she “complains” to Jesus directly, rather than complaining obliquely by addressing his disciples. In more polite words than these, she effectively tells Jesus: How come you did not come here, when we sent you our message? Martha is not sure about the extent of that friendship, yet she adds: But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of God. She was not sure, but she was assured. There will be situations in our lives, when we are not sure either of ourselves or of the meaning of our experience in our relationship to God. We are invited to be assured, even when we are not sure.4
Don Schwager quotes “The voice of life and joy that awakens the dead,“ by Athanasius of Alexandria (295-373 AD).
"I am the voice of life that wakens the dead. I am the good odor that takes away the foul odor. I am the voice of joy that takes away sorrow and grief.... I am the comfort of those who are in grief. Those who belong to me are given joy by me. I am the joy of the whole world. I gladden all my friends and rejoice with them. I am the bread of life" (John 6:35). (excerpt from HOMILY ON THE RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on John 11:19-27 notes that today’s Gospel gives us another view of Martha’s “no-holds-barred” relationship with Jesus. Grieving the death of her brother, Lazarus, she runs to Jesus as a friend but also as a devout believer. In a moment of complete honesty, she gently upbraids him for not coming in time. But she also shares her unquestioning faith when she proclaims him as “the Christ, the Son of God” (John 11:27). This statement is one of the most complete professions of faith we have in the Bible. In both cases,(see Luke 10.38-42) Martha didn’t mince her words. She felt free to speak directly from her heart, giving voice both to her sadness and to her faith.
What better way to honor St. Martha than to emulate her open, honest friendship with Christ? And what better way to grow closer to the Lord than to be completely transparent with him about our trials and complaints as well as our faith? It’s not a sign of disrespect to tell him exactly what we’re thinking. On the contrary, we honor Jesus when we let him see what’s in our hearts. It’s our way of opening ourselves to him and inviting him to live in us as our Lord and Savior. “Lord, help me to be bold and transparent in my love for you!”6
Friar Jude Winkler shares the experience of the Israelites of the “shekinah” God’s Presence in the tent and the cloud. In the prologue to John’s Gospel and the Cloud of the Spirit over Mary in Luke we connect to the “shekinah”. Friar Jude reminds us that we live in the life of Jesus as soon as we develop a relationship with Him.
Fr Richard Rohr, OFM, shares that in his Franciscan tradition, joy comes from an inner realization of true experiential union with God … Authentic joy, however, takes place through our pain… There is much covering up, escaping, or denying our suffering in unhealthy religion. God calls us, instead, to the whole paschal mystery—passion, death, and resurrection. CAC teacher Barbara Holmes knows that such joy is for both the individual and the community, providing sustaining, life-giving power for marginalized people.
Performing joy offers healing from our addictive engagement with domination systems. We are not required to fight for our reality; we can just live it. . . . We are being invited to awaken to our true nature as spirit beings, energy sharers, and prophets of potential. The joy spoken of in Holy Scripture is accessible, but also has a certain “beyondness” to it: The world didn’t give it and the world can’t take it away. As we hear from Jesus in John 16:22: “So you have pain now; but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.” [2]7
In our pain and disappointment we may miss the joy of consolation in our connection to the Presence of Christ.
References
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