The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate the role of good works and suffering selflessly in our journey to full life.Servants of Faith and Works
The reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah expresses salvation through the Lord’s Suffering Servant.
* [50:4–11] The third of the four “servant of the Lord” oracles (cf. note on 42:1–4); in vv. 4–9 the servant speaks; in vv. 10–11 God addresses the people directly. * [50:5] The servant, like a well-trained disciple, does not refuse the divine vocation. * [50:6] He willingly submits to insults and beatings. Tore out my beard: a grave and painful insult.1
Psalm 116 is a thanksgiving for recovery from Illness.
* [Psalm 116] A thanksgiving in which the psalmist responds to divine rescue from mortal danger (Ps 116:3–4) and from near despair (Ps 116:10–11) with vows and Temple sacrifices (Ps 116:13–14, 17–19). The Greek and Latin versions divide the Psalm into two parts: Ps 116:1–9 and Ps 116:10–19, corresponding to its two major divisions.2
The reading from the Letter of James teaches faith without works is dead.
* [2:14–26] The theme of these verses is the relationship of faith and works (deeds). It has been argued that the teaching here contradicts that of Paul (see especially Rom 4:5–6). The problem can only be understood if the different viewpoints of the two authors are seen. Paul argues against those who claim to participate in God’s salvation because of their good deeds as well as because they have committed themselves to trust in God through Jesus Christ (Paul’s concept of faith). Paul certainly understands, however, the implications of true faith for a life of love and generosity (see Gal 5:6, 13–15). The author of James is well aware that proper conduct can only come about with an authentic commitment to God in faith (Jas 2:18, 26). Many think he was seeking to correct a misunderstanding of Paul’s view.3
In the Gospel of Mark, Peter’s declaration about Jesus precedes foretelling of His death and resurrection.
* [8:34–35] This utterance of Jesus challenges all believers to authentic discipleship and total commitment to himself through self-renunciation and acceptance of the cross of suffering, even to the sacrifice of life itself. Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it…will save it: an expression of the ambivalence of life and its contrasting destiny. Life seen as mere self-centered earthly existence and lived in denial of Christ ends in destruction, but when lived in loyalty to Christ, despite earthly death, it arrives at fullness of life.4
Mike Cherney finds himself connecting with the less glorious traits of Peter; today that is becoming enthusiastic, followed by an impulsive response. Sometimes he gets things right as Peter did in the first part of the Gospel. And as in the second part of the Gospel when the talk turns to challenges, he can envision himself missing the point, and wanting to coach Jesus suggesting that His promises of hardships, suffering and death are “bad marketing.”
Retirement has given me time to reflect on a lifetime of actions. My prayer today focusses on how I have been blessed despite many of those actions.
Dear Lord,
You have stood by those faithful to you in times of challenge.
I am grateful for Your saving grace in the trials that fall in my path
as well as Your benevolence that finds its way to me notwithstanding my impulsiveness.
Thinking of St. Peter in today’s Gospel, thank you for the moments of insight and
forgive me for the times that I needed to be rebuked for failing to recognize the big picture.
Grant me the wisdom in knowing what is good and the strength in doing what is good.5
Don Schwager quotes “Peter confesses that Jesus is God's Anointed Son and Savior of all”, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).
"You see the skillfulness of the question. He [Jesus] did not at once say, 'Who do you say that I am?' He refers to the rumor of those that were outside their company. Then, having rejected it and shown it unsound, he might bring them back to the true opinion. It happened that way. When the disciples had said, 'Some, John the Baptist, and others, Elijah, and others, that some prophet of those in old time has risen up,' he said to them, 'But you, who do you say that I am?' Oh! how full of meaning is that word you! He separates them from all others, that they may also avoid the opinions of others. In this way, they will not conceive an unworthy idea about him or entertain confused and wavering thoughts. Then they will not also imagine that John had risen again, or one of the prophets. 'You,' he says, 'who have been chosen,' who by my decree have been called to the apostleship, who are the witnesses of my miracles. Who do you say that I am?'"(excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 49)6
The Word Among Us Meditation on James 2:14-18 comments that today’s second reading is a stark reminder that our faith isn’t just between the Lord and us. We are part of a body, the body of Christ, united through Jesus’ death and resurrection. So when we are loving our neighbor, we are also loving the Lord, and that makes our flame of faith grow larger and burn more intensely.
You are probably already performing many good deeds. Perhaps you are supporting a favorite charity, making meals for a shelter, or reaching out to a lonely neighbor. But whatever you are doing, ask Jesus from time to time if there is something more or different you should consider. As you pray, he may spark an idea for a new way to serve at your parish or move you with compassion to support people suffering in a country half a world away. Above all, he will be pleased that you care for the needs that are on his heart—and that you are doing all you can to keep the flame of faith alive in your own. “Jesus, put the needs of your people on my heart, and show me how to care for them.”7
Friar Jude Winkler notes that in the Suffering Servant poems in Isaiah, the response to violence is peacefulness. The works of James and the justification of Paul resonate with the need to work out our salvation. Friar Jude identifies “the tempter” in Jesus' rebuke of Peter about dying on the cross.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that it is much easier to organize people around fear and hatred than around love. Powerful people prefer this worldview because it validates their use of intimidation—which is quite effective in the short run! Both Catholicism and Protestantism have used the threat of eternal hellfire to form Christians. He is often struck by the irrational anger of many people when they hear that someone does not believe in hell. You cannot “believe” in hell. Biblical “belief” is simply to trust and have confidence in the goodness of God or reality and cannot imply some notion of anger, wrath, or hopelessness at the center of all that is. Otherwise, we live in a toxic and unsafe universe, which many do.
In his book Inventing Hell, Jon M. Sweeney points out that our Christian view of hell largely comes from several unfortunate metaphors in Matthew’s Gospel. [1] Hell is not found in the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. It’s not found in the Gospel of John or in Paul’s letters. The words Sheol and Gehenna are used in Matthew, but they have nothing to do with the later medieval notion of eternal punishment. Sheol is simply the place of the dead, a sort of limbo where humans await the final judgment when God will finally win. Gehenna was both the garbage dump outside of Jerusalem—the Valley of Hinnom—and an early Jewish metaphor for evil (Isaiah 66:24). The idea of hell as we most commonly view it came much more from Dante’s Inferno than the Bible. Believe me on that. It is the very backdrop of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. It makes for good art, I suppose, but it’s horrible, dualistic theology. This is not Jesus, “meek and humble of heart,” which is his self-description in life (Matthew 11:29). We end up with two different and opposing Jesuses: one before Resurrection (healing) and one after Resurrection (dangerous and damning).8
Our participation in the Body of Christ draws us to action to work for the benefit of others as the Spirit stirs us to show faith in mercy, compassion, and generosity.
References
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