The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with our sense of the Presence of God in our environment and invite us to seek greater experience of Divine Love.
Present with Us
The reading from the Book of Wisdom is an exhortation to uprightness.
* [1:4] In these verses personified Wisdom is identified with the spirit of the Lord; so also in 9:17.1
Psalm 139 praises the Inescapable God.
* [Psalm 139] A hymnic meditation on God’s omnipresence and omniscience. The psalmist is keenly aware of God’s all-knowing gaze (Ps 139:1–6), of God’s presence in every part of the universe (Ps 139:7–12), and of God’s control over the psalmist’s very self (Ps 139:13–16). Summing up Ps 139:1–16, 17–18 express wonder. There is only one place hostile to God’s rule—wicked people. The psalmist prays to be removed from their company (Ps 139:19–24).2
The Gospel of Luke shares some sayings of Jesus about scandal and faith.
* [17:3] Be on your guard: the translation takes Lk 17:3a as the conclusion to the saying on scandal in Lk 17:1–2. It is not impossible that it should be taken as the beginning of the saying on forgiveness in Lk 17:3b–4.3
Nancy Shirley shares how a friend with a sincere look on her face asked her how she was and the tears flowed, and she was comforting beyond words – her warm hug and concern touched Nancy and brought relief.
as though Jesus Himself was there to remind me, we do not walk this journey alone. She reminded me that I am loved. My day was changed in a way I would not have imagined. Later, I was able to send her a note acknowledging the impact of her presence and my gratitude of how God randomly puts people in our path (literally and figuratively) with purpose and to remind us of His love for us. The angels on earth with human faces . . . .4
Don Schwager quotes “To increase faith is to strengthen it by the Holy Spirit,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).
"They ask, 'Add faith to us.' They do not ask simply for faith, for perhaps you might imagine them to be without faith. They rather ask Christ for an addition to their faith and to be strengthened in faith. Faith partly depends on us and partly is the gift of the divine grace. The beginning of faith depends on us and our maintaining confidence and faith in God with all our power. The confirmation and strength necessary for this comes from the divine grace. For that reason, since all things are possible with God, the Lord says that all things are possible for him who believes (Mark 9:23). The power that comes to us through faith is of God. Knowing this, blessed Paul also says in the first epistle to the Corinthians, 'For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit, and to another faith in the same Spirit' (1 Corinthians 12:8). You see that he has placed faith also in the catalogue of spiritual graces. The disciples requested that they might receive this from the Savior, contributing also what was of themselves. By the descent upon them of the Holy Spirit, he granted it to them after the fulfillment of the dispensation. Before the resurrection, their faith was so feeble that they were liable even to the charge of being 'little of faith'." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILIES 113-16)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 17:1-6 comments that Jesus said that even the tiniest seed of faith could uproot a mulberry tree (Luke 17:6). Yet few of us think we have that kind of faith. So today, let’s join the apostles in praying for more faith and believe that, even though our faith may be lacking, Jesus will answer our prayer.
“Lord, you know that my faith is often weak. But I trust that when I exercise the faith I do have, you will make that small mustard seed inside of me grow, flourish, and glorify you." “Jesus, ‘I do believe, help my unbelief’” (Mark 9:24).6
Friar Jude Winkler notes that the Deutero-Canonical book of Wisdom seeks to show that Hebrew wisdom is as good as the Greek culture that dominated Palestine at the time. Following the will of God leads to truth. Friar Jude reminds us of the power of forgiveness that is based on addressing the needs of the one who has offended us.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces theologian Paul Knitter, who has explored both Buddhism and Christianity extensively. The underlying reason why people keep causing themselves and others so much suffering . . . is because we are ignorant about who and what we really are. Our problem is not an inherent sinfulness but an inherited ignorance. . . . But—and here is the really good news—if ignorance is our fundamental problem, we are dealing with a fixable problem. This problem is not within us as part of our human nature. Rather, it’s around us. . . . The antidote for the ignorance that causes suffering is to wake up to what we really are.
So, what are we really? . . . Following Tibetan and Zen teachings, we can say that our true nature, our real nature, is Buddha-nature. [Richard: what Thomas Merton called the “true self” or Christ-self.] Our real self is not our individual self. Our individual small minds are really part of a big Mind. . . . Once we wake up to our Buddha-nature, once we realize the Space in which and out of which we live and move and have our being, then nothing, no matter how much it hurts or disappoints or frustrates, can destroy the strength of our inner Peace, of our ability both to endure and to respond to whatever happens. [3]7
We contemplate our situation of being loved by God who sees our needs and invites our surrender to His Will.
References
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