The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to identify those habits and attitudes that draw us away from acting as disciples of Christ in our relationships with others.
War and Greed
The reading from the Book of James is a warning to rich oppressors.
* [5:1–6] Continuing with the theme of the transitory character of life on earth, the author points out the impending ruin of the godless. He denounces the unjust rich, whose victims cry to heaven for judgment on their exploiters (Jas 5:4–6). The decay and corrosion of the costly garments and metals, which symbolize wealth, prove them worthless and portend the destruction of their possessors (Jas 5:2–3).1
Psalm 49 shares the folly of trust in riches.
* [Psalm 49] The Psalm affirms confidence in God (cf. Ps 23; 27:1–6; 62) in the face of the apparent good fortune of the unjust rich, cf. Ps 37; 73. Reliance on wealth is misplaced (Ps 49:8–10) for it is of no avail in the face of death (Ps 49:18–20). After inviting all to listen to this axiom of faith (Ps 49:2–5), the psalmist depicts the self-delusion of the ungodly (Ps 49:6–13), whose destiny is to die like ignorant beasts (Ps 49:13, 18; cf. Prv 7:21–23). Their wealth should occasion no alarm, for they will come to nought, whereas God will save the just (Ps 49:14–20).2
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus teaches about temptations to sin.
* [9:43, 45, 47] Gehenna: see note on Mt 5:22. * [9:44, 46] These verses, lacking in some important early manuscripts, are here omitted as scribal additions. They simply repeat Mk 9:48 itself a modified citation of Is 66:24.3
Mary Lee Brock comments that the delicious recipes her mother would read to her can be seen as the worldly wealth that James warns us about…. as temporary and arbitrary. Focusing solely on acquiring wealth at all cost always comes at the expense of someone else.
As I pray today I ask for God to show me ways I can offer a drink of water to someone who thirsts. I ask for clarity on the attachments I may feel for earthly wealth. I wonder how I can identify and set aside the habits that prevent me from living the Gospel. These answers are the delicious recipe I am looking for.4
Don Schwager quotes “Why not skip over such passages,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).
"This is no trivial subject of inquiry that we propose, but rather it concerns things most urgent, and about which many inquire: namely, whether hell fire has any end. For that it has no end Christ indeed declared when he said, 'Their fire shall not be quenched, and their worm shall not die' (Isaiah 66:24). Yes, I know a chill comes over you on hearing these things. But what am I to do? For this is God's own command... Ordained as we have been to the ministry of the word, we must cause our hearers discomfort when it is necessary for them to hear. We do this not arbitrarily but under command." (excerpt from the HOMILIES ON FIRST CORINTHIANS 9.1)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 9:41-50 comments that holiness, like sinfulness, can become a habit, but we have to work diligently at it and aggressively seek God’s help and grace. Investing time in prayer, adding positive structure to our day, and looking for ways to be Christ’s body on earth might take a little extra planning and effort.
Don’t stop there! Take a look at how you use your money, your time, even your hobbies. Instead of using them for yourself, look for ways that you can use them to be Christ to others. By focusing on turning opportunities to sin into opportunities to love others, you will begin to feel your whole body—especially your heart—reorienting itself toward Christ. Gradually, your hands and eyes and feet will become instruments of service rather than instruments of sin. “Lord, help me find ways to use everything you have given me to love you and serve your people.”6
The Gospel of Mark today includes the line where ‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ based on Isaiah 66.24. In his book “No birds Sang”, Farley Mowat uses this refrain many times.
Mowat and his regiment engaged with elite German forces in the mountains of Sicily, the optimism of their early days as soldiers was replaced by despair. With a naturalist's eyes and ears, Mowat takes in the full dark depths of war; his moving account of military service, and the friends he left behind, is also a plea for peace.7
It is tragically resonant with the invasion today of Ukraine by armed forces from Russia.
Friar Jude Winkler notes that James continues the warning about trusting in wealth. Our charity, in service of the weak, lasts. Our actions in giving bad witness to the weak have serious consequences. Friar Jude describes the Hinnom valley, where the Temple dump existed, as Jesus described Gehenna.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces therapists Jett Psaris and Marlena Lyons, who write about how it is only through a willingness to practice “undefended love” that we can experience intimacy with ourselves, God, and others.
Ultimately, intimacy is about the freedom to be ourselves. True emotional freedom means no longer needing confirmation, agreement, or validation from another to know our basic goodness. Knowing our intrinsic worth, we are able to be present with ourselves and our partners, whatever the circumstances. This freedom means no longer being defined by our personal history. It means being who we are essentially, unencumbered, and undefended. . . . When we open our hearts to the wonder of the journey and search through the pain for the truth of our experience, we begin to glimpse a new light that will guide us deeper into ourselves, below our insecurities and the broken dreams of our lives. There we will meet our whole, undamaged, and pristine essential self [or True Self]. In touch with this essential self, we can experience powerful levels of intimacy while engaged in the most ordinary behaviors. This is the promise of undefended intimacy. This is the satisfaction of the longing to love and be loved, directly, immediately, and without restriction.8
The Spirit opens the door to the experience of “undefended love” that stands in stark contrast to the darkness of terror and oppression that we witness in a world possessed by the evil of war and greed.
References
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