The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to examine our progress in surrendering to the Will of God that we live with Love for all Creation.
The reading from the Letter to the Hebrews proclaims Christ’s Sacrifice once for All.
* [10:1–10] Christian faith now realizes that the Old Testament sacrifices did not effect the spiritual benefits to come but only prefigured them (Heb 10:1). For if the sacrifices had actually effected the forgiveness of sin, there would have been no reason for their constant repetition (Heb 10:2). They were rather a continual reminder of the people’s sins (Heb 10:3). It is not reasonable to suppose that human sins could be removed by the blood of animal sacrifices (Heb 10:4). Christ, therefore, is here shown to understand his mission in terms of Ps 40:5–7, cited according to the Septuagint (Heb 10:5–7). Jesus acknowledged that the Old Testament sacrifices did not remit the sins of the people and so, perceiving the will of God, offered his own body for this purpose (Heb 10:8–10). (Hebrews, CHAPTER 10, n.d.)
Psalm 40 is a thanksgiving for Deliverance and a Prayer for help.
* [Psalm 40] A thanksgiving (Ps 40:2–13) has been combined with a lament (Ps 40:14–17) that appears also in Ps 70. The psalmist describes the rescue in spatial terms—being raised up from the swampy underworld to firm earth where one can praise God (Ps 40:2–4). All who trust God will experience like protection (Ps 40:5–6)! The Psalm stipulates the precise mode of thanksgiving: not animal sacrifice but open and enthusiastic proclamation of the salvation just experienced (Ps 40:7–11). A prayer for protection concludes (Ps 40:12–17).
* [40:4] A new song: a song in response to the new action of God (cf. Ps 33:3; 96:1; 144:9; 149:1; Is 42:10). Giving thanks is not purely a human response but is itself a divine gift.
* [40:7–9] Obedience is better than sacrifice (cf. 1 Sm 15:22; Is 1:10–20; Hos 6:6; Am 5:22–25; Mi 6:6–8; Acts 7:42–43 [quoting Am 5:25–26]). Heb 10:5–9 quotes the somewhat different Greek version and interprets it as Christ’s self-oblation. (Psalms, PSALM 40, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Mark, we hear about the true kindred of Jesus.
* [3:20–35] Within the narrative of the coming of Jesus’ relatives (Mk 3:20–21) is inserted the account of the unbelieving scribes from Jerusalem who attributed Jesus’ power over demons to Beelzebul (Mk 3:22–30); see note on Mk 5:21–43. There were those even among the relatives of Jesus who disbelieved and regarded Jesus as out of his mind (Mk 3:21). Against this background, Jesus is informed of the arrival of his mother and brothers [and sisters] (Mk 3:32). He responds by showing that not family ties but doing God’s will (Mk 3:35) is decisive in the kingdom; cf. note on Mt 12:46–50. * [3:32] Your brothers: see note on Mk 6:3. (Mark, CHAPTER 3, n.d.)
Molly Mattingly comments that these are challenging readings. She works with many college students who wonder what, exactly, God’s will for them is so that they can follow it. On days with challenging readings, she sometimes goes to the saint whose memorial we celebrate, to see if their life sheds any light on the matter. St. Francis de Sales did not disappoint. In a nutshell: he was a lawyer, a teacher, a writer, a spiritual director, a mystic, and he laid the groundwork for Vatican II’s focus on the “universal call to holiness” as far back as the Reformation.
Prayer was essential for him; he didn’t want to do anything for which he hadn’t sought God’s input first. He showed up to life saying, “Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.” His insistence that people in every stage and state of life are called to holiness helps me connect with Jesus’ words in the gospel: “Whomever does the will of God is [my family].” In St. Francis de Sales’ time, it was thought that only clergy and religious were really called to be holy; lay or family life simply wasn’t a way to grow closer to God. He saw spiritual direction for laypeople as one of his most important ministries as bishop, and wrote in his most famous book that family life is a path to holiness just as much as religious life. Jesus calls everyone! As Paul wrote to the Hebrews at the end of today’s first reading, Jesus has also consecrated us – we the Body of Christ on earth – through the offering of his Body once for all. (Mattingly, 2023)
The Franciscan Media article on Saint Frances de Sales comments that 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.”
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.” (Saint Francis De Sales, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “The cross of Christ as victory,” by Augustine of Hippo, 430-543 A.D.
"[Mary] did the Father's will. It was this in her that the Lord magnified, not merely that her flesh gave birth to flesh... When he said, 'Blessed are they who hear the Word of God and keep it' (Luke 11:28), he was in effect saying: 'My mother whom you have called blessed is blessed for the reason that she keeps the Word of God, not that the Word was made flesh in her and dwelt among us (John 1:14), but that she keeps the very Word of God through which she was made and which was made flesh in her." (excerpt from TRACTATE ON JOHN 10.3.2) (Schwager, 2022)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 3:31-35 comments that Jesus wants us to try to stay true to our Christian family, as imperfect as it is, and to deepen our relationships with each other. He knows we can develop a more intimate spiritual family around us, even if we start small. Is there someone in your parish whom God may be asking you to get to know a little better? Is there a Bible study or parish ministry you’ve been thinking of joining?
Whatever you do, remember that with Jesus as the head of this family, you’re always in good hands. He has claimed you as his own brother or sister and given you a host of siblings to help you on your path of discipleship.
“Jesus, thank you for calling me into your very own family! By your Spirit, help us all to build a community of faith and love.” (Meditation on Mark 3:31-35, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the thoughts in Hebrews about the contrast between the concern about sin in the Hebrew Covenant and the theme of the Beatitudes in the Christian Covenant. There is a different understanding of brothers and sisters of Jesus in Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant tradition. Friar Jude suggests that it is often difficult to surrender as much as we can to the mystery of faith.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, understands Jesus in a long line of Jewish prophets who revealed inconvenient truths to their people. Jesus exposes the shadow, confronts the ego, and calls the people to be transformed.
The genius of Jesus is that he wastes no time on repressing or denying the shadow. In that, he is a classic prophet, one of those who does not merely expose the denied shadow of Israel, but instead attacks the real problem, which is the ego and arrogance of Israel and people misusing power. Once we expose the shadow for what it is, its game is over. Its effectiveness entirely depends on disguise (see 2 Corinthians 11:14) and not seeing the plank in our own eye. Once we see our own plank, the “speck” in our neighbor’s eye becomes inconsequential.
Jesus is not too interested in moral purity because he knows that any preoccupation with repressing the shadow does not lead us into personal transformation, empathy, compassion, or patience, but invariably into denial or disguise, repression or hypocrisy. Isn’t that rather evident? Immature religion creates a high degree of cognitively rigid people or very hateful and attacking people—and often both. It is almost the public image of Christianity today, yet God’s goal is exactly the opposite. (Rohr, n.d.)
We seek to be open to the prompting of the Spirit to continue our transformation as brothers and sisters of all members of God’s Creation.
References
Hebrews, CHAPTER 10. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 24, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/hebrews/10
Mark, CHAPTER 3. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 24, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/3
Mattingly, M. (2023, January 24). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved January 24, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/012423.html
Meditation on Mark 3:31-35. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved January 24, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/01/24/593107/
Psalms, PSALM 40. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 24, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/40?2
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved January 24, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/jesus-exposes-the-shadow-2023-01-24/
Saint Francis de Sales. (n.d.). Franciscan Media. Retrieved January 24, 2023, from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-francis-de-sales/
Schwager, D. (2022, August 10). Whoever Does the Will of God Is My Brother and Sister. Daily Scripture net. Retrieved January 24, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=jan24
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