The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to ponder the nature of Covenant in our understanding of our faith relationship with Christ.
The reading from Genesis describes the Covenant with Noah.
* [9:8–17] God makes a covenant with Noah and his descendants and, remarkably, with all the animals who come out of the ark: never again shall the world be destroyed by flood. The sign of this solemn promise is the appearance of a rainbow. (Genesis, CHAPTER 9, n.d.)
Psalm 102 is a prayer to the Eternal King for help.
* [Psalm 102] A lament, one of the Penitential Psalms. The psalmist, experiencing psychological and bodily disintegration (Ps 102:4–12), cries out to God (Ps 102:1–3). In the Temple precincts where God has promised to be present, the psalmist recalls God’s venerable promises to save the poor (Ps 102:13–23). The final part (Ps 102:24–28) restates the original complaint and prayer, and emphasizes God’s eternity. (Psalms, PSALM 102, n.d.)
The Gospel of Mark presents Peter’s Declaration about Jesus before He foretells His Death and Resurrection.
* [8:27–30] This episode is the turning point in Mark’s account of Jesus in his public ministry. Popular opinions concur in regarding him as a prophet. The disciples by contrast believe him to be the Messiah. Jesus acknowledges this identification but prohibits them from making his messianic office known to avoid confusing it with ambiguous contemporary ideas on the nature of that office. See further the notes on Mt 16:13–20.
* [8:31] Son of Man: an enigmatic title. It is used in Dn 7:13–14 as a symbol of “the saints of the Most High,” the faithful Israelites who receive the everlasting kingdom from the Ancient One (God). They are represented by a human figure that contrasts with the various beasts who represent the previous kingdoms of the earth. In the Jewish apocryphal books of 1 Enoch and 4 Ezra the “Son of Man” is not, as in Daniel, a group, but a unique figure of extraordinary spiritual endowments, who will be revealed as the one through whom the everlasting kingdom decreed by God will be established. It is possible though doubtful that this individualization of the Son of Man figure had been made in Jesus’ time, and therefore his use of the title in that sense is questionable. Of itself, this expression means simply a human being, or, indefinitely, someone, and there are evidences of this use in pre-Christian times. Its use in the New Testament is probably due to Jesus’ speaking of himself in that way, “a human being,” and the later church’s taking this in the sense of the Jewish apocrypha and applying it to him with that meaning. Rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes: the supreme council called the Sanhedrin was made up of seventy-one members of these three groups and presided over by the high priest. It exercised authority over the Jews in religious matters. See note on Mt 8:20.
* [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. (Mark, CHAPTER 8, n.d.)
Mary Lee Brock comments that although Jesus’ response to Peter sounds harsh, it is his love for the group that motivates him to make sure they can begin to process the true meaning of his words. Jesus also asked the disciples to not tell people about him. Delivering challenging information in a direct and caring manner can be a beautiful way to show respect for another person. This is also a way to build and strengthen trust. How we receive difficult information also requires trust in ourselves and the other person.
Today I pray with gratitude for my parents for giving me a strong foundation and for the love, respect and trust they showed me. I pray in the times I need to share difficult information for the grace to be attentive to the needs of others. I ask God to help me look for ways to invite others into sharing a new perspective and to be open to the lessons through the teachings of Jesus.
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life; you have the words of everlasting life. (Brock, 2023)
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) (Schwager, 2022)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Genesis 9:1-13 comments that God promised to continue this blessing for generations in an “everlasting covenant” (Genesis 9:16). It was a commitment to Noah’s descendants, and it extends to each one of us in Christ. God never forgets his oath. He has joined himself to us and committed himself fully to us because he loves us. And in his faithfulness, when just the right time had come, he brought this covenant to perfection in the new covenant through the death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus.
Our God has shown an unbelievable commitment to each one of us. Even when we fall short, he still extends his love and protection to us. He will never abandon us. He has even given us the grace we need to turn to him and unite ourselves to him. This is what a faithful covenant relationship looks like!
“Father, thank you for your covenant with Noah that reaches through time and reveals your faithful love!” (Meditation on Genesis 9:1-13, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the practice of kosher butchering that is connected to the passage from Genesis. The rainbow sign of Covenant resembles an actual bow of God being “hung up”. Friar Jude suggests the absence of the temptation of Jesus in the desert in Mark is more than compensated by the three objections of the apostles to Jesus' destiny on the Cross.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, focuses on the prophet Isaiah and the meaning of biblical faith. Isaiah [the author of Isaiah 1–39] is above all else the prophet of faith. He begins to define the quality of faith and what it means to trust in God. It’s a whole new capacity for God and life…. Biblical faith, especially for Isaiah, is a quality of being, a quality of perception.
We might try to describe it as a type of internal authority that comes from listening to everything, a going beyond fear so that one becomes intimate with everything. Such people know the truth out of which they speak. They have somehow heard Divine Love speak their name. I don’t know how to describe such mysteries. It’s like there’s a place within us where those names have become one, God’s name and our name. That’s the source of the authority out of which we speak, that we know God has called us by name and we know God has been revealed to us. We know God and we know God knows us. We begin to draw our authority from that point.
That’s the only way that we can stand firmly in this world. Otherwise, we’re always searching outside of ourselves for the approval of others, the applause of others, or some group to find our identity. And so we don’t have to have a personal identity. Faith is obeying your deepest heart. It’s being true to your deepest self. (Rohr, 2023)
We are prompted by the Spirit to share in a Covenant with God that is made alive through our relationship with Jesus.
References
Brock, M. L. (2023, February 16). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved February 16, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/021623.html
Genesis, CHAPTER 9. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved February 16, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/9?1
Mark, CHAPTER 8. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved February 16, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/8?
Meditation on Genesis 9:1-13. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved February 16, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/02/16/611327/
Psalms, PSALM 102. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved February 16, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/102?16
Rohr, R. (2023, February 16). Isaiah: A Prophet of Faith — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved February 16, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/isaiah-a-prophet-of-faith-2023-02-16/
Schwager, D. (2022, August 10). Who Do You Say That Jesus Is? Daily Scripture net. Retrieved February 16, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=feb16
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