The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to critically assess the understanding we have of the path necessary to grow in fullness of life.
The reading from the Book of Wisdom describes the error of the wicked.
* [2:12–5:23] From 2:12 to 5:23 the author draws heavily on Is 52–62, setting forth his teaching in a series of characters or types taken from Isaiah and embellished with additional details from other texts. The description of the “righteous one” in 2:12–20 seems to undergird the New Testament passion narrative. (Wisdom, CHAPTER 2, n.d.)
Psalm 34 is praise for Deliverance from Trouble.
* [Psalm 34] A thanksgiving in acrostic form, each line beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In this Psalm one letter is missing and two are in reverse order. The psalmist, fresh from the experience of being rescued (Ps 34:5, 7), can teach the “poor,” those who are defenseless, to trust in God alone (Ps 34:4, 12). God will make them powerful (Ps 34:5–11) and give them protection (Ps 34:12–22). (Psalms, PSALM 34, n.d.)
The Gospel of John describes the unbelief of Jesus’ Brothers and questions at the Festival of Booths about “is this the Christ?”
* [7:1–8] These chapters contain events about the feast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth, Ingathering: Ex 23:16; Tents, Booths: Dt 16:13–16), with its symbols of booths (originally built to shelter harvesters), rain (water from Siloam poured on the temple altar), and lights (illumination of the four torches in the Court of the Women). They continue the theme of the replacement of feasts (Passover, Jn 2:13; 6:4; Hanukkah, Jn 10:22; Pentecost, Jn 5:1), here accomplished by Jesus as the Living Water. These chapters comprise seven miscellaneous controversies and dialogues. There is a literary inclusion with Jesus in hiding in Jn 7:4, 10; 8:59. There are frequent references to attempts on his life: Jn 7:1, 13, 19, 25, 30, 32, 44; 8:37, 40, 59.
* [7:3] Brothers: these relatives (cf. Jn 2:12 and see note on Mk 6:3) are never portrayed as disciples until after the resurrection (Acts 1:14). Mt 13:55 and Mk 6:3 give the names of four of them. Jesus has already performed works/signs in Judea; cf. Jn 2:23; 3:2; 4:45; 5:8. (John, CHAPTER 7, n.d.)
Larry Gillick, S.J. (in 2020) comments that Jesus, for the religious leaders of His time, was an inconvenience, a pain in the foot and a bother especially as He challenged His hearers. They centered their relationship with God around their receiving approval for their actions. Jesus' basic message, “teaching” was about who they were in the eyes of the One Who sent Him and not who they were in their own eyes.
I listen to a large number of spiritual and prayerful persons who just want to be “better”. Everything that is important to them about themselves, their prayer, their relationships, their ministries, “better”. I do not recall Jesus using this exact word or anything like it. We can spend all of Lent, make our entire life a Lenten exercise of self-improvement and never seem to be, or act or feel better, but probably worse. This is in no way healthy, spiritual nor religious. When I have tried, lived this way I have discovered behind it all a very excited and active ego pumping as fast as it could. “Better” seems to be religious, but the closer we allow Jesus to get to us, the lesser it seems important to judge my personal progress. “Deeper” seems to be His invitation and we’ll never be able to measure that either. (Gillick, 2023)
Don Schwager quotes “Christ our physician,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"As Christians, our task is to make daily progress toward God. Our pilgrimage on earth is a school in which God is the only teacher, and it demands good students, not ones who play truant. In this school we learn something every day. We learn something from commandments, something from examples, and something from sacraments. These things are remedies for our wounds and materials for study." (excerpt from Sermon 218c,1) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30 comments that we don’t realize that God stands ready to welcome us instead of angrily waiting for our next misstep. That’s why we sometimes avoid the Sacrament of Reconciliation. But that’s where we come face-to-face with the God who saves and redeems us. We see that he doesn’t keep a list of our sins but freely offers us forgiveness and peace. We encounter the surprising, life-changing compassion of God. We experience a mercy so filled with love that it doesn’t just forgive our sins; it changes our hearts.
So go ahead and look for a chance to go to Confession before Lent is over. Approach your Father and let him show you his heart of mercy and love.
“Lord, I want to know your mercy and love!” (Meditation on John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on how those living in Wisdom make obvious to the wicked how evil their choices are. The Divinity of Jesus is presented in the Gospel of John in His being in control of the decisions He makes about His life. Friar Jude reminds us that Jesus is from the Father and we can know the Father through Him.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, draws on teachings from The Cloud of Unknowing, a fourteenth-century text on contemplative prayer, to describe the necessity of a “beginner’s mind”.
When the ego invests itself in its knowing, it is convinced that it has the whole picture. At that point, growth stops. The journey stops. Nothing new is going to happen to us after that point. The term we’re using here, “beginner’s mind,” comes from Buddhism. For Buddhists, it seems to refer to an urgent need to remain open, forever a student. A beginner’s mind always says, “I’m a learner. I’ve got more to learn.” It has to do with humility before reality, and never assuming that I understand. If there are fifty thousand levels of the mystery, maybe I’m at level forty-five. Maybe there’s more that needs to show itself to me. Can you imagine what a different world it would be if we all lived with that kind of humility? (Rohr, 2023)
We identify with our tendency to promote our plan for full life that may be driven by our ego and loyalty to our tribe rather than seeking openness to the humility offered by the Spirit.
References
Gillick, L. (2023, March 24). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved March 24, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/032423.html
John, CHAPTER 7. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved March 24, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/7?1
Meditation on John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved March 24, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/03/24/637420/
Psalms, PSALM 34. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved March 24, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/34?17
Rohr, R. (2023, March 24). Entering the Cloud of Unknowing — Center for Action and Contemplation. Richard Rohr. Retrieved March 24, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/entering-the-cloud-of-unknowing-2023-03-24/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). His Hour Had Not yet Come. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 24, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=mar24
Wisdom, CHAPTER 2. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved March 24, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/wisdom/2?1
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