Faithful and Prepared

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite thanksgiving and praise for the fullness of life that we are invited to share as faithful stewards of Christ in our environment.

Preparing for Life

The reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians is a concluding Thanksgiving and Prayer.

* [3:9–10] The tension between Paul’s optimism concerning the Thessalonians’ faith and his worries about their perseverance remains unresolved. Perhaps this is accounted for not only by the continuing harassment but also by the shortness of his own stay in Thessalonica (even if that were over twice as long as the conventional three weeks that Luke assigns to it, Acts 17:2). (1 Thessalonians, CHAPTER 3, n.d.)

Psalm 90 praises God’s Eternity and Human Frailty.

* [Psalm 90] A communal lament that describes only in general terms the cause of the community’s distress. After confidently invoking God (Ps 90:1), the Psalm turns to a complaint contrasting God’s eternity with the brevity of human life (Ps 90:2–6) and sees in human suffering the punishment for sin (Ps 90:7–12). The Psalm concludes with a plea for God’s intervention (Ps 90:13–17). (Psalms, PSALM 90, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus compares the Faithful or the Unfaithful Slave.

* [24:42–44] Cf. Lk 12:39–40. The theme of vigilance and readiness is continued with the bold comparison of the Son of Man to a thief who comes to break into a house.

* [24:45–51] The second part of the discourse (see note on Mt 24:1–25:46) begins with this parable of the faithful or unfaithful servant; cf. Lk 12:41–46. It is addressed to the leaders of Matthew’s church; the servant has been put in charge of his master’s household (Mt 24:45) even though that household is composed of those who are his fellow servants (Mt 24:49).

* [24:45] To distribute…proper time: readiness for the master’s return means a vigilance that is accompanied by faithful performance of the duty assigned.

* [24:48] My master…delayed: the note of delay is found also in the other parables of this section; cf. Mt 25:5, 19.

* [24:51] Punish him severely: the Greek verb, found in the New Testament only here and in the Lucan parallel (Lk 12:46), means, literally, “cut in two.” With the hypocrites: see note on Mt 6:2. Matthew classes the unfaithful Christian leader with the unbelieving leaders of Judaism. Wailing and grinding of teeth: see note on Mt 8:11–12. (Matthew, CHAPTER 24, n.d.)

Michael Kavan (from 2017) invites us to tune into Jesus’ real message – one that focuses on the importance of not staying awake, literally, but instead, staying on guard in order to ready ourselves for the coming of the Son of Man.

“If I were to die today, would I be leaving earth on terms I am comfortable with and am I ready to meet face to face with God?” Am I comfortable with what I have accomplished to date or would I ask Him for a chance to return for a “just a bit,” to tie up loose ends  or maybe longer in order to be the person I always wanted and knew I could become. “God, could you send me back to earth since I’ve been wanting to say ‘I love you’ to my wife and kids, or ‘I’m sorry’” to someone I have hurt.” Or maybe I need more time to be a nicer boss or to give an extra hour or dollar to a cause meaningful to me – after all, I have been meaning to do those things for, well, a long time…. Being born in God’s grace causes me to believe that despite my many shortcomings that I have the potential to be and do a lot of good. Matthew’s reading allows me the opportunity to reflect on whether I am living in God’s grace to its fullest or am I falling short and, in essence, allowing the thief to rob my home or for me to be the unfaithful servant. (Kavan, 2023)

Don Schwager comments on “You do not know the day,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).

"But his meaning is like this: If ordinary persons knew when they were going to die, they would surely be striving earnestly at that hour. In order therefore that they may strive, not at that hour only, he does not tell them the hour or day. He wants to keep them on their toes looking for it, that they may be always striving. This is why he made the end of each person's life so uncertain. In this passage he openly implies that he himself is Lord. Nowhere before has he spoken of this so distinctly. But here he seems to me also to be putting to shame those who remain careless about his lordship. They take much more care about a thief taking their money than about their own soul. Those who care about their house and do not want their possessions stolen take measures against the thief. They watch; they are prepared for the thief. So it is with you. You do not know when he will come. But you know assuredly that he will come. If you do not continue to watch, you will not be ready on that day. You will be unprepared. Destruction will come in your sleep. If the person had known when the thief was coming, he would have been prepared. So be like the one who is prepared at all times, so you will escape free. Having then mentioned the judgment, he directs his thoughts next to teachers, speaking of honorable and dishonorable actions. His discourse closes with that which is alarming, for he speaks first of those who do right, then of those who continue in sin." (excerpt from the THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 77.2-3) (Schwager, 2022)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 24:42-51 comments that like this faithful and prudent servant, we are all servants of the Lord. We don’t really own anything—it has all come to us from the hand of God. And in that sense, we are not just God’s servants; we are also his stewards, which is how Luke describes the servant in his version of this parable (12:42). God has entrusted everything to us, and our job as stewards is to use and manage our possessions, our time, and our talents for his purposes and glory. That requires us to be both faithful and prudent.

Today, consider everything that God has entrusted to you. Thank him for his confidence in you, and then ask him if there are any ways you could be a better steward of his gifts. Every step you take, no matter how small, will make you ever more ready for the Master’s return!

“Jesus, show me how to be faithful and prudent in all things.” (Meditation on Matthew 24:42-51, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the conclusion of three chapters of thanksgiving for the faith of the Thessalonians. The passages have the characteristics of a parenesis that is usually found at the end of a letter. Friar Jude notes that the Gospel of Matthew is rich in themes of being prepared for the time of accounting.

James Finley comments that the critical factor is not so much what the practice is in its externals as the extent to which the practice incarnates an utterly sincere stance of awakening and surrendering to the Godly nature of the present moment. Finley stresses the importance of prioritizing intentional presence on a daily basis, while encouraging us to do what we can within the limitations of our lives. 

Remaining faithful to our contemplative practices calls for the integrity of remaining faithful to a commitment that nobody sees; it consists of giving ourselves over with all our heart to simple acts which, on the surface, seem to be but the incidental passage of time. But if we are faithful to this unassuming path of fidelity to our daily contemplative practices, the subtle awareness of the depths to which they grant access begins to permeate the very texture of our daily experience of living. Slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, fidelity to our contemplative practices evolves into an habitual awareness that does not miss the surprise appearance of God showing up in something as immediate and simple as the sunlight that suddenly fills a room on a cloudy day. (Finley, 2023)

We have experiences of awareness of the temporal limits to our earthly journey and we are invited by the Spirit to contemplate the connection with the Divine that reassures our faith in eternal truth, beauty, and love.

References

Finley, J. (2023, August 31). Find Your Practice and Practice It — Center for Action and Contemplation. CAC Daily Meditations 2023. Retrieved August 31, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/find-your-practice-and-practice-it-2023-08-31/ 

Kavan, M. (2023, August 31). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved August 31, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/083123.html 

Matthew, CHAPTER 24. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 31, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/24?42 

Meditation on Matthew 24:42-51. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved August 31, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/08/31/770223/ 

1 Thessalonians, CHAPTER 3. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 31, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1thessalonians/3?7 

Psalms, PSALM 90. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 31, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/90?3 

Schwager, D. (2022, October 2). Are You Ready to Meet the Lord? Daily Scripture net. Retrieved August 31, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=aug31 

Thanksgiving and Heritage

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to express thanksgiving as we wrestle with the inescapable truth that nothing is hidden from God.

Touched by Events

In the reading from the First Letter to the Thessalonians, Paul expresses further Thanksgiving.

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). (Psalms, PSALM 139, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew continues the denunciation of the Scribes and Pharisees.

* [23:29–36] The final woe is the most serious indictment of all. It portrays the scribes and Pharisees as standing in the same line as their ancestors who murdered the prophets and the righteous.

* [23:29–32] In spite of honoring the slain dead by building their tombs and adorning their memorials, and claiming that they would not have joined in their ancestors’ crimes if they had lived in their days, the scribes and Pharisees are true children of their ancestors and are defiantly ordered by Jesus to fill up what those ancestors measured out. This order reflects the Jewish notion that there was an allotted measure of suffering that had to be completed before God’s final judgment would take place. (Matthew, CHAPTER 23, n.d.)

Thomas Lenz, (from 2021), comments that Psalm 139 seems to be saying that we cannot hide from God, presumably when we have done something bad and are ashamed. What really caught his attention in Psalm 139, however, is the notion that God is everywhere.

The notion that everything is good is pretty hard to swallow when we experience suffering first hand. It’s probably one of the great mysteries of life. But, we know that God is always good and always present. And, if we read the gospel stories carefully, we also know that suffering is part of our life experience. Suffering and love may be the two great constants that we can continue count on and expect to experience throughout our lifetime. And, as we read the teachings of Jesus carefully, we come to understand that allowing ourselves to be transformed by our suffering (rather than suppressing, resisting , or transmitting it to others) leads us to closer relationality with God and to the experience of love. (Lenz, 2023)

Don Schwager quotes “Good deeds done for God,” author unknown, from the 5th century A.D.

"Every good deed that is done for God is universally good for everything and everyone. Deeds that are not seen to benefit everything and everyone, however, are done on account of man, as the present matter itself demonstrates. For example, those who build reliquaries and adorn churches seem to be doing good. If they imitate the justice of God, if the poor benefit from their goods and if they do not acquire their goods through violence against others, it is clear that they are building for the glory of God. If they fail to observe God's justice... and if the poor never benefit from their goods and if they acquire their goods from others by means of violence or fraud, who is so foolish not to understand that they are building for human respect rather than for the glory of God? Those who build reliquaries in a just manner ensure that the poor do not suffer as a result of it. For the martyrs do not rejoice when they are honored by gifts for which the poor paid with their tears. What kind of justice is it to give gifts to the dead and to despoil the living or to drain blood from the poor and offer it to God? To do such things is not to offer sacrifice to God but to attempt to make God an accomplice in violence, since whoever knowingly accepts a gift which was acquired by sinful means participates in the sin." (excerpt from an incomplete Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, HOMILY 45) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Psalm 139:7-12 comments that thinking about God’s all-knowing gaze can make us uneasy. But the truth is, he looks at us with a gaze of love. So let’s join with the psalmist and rejoice that we are fully known and fully loved.

Where can I go from your spirit? (Psalm 139:7). “Thank you, Lord, that your Holy Spirit is always with me even when I can’t feel it. You never leave my side! And yet, Lord, I still avoid you sometimes! I busy myself with distractions and get immersed in my daily tasks. I delight in the world you created but neglect spending time with you, the God who made it. I drift into a haze of doubt and wonder if this life is all there is. Sometimes I even flee to the darkness of anger and despair to escape the suffering of life. But wherever I go, you are already there. ‘Even there your hand shall guide me, and your right hand hold me fast’ (139:10). No matter how deep my darkness, it ‘is not dark’ for you (139:12).”

“I rejoice, Lord, that I am fully known and fully loved. Thank you for always being at my side!” (Meditation on Psalm 139:7-12, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the type of tent maker that Paul was as he laboured and taught in the marketplace. 1 Thessalonians contains three chapters of thanksgiving to God for the conversion of the community. Friar Jude reminds us of Jesus' accusations that the Scribes and Pharisees had a superficial hypocritical faith not based on inner conversion but on keeping rules.

 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Spiritual teacher and CAC friend Mirabai Starr, who poetically describes the contemplative experience that is stirred through regular lives, whether in nature, through relationships, or our suffering. Starr connects these moments of awe to a renewed commitment to contemplative practice.

And this is why you cultivate contemplative practice. The more you intentionally turn inward, the more available the sacred becomes. When you sit in silence and turn your gaze toward the Holy Mystery you once called God, the Mystery follows you back out into the world. When you walk with a purposeful focus on breath and birdsong, your breathing and the twitter of the chickadee reveal themselves as a miracle…. 

So you sit down to meditate not only because it helps you to find rest in the arms of the formless Beloved but also because it increases your chances of being stunned by beauty when you get back up. Encounters with the sacred that radiate from the core of the ordinary embolden you to cultivate stillness and simple awareness. In the midst of a world that is begging you to distract yourself, this is no easy practice. Yet you keep showing up. You are indomitable. You are thirsty for wonder. (Starr, 2023)

When we experience awe in the events of our day, the Spirit invites our thanksgiving, gratitude, and affirmation to continue our transformation to full life.

References

Lenz, T. (2023, August 30). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved August 30, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/083023.html 

Matthew, CHAPTER 23. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 30, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/23?27 

Meditation on Psalm 139:7-12. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved August 30, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/08/30/769726/ 

Psalms, PSALM 139. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 30, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/139?7 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). True Beauty and Goodness Come from Within. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 30, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=aug30 

Starr, M. (2023, August 30). Extraordinary Ordinary Moments — Center for Action and Contemplation. CAC Daily Meditations 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/extraordinary-ordinary-moments-2023-08-30/ 

Mission and Motives

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, the Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist, challenge us to seek the support of the Spirit in our mission as followers of Christ including examination of our motives for action.

Support on our Mission

The CCCB choice of reading from the Prophet Jeremiah describes the call of Jeremiah.

The USCCB reading from the First Letter of Paul to theThessalonians introduces Paul’s Ministry in Thessalonica.

* [2:4] Judged worthy: Paul regards “worthiness” not as grounded in one’s own talent or moral self-righteousness but in God’s discernment of genuinely selfless attitudes and actions (see 2 Cor 10:17–18).

* [2:7] Gentle: many excellent manuscripts read “infants” (nēpioi), but “gentle” (ēpioi) better suits the context here. (1 Thessalonians, CHAPTER 2, n.d.)

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). (Psalms, PSALM 139, n.d.)

The Gospel of Mark describes the Death of John the Baptist.

* [6:17–29] Similarities are to be noted between Mark’s account of the imprisonment and death of John the Baptist in this pericope, and that of the passion of Jesus (Mk 15:1–47). Herod and Pilate, each in turn, acknowledges the holiness of life of one over whom he unjustly exercises the power of condemnation and death (Mk 6:26–27; 15:9–10, 14–15). The hatred of Herodias toward John parallels that of the Jewish leaders toward Jesus. After the deaths of John and of Jesus, well-disposed persons request the bodies of the victims of Herod and of Pilate in turn to give them respectful burial (Mk 6:29; 15:45–46).

* [6:19] Herodias: see note on Mt 14:3. (Mark, CHAPTER 6, n.d.)

Michael Kavan thinks of dichotomies. Two men  - one holy, one not. One was courageous and willing to risk imprisonment to speak of the coming of Jesus and the necessity to repent, the other was a coward who, despite his intrigue with John and his belief in him being a righteous man, was unwilling to stand up for him once Herodias requested his beheading. One was unconcerned about how others viewed him and spoke truthfully regardless of its implications, the other, despite the distress he felt with the request to behead John, capitulated so as to not look bad in front of Salome and his guests.

Essentially, Mark’s Gospel highlights the distinct differences between two men and how they lived their lives. John embraced the ways of God and lived his life accordingly; Herod did not. None of us is perfect and we often struggle to determine right from wrong. Or, maybe more so, even when we know what is right it is difficult to follow through due to other influencing factors including people or circumstances and we end up doing the easier thing. After reading today’s Gospel, I hope to remind myself of John and his courage to speak his beliefs and values. I then hope to garner the courage to stand up for what is right despite the consequences whether it be embarrassment or ridicule or something worse. Let us embrace God through the teachings of John and Jesus. And let God give us the strength and the courage to speak out against immorality and injustice and let’s channel this newfound strength as we attempt to change the world around us in a positive way! (Kavan, 2023)

Don Schwager quotes “The Weakness of the Tyrant and the Power of the Beheaded,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).

"Note well the weakness of the tyrant compared to the power of the one in prison. Herod was not strong enough to silence his own tongue. Having opened it, he opened up countless other mouths in its place and with its help. As for John, he immediately inspired fear in Herod after his murder - for fear was disturbing Herod's conscience to such an extent that he believed John had been raised from the dead and was performing miracles (Mark 6:14-16)! In our own day and through all future time, throughout all the world, John continues to refute Herod, both through himself and through others. For each person repeatedly reading this Gospel says: 'It is not lawful for you to have the wife of Philip your brother' (Mark 6:18). And even apart from reading the Gospel, in assemblies and meetings at home or in the market, in every place... even to the very ends of the earth, you will hear this voice and see that righteous man even now still crying out, resounding loudly, reproving the evil of the tyrant. He will never be silenced nor the reproof at all weakened by the passing of time." (excerpt from ON THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD 22.8-9) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation: on 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 comments that we are all familiar with the challenges of living as disciples of Jesus. For example, we may need to cling to the Lord and endure patiently during times of trial or worry. We may be called upon to care for a loved one when we are tired, or to respond generously when someone asks for our help over and over again. Perhaps we need to forgive an offense or be humble enough to ask forgiveness.

Certainly the enticements of this world can seem far more attractive than laying down your life in these ways. But the “rewards” of this world are weak and temporary when compared to “the supreme good” of living for the Lord and serving his people (Philippians 3:8). The truth is, sharing “our very selves,” as Paul and John the Baptist did, is the most rewarding, joy-filled life we could ever know (1 Thessalonians 2:8).

“Jesus, help me to give of myself instead of grasping for myself.” (Meditation: On 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the courage of Paul to preach to the Thesslonians after being beaten in Phillippi. The death of John the Baptist highlights the consequences that sometimes befall those who uphold moral norms and tell the truth. Friar Jude reminds us of the peculiarity of several places in the world having relics of the head of John the Baptist.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, reflects upon Jesus’ teaching his disciples to “be awake,” which Fr. Richard understands as the key to authentic religion.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, the last words Jesus spoke to his apostles were, “Stay awake.” In fact, he says it twice (see Matthew 26:38–41). The Buddha offered the same wisdom; “Buddha,” in fact, means “I am awake.”  

Staying awake comes not from willpower but from a wholehearted surrender to the moment as it is. If we can be present, we will experience what most of us mean by God, and we do not even need to call it God. It’s largely a matter of letting go of resistance to what the moment offers or to quit clinging to a past moment. It is an acceptance of the full reality of what is right here and now. It will be the task of our whole lives.  

We cannot get there by any method whatsoever; we can only be there. The purest form of spirituality is to find God in what is right in front of us—the ability to accept what the French Jesuit and mystic Jean Pierre de Caussade (1675–1751) called the “sacrament of the present moment.” [2] (Rohr, 2023)

We are reminded of the Presence of the Spirit on our journey to enlighten us to truth and goodness and strengthen our support of these values.

References

Kavan, M. (2023, August 29). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved August 29, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/082923.html 

Mark, CHAPTER 6. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 29, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/6?17 

Meditation: on 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved August 29, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/08/29/769225/ 

1 Thessalonians, CHAPTER 2. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 29, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1thessalonians/2? 

Psalms, PSALM 139. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 29, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/139?1 

Rohr, R. (2023, August 29). Be Awake — Center for Action and Contemplation. CAC Daily Meditations 2023. Retrieved August 29, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/be-awake-2023-08-29/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 29, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=aug29a