The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to be open to the signs of the Presence of God on our journey that indicate our path to full life.
The reading from the Book of Exodus describes the Presence in The Cloud and the Glory.
Psalm 84 praises the Joy of Worship in the Temple.
* [Psalm 84] Israelites celebrated three pilgrimage feasts in Jerusalem annually. The Psalm expresses the sentiments of the pilgrims eager to enjoy the divine presence.
* [84:4] The desire of a restless bird for a secure home is an image of the desire of a pilgrim for the secure house of God, cf. Ps 42:2–3, where the image for the desire of the pilgrim is the thirst of the deer for water. (Psalms, PSALM 84, n.d.)
The Gospel of Matthew, presents the final judgement and teaching with treasures New and Old.
* [13:44–50] The first two of the last three parables of the discourse have the same point. The person who finds a buried treasure and the merchant who finds a pearl of great price sell all that they have to acquire these finds; similarly, the one who understands the supreme value of the kingdom gives up whatever he must to obtain it. The joy with which this is done is made explicit in the first parable, but it may be presumed in the second also. The concluding parable of the fishnet resembles the explanation of the parable of the weeds with its stress upon the final exclusion of evil persons from the kingdom.
* [13:44] In the unsettled conditions of Palestine in Jesus’ time, it was not unusual to guard valuables by burying them in the ground.
* [13:51] Matthew typically speaks of the understanding of the disciples.
* [13:52] Since Matthew tends to identify the disciples and the Twelve (see note on Mt 10:1), this saying about the Christian scribe cannot be taken as applicable to all who accept the message of Jesus. While the Twelve are in many ways representative of all who believe in him, they are also distinguished from them in certain respects. The church of Matthew has leaders among whom are a group designated as “scribes” (Mt 23:34). Like the scribes of Israel, they are teachers. It is the Twelve and these their later counterparts to whom this verse applies. The scribe…instructed in the kingdom of heaven knows both the teaching of Jesus (the new) and the law and prophets (the old) and provides in his own teaching both the new and the old as interpreted and fulfilled by the new. On the translation head of a household (for the same Greek word translated householder in Mt 13:27), see note on Mt 24:45–51. (Matthew, CHAPTER 13, n.d.)
Gladyce Janky comments that as the cloud rises from the Dwelling, the children of Israel resume their journey. The movement of the cloud symbolizes it is time to pack what is necessary and leave behind anything unimportant for what comes next. There is more life to experience and opportunities to grow closer to God.
If we are attentive to the present moments of our life, we notice the clues that it is time to proceed. Perhaps it is the Daily Readings, during a time of prayer, something a person we trust says, or something else. We might feel that a cloud of doubt or hesitancy has lifted. Perhaps we feel lighter, or there is greater clarity about what to leave behind and what we need to go forward. How is God nudging me forward, and what do I need to leave behind? (Janky, 2023)
Don Schwager presents a meditation on “Trained for the Kingdom of Heaven.”He quotes “ A scribe who is trained for the kingdom of heaven,” by Cyril of Alexandria (375-444 AD).
"A scribe is one who, through continual reading of the Old and New Testaments, has laid up for himself a storehouse of knowledge. Thus Christ blesses those who have gathered in themselves the education both of the law and of the gospel, so as to 'bring forth from their treasure things both new and old.' And Christ compares such people with a scribe, just as in another place he says, 'I will send you wise men and scribes' (Matthew 23:34) (excerpt from Fragment 172) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Exodus 40:16-21, 34-38 comments that we all experience times when we yearn for explicit, step-by-step direction from the Lord. Yet we can trust that in all the ways he has provided for us, we will be able to discern the answer to all the choices and dilemmas we face.
Are you looking for more concrete direction about a particular issue in your life? Be like the Israelites and keep your eyes fixed on the Lord. Sometimes his answer is as obvious as the cloud covering the meeting tent. Sometimes his answer is not as clear, but that may be because God has confidence in your ability to make a good choice. Whatever the case, know that the Lord is pleased by your willingness to be led by him!
“Father, I want to follow you. Show me the way you want me to go.” (Meditation on Exodus 40:16-21, 34-38, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler describes the contents of the Tent of Dwelling and how the Israelites are unable to trust God is not distant or unknowing. Matthew’s Gospel shares the final judgement that will have us judge ourselves in the face of God. Friar Jude reminds us to explore new and old ways of study and worship that will allow us to be open to surprise, awe, and wonder about our relationship with God.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares a prayerful meditation with the crucified Jesus as a way of healing our violence. He invites us to receive these words as Jesus’ invitation to us from the cross.
My beloved, I am your self. I am your beauty. I am your goodness, which you are destroying. I am what you do to what you should love. I am what you are afraid of: your deepest and best and most naked self—your soul. Your sin largely consists in what you do to harm goodness—your own and others’. You are afraid of the good; you are afraid of me. You kill what you should love; you hate what could transform you. I am Jesus crucified. I am yourself, and I am all of humanity. (Rohr, 2023)
Our experiences of prayer and worship create a closer relationship with the Divine and open our imagination to new and old connections in piety, study, and action.
References
Janky, G. (2023, August 3). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved August 3, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/080323.html
Matthew, CHAPTER 13. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 3, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/13?
Meditation on Exodus 40:16-21, 34-38. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved August 3, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/08/03/748527/
Psalms, PSALM 84. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 3, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/84?3
Rohr, R. (2023, August 3). Ending the Cycle of Violence — Center for Action and Contemplation. CAC Daily Meditations 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/ending-the-cycle-of-violence-2023-08-03/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture net. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 3, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=aug3
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