The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today present the marvellous gift of faith through which we understand how to relate with love and mercy to the people in our environment.
The reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans declares righteousness through Faith.
* [3:21–31] These verses provide a clear statement of Paul’s “gospel,” i.e., the principle of justification by faith in Christ. God has found a means of rescuing humanity from its desperate plight: Paul’s general term for this divine initiative is the righteousness of God (Rom 3:21). Divine mercy declares the guilty innocent and makes them so. God does this not as a result of the law but apart from it (Rom 3:21), and not because of any merit in human beings but through forgiveness of their sins (Rom 3:24), in virtue of the redemption wrought in Christ Jesus for all who believe (Rom 3:22, 24–25). God has manifested his righteousness in the coming of Jesus Christ, whose saving activity inaugurates a new era in human history. (Romans, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 130 is a prayer about waiting for Divine Redemption.
* [Psalm 130] This lament, a Penitential Psalm, is the De profundis used in liturgical prayers for the faithful departed. In deep sorrow the psalmist cries to God (Ps 130:1–2), asking for mercy (Ps 130:3–4). The psalmist’s trust (Ps 130:5–6) becomes a model for the people (Ps 130:7–8). (Psalms, PSALM 130 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus explains denunciation of the Scholars of the Law.
* [11:49] I will send to them prophets and apostles: Jesus connects the mission of the church (apostles) with the mission of the Old Testament prophets who often suffered the rebuke of their contemporaries.
* [11:51] From the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah: the murder of Abel is the first murder recounted in the Old Testament (Gn 4:8). The Zechariah mentioned here may be the Zechariah whose murder is recounted in 2 Chr 24:20–22, the last murder presented in the Hebrew canon of the Old Testament. (Luke, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB, n.d.)
Her first reading of this lesson caused Kimberly Grassmeyer to ache for all who are living, two-thousand years later, with such hostility that their homes and families are being devastated through terrorism, gang violence, political and military actions - many for whom efforts to flee such violence leads only to additional rejection or persecution. How is this still the reality for so many, across so many continents of a world full of resources and compassionate, caring children of God?
To fulfill Jesus' teachings, and to address Mother Teresa's charge for creating peace, we all have to believe in and work for a world in which light prevails. A world in which my God is your God, and God for all. Today's reading from Romans reminds us that we "all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God..." but that we are also "justified freely by his grace". We have to take that gift, so freely given, and actualize it in our prayer, our conversations, and our everyday behaviors with all of God's children. God's compassion has to be our compassion. God's grace has to be our grace. God's peace has to be our peace. Everyone, everywhere, today and every day. Amen. (Grassmeyer, 2023)
Don Schwager quotes “The key of knowledge that opens the kingdom of God,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).
"We consider that the key of knowledge means the law [of Moses] itself, and by faith in him, I mean justification in Christ. Although the law was in shadow and type, yet those types show to us the truth, and those shadows depict to us in many ways the mystery of Christ. A lamb was sacrificed according to the law of Moses. They ate its flesh. They anointed the lintels with its blood and overcame the destroyer. The blood of a mere sheep could not turn away death. Christ was typified under the form of a lamb. He endures to be the victim for the life of the world and saves by his blood those who are partakers of him. One might mention many other instances as well, by means of which we can discern the mystery of Christ sketched out in the shadows of the law. When speaking to the Jews, he once said, 'There is one that accuses you, even Moses, whom you trusted. For if you had believed Moses, you should have also believed me, because he wrote of me' (John 5:45-46). 'You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness to me' (John 5:39). Every word of divinely inspired Scripture looks to him and refers to him. As it has been shown, if Moses speaks, he typified Christ. If the holy prophets that you name speak, they also proclaimed to us in many ways the mystery of Christ, preaching beforehand the salvation that is by him." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 86) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Romans 3:21-30 comments that whatever our background or family history might be, we are invited to come to the Father through faith in Jesus. We are all brought together through the redemption that Christ has accomplished for us. Oh glorious God, your goodness knows no bounds!
“Father, your gift of faith empowers me to take hold of your amazing grace. All the blessings of justification and righteousness, forgiveness and unity, are available to me because you have planted the seed of faith in my life. How can I ever thank you?”
“Almighty Father, I praise you for the awesome power of your grace!” (Meditation on Romans 3:21-30, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the situation of the sins of Gentiles, Jews, and Jewish Christians who have access to faith as trust in the Son for expiation. Righteousness is redefined as mercy. Friar Jude suggests that anger doubles in the Pharisees and Lawyers due to His accusation of hypocrisy.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, has long wrestled with what it means to be a person of faith.
Because people of faith are comfortable with the totality, they’re able to hold disparate parts together, make the peace, or “mend the breach.” The recurring temptation is to separate, analyze, and judge the parts, which gives us a sense of control and “understanding.” Faith, driven by love, enables us to give up our need to understand, allows us to let go, and for Someone else to hold us together. It’s not a giving up as much as it is an opening up and refusing to close back down for the sake of self-sufficiency and mastery. If this is indeed the character of faith for postmodern people, or any people, then I finally know why faith is so rare and why Jesus himself wondered if he would find very much on this earth (Luke 18:8). (Rohr, 2023)
We ponder the connection of our faith to our righteousness before God and implore the Spirit to guide us to act with greater faith toward the people we encounter on our journey.
References
Grassmeyer, K. (2023, October 19). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved October 19, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/101923.html
Luke, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 19, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/11?
Meditation on Romans 3:21-30. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved October 19, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/10/19/808331/
Psalms, PSALM 130 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 19, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/130?1
Rohr, R. (2023, October 19). Faith Mends the Breach — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 19, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/faith-mends-the-breach/
Romans, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 19, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/3?21
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Do Not Lose the Key of Knowledge. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 19, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=oct19
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