hear my voice when I call to you

How do the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today cause us to consider the help we receive from God and the times when we understand that He has heard our voice? The narrative in Genesis is the story of the obedience of Abraham to the commands of God. Abraham addresses the questions of Isaac about the source of the sacrificial “lamb”. His father instructs him in patience about Providence. The dramatic conclusion of the narrative is the witness that Abraham has complete trust in the will of the Father to advance the Divine mission of love through means of Providence. The psalmist proclaims the majesty and superiority of the power of God which is manifest in steadfast love and faithfulness to Israel. God communicates with His people. He hears and responds. The Gospel of Matthew illustrates Jesus hearing the inner faith voices of those following Him. Physical weakness, deformity and sickness was thought to be a consequence of sin. In response to the faithfulness He experienced Jesus proclaims the sins of a paralysed man to be forgiven. This taking the place of God was labelled blasphemy by the religious scholars. The truth of Jesus authority to recognize faith and to respond with forgiveness is asserted by the demonstration of Divine power which restores mobility to the paralysed man.

Will be Done

The Roman Catholic Lectionary today presents texts to commemorate Saints Peter and Paul, apostles – Solemnity. The scenarios described in Acts and the Gospel of Matthew show events and revelations which witness to the change of circumstance or change of understanding which comes from the working of the Divine in people’s lives. These changes are noted as significant turning points which move forward the evangelization of the nations and are associated with the lives of those who are canonized as “listed saints” in the Church. The psalmist praises God for the times he recalls where God has delivered him from trouble. The more time we have to look back on, the more we see those occasions of protection and direction in our lives. The tension between “free choice” and determined deliverance can bring interesting reflection. The deliverance may not have been chosen yet we would consider it as a positive change in our lives. The will of God finds the path to completion. Paul writes to Timothy concerning a reflection on the years of his work as an Apostle. The full and complete life of witness has demanded all of Paul. In another letter to the Galatians, (Galatians 2:20) Paul testifies it is Jesus that lives in him. The understanding expressed by Peter, in Matthew’s Gospel, is proclaimed by Jesus as the work of the Father. The resonance of the indwelling Spirit of Peter with the Divine Spirit makes the promise to the uneducated fisherman that he will be the “rock” for Jesus followers something which will transpire as the will of God through his “yes”. The events of these lives with all of the miraculous occurrences are the fruit of the surrender to the will of God which brings the way of Life to humanity.

even the winds and the sea obey him

The Roman Catholic Lectionary for today presents texts which can cause us to reflect on our assumptions of the nature of God. The Book of Genesis relates both the mercy and the justice of the action of God against the cities of the Plain. We see that Lot is very reluctant to leave the life of city dweller behind. He has known “the good life” in Sodom. Perhaps he has been “living the dream”. The judgement of God is that he is not only a “just” man, of the type that Abraham prayed be saved but that he has an intimate relationship with the Divine from which he can request mercy and an alternate destiny from God. The tension between God who brings justice in fire and brimstone and God who cares for the intimate and human concerns of people is visible here. The psalmist proclaims his integrity and praises God for not sweeping him away with the sinners. This seems to be a proud position in which the Divine understanding of his righteousness may not exactly agree with his own. This, of course, is a problem of most people. The text offers us a reminder to rethink our position and what our choice would be on the Plains of Sodom. The Gospel of Matthew reveals that our human understanding alone will not sustain us when we are brought to those storms which shake our being. We are reminded that we have our relationship with the Divine through the resonance of our indwelling Spirit with the Spirit of God and that relationship is transcendent to the life where “even the winds and the sea obey him” (Matthew 8:27).

Judgement and Sodom

The texts in the Roman Catholic Lectionary for today offer two dialogues between people and God. The angels of God in the Book of Genesis head out for Sodom. The text indicates that God is responding to an outcry about the life style of the residents. The dialogue which is presented between God and Abraham suggests that the mission from the Divine is about establishing an understanding of justice and right relationship with the Divine. The test of Abraham unfolds as he apparently pleas for the lives of the just in Sodom. The destruction of Sodom is the justice which meets the need of humanity for sanctions against life stealing action as well as presenting mercy and invitation to approach the Divine for intimate revelation of the mystery of life. The psalmist praises the mercy and forgiveness of God. The steadfast love of God is present to those who understand their need to be forgiven as other concerns block the development of intimacy with the Divine. The Gospel of Matthew emphasizes the key decision of being a disciple of Jesus. The choice for an intimate relationship with Jesus is the most important decision. It comes before all other choices.

live as nourishment for others

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary mark the solemn celebration of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. The Book of Deuteronomy tells of the continuous support of the Israelites by God as they journeyed through the desert from slavery in Egypt. The text celebrates the deep intimate relationship which is marked by coming to understand the place of the Divine as more central to their life than the bread which fed them. The psalmist praises the life given Israel by God who blesses, instructs and guides Israel apparently more intently than other nations. Paul addresses the Corinthians about the life of people in the Body of Christ as we share the One Bread. Fr Larry Gillick’s reflection today describes the Eucharist as “an invitation to our letting Jesus in so deeply that we become His Body and live as nourishment for others.” (Gillick SJ, 2011). The intimacy to which we are invited is through the Most Holy Body and Blood a “molecular unity”. Our substance and the Divine unite to be the bread of life for the world.


Gillick SJ, L. (2011, June 26). Daily Reflection. Retrieved June 26, 2011, from Creighton University On Line Ministries: http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/062611a.html

The Authority for Healing

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary present the question of the cooperation of people with the Divine in healing action. The scenario from Genesis suggests that Sarah may not have had the deep faith of Abraham that she would be the means through which a son of Abraham would found a line of descendents as many as the stars. The canticle from the Gospel of Luke is the celebration of Mary that the Lord has blessed her unreserved “Yes” as birth mother of the Divine Incarnate. The centurion in the Gospel of Matthew comprehends that Jesus has the Divine Authority to heal and that this authority is not confined or control by human direction. The compassion of the Divine healing touch is the spontaneous healing of Peter’s mother-in-law as Jesus is moved by her condition.

Light to the Nations

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary for the Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist present both the extraordinary and expected in the message described by the mission of the “Baptist”. The understanding of the mission of the servant of God from the book of Isaiah is the mission both of Great Prophet and present believer. The light of the intimate relationship with the Divine is to be spread to the ends of the earth. The praise of God by the psalmist focuses on the immanent Presence that is experienced within as One who knows the person in complete detail and for all time. This relationship is the message for the nations. The words from the Acts of the Apostles outline the salvation history in which John the Baptist is the herald for the Incarnation of the Word in Jesus. The ancient promises of Covenant are maintained through John and Jesus. The Gospel of Luke sets the stage for the Great Prophetic mission of John to alert the people to the Presence of Jesus. In our time, the Body of Christ is the prophet of the Presence of Jesus. John’s mission is our mission.

Hearing the message

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary illustration the difference in the action of people who actually hear the message the Lord is giving them through the intimate relationship to which they are invited. Hagar is a personage of great interest in Judaism, Islam and Christianity. She is one who hears the message of God and moves from desperate circumstances to being the mother of many descendants from her union with Abram. The message becomes the will of god through her action. The Gospel of Matthew calls the followers of Jesus to attend to discernment and action about the will of God. Words and ideas are not the level of involvement that the intimate relationship with Jesus requests.

Covenant for eternity

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today put in tension two important aspects of being a believer. The Book of Genesis gives us a picture of Abram, the patriarch, who has the faith that is beyond what his senses and history tell him is reality. The intimate relationship of Divine and human is at the transcendent level. The believer is graced to exist at his boundary. The advice in the Gospel of Matthew is to remember the gifts we have as humans to discern value in the elements that determine our human existence. We are warned to judge prophets and promises by the fruit they produce. Are these approaches completely independent? What is the overlap? Abram is given reassurance of the promises of God through a deep covenant relationship which is more intimate than human relationship. This relationship is the present and living fruit that supports the faith required of the believer. This intimacy will not be a characteristic fruit of the false prophets. The psalmist reminds us in praise of a Covenant in which the Divine is mindful for eternity

Decisions about living

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today stir thoughts about the decisions we make about the quality of our life experience. The Book of Genesis tells of the decision of Abram and Lot to separate at Hebron because of the conflict over herds in the two wealthy transient families. As the passage ends, Abram is reassured by God that his inheritance includes all the land he can see. Lot moves to the Jordan valley and abandons the life of herdsman as he integrates into Sodom. His choice to tie himself to the built environment of human design is sometimes considered a poor life decision as the destiny of Sodom is destruction from the evil practiced by its people. The psalmist presents a menu of life decisions which will be characteristic of those who live within the tent of the Lord. These choices include do what is right, speak the truth ,³ do  not slander, do no evil, do not lend money at interest and do not take a bribe against the innocent. The Gospel of Matthew adds some more directions on living the life prepared for a deep relationship with the Divine by not profaning the Holy, observing the Golden Rule and entering or moving through the Narrow Gate. This final reference may take us back to Abram and the material wealth which is a burden more easily abandoned by a herding, transient culture then by an urban civilization which can invest resources in wealth accumulation. The consequential challenges of lives spent in the pursuit of wealth make the life advocated by the psalmist and the evangelist more difficult to achieve.

Moving to Greater Understanding

The call to Abram to leave his land and journey along a path guided by the Lord is presented today in the Roman Catholic Lectionary. This text from the book of Genesis is a model which is extremely relevant today. The development of the relationship between God and humanity is routed in the willingness of Abram to surrender to the will of God that he found “a great nation”. The faith of Abraham becomes the praise of the psalmist of God who sees and is steadfast in love of the people. Moving to new frontiers as humans is necessary today. The guidance of the Lord for our present “great nation” is offered in the Gospel of Matthew. The quality of our love is under development and growth so that we might see others as God sees the people of the psalm with the eyes of love and hope. The Divine eye sees our need to move to being a great nation that is not encumbered with judgement and petty competition about our questionable virtue. We are continuing on the journey of Abram. We are invited to surrender our will to be open to being that “great nation” that is the will of God.

Father Son and Spirit

The texts in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today present the solemnity of the most Holy Trinity. The commentary of Fr Larry Gillick SJ for today mentions “We are invited to believe in things we cannot understand totally, such as the Trinity. This is certainly a mystery, but we probe and ponder a “Three-in-Oneness” and live with this mystery while not grasping all that it is or means. We have the words of Jesus, the tradition of the Church and the early beliefs surrounding a relational God Whose love is infinite and not self-contained. We approach the Eucharistic Table a bit challenged in mind and confounded, but still confident. God has come out of mystery into history in just the right amount. Faith while being stumped is our loving response to a God Who so loved and loves this world” The text from Exodus recalls the experience of Moses encounter with God on Mount Sinai. The “Unprogrammed Worship” which concludes this encounter as Moses bows before the steadfast love and faithfulness resonant in his human understanding is the type of “knowing” that prompts the canticle from the Book of Daniel praising God as exalted and glorified forever. The response of creature to Creator is the faith and trust in these words. Paul exhorts the people of Corinth to model Jesus the Son as they live in peace with one another through the grace of God experienced in the resonance of the indwelling Spirit with the Hoy Spirit. The passage from the Gospel of John, made visible in the public through professional sports on tv, (John 3:16 and sometimes as myname 3:16 [i.e. George 3:16] on the signs of those who have not researched the origin of the quote), is the action of the Holy Spirit, love relationship between Father and Son, to bring unconditional love and eternal life to the experience of humanity.

Visions Truth and Advice

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today cover a lot of ground. Paul’s Visions and Revelations are proclaimed to the Corinthians. In Matthew’s Gospel Jesus warns that we cannot Serve Two Masters. We are reminded that one of the great distractions from our intimate relationship with the divine is ourself. The Gospel points out the futile nature of most of our concerns. When we “Do Not Worry” we have more openness to the life offered as our indwelling Spirit is resonant with the Divine

The eye that sees beyond self

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary provoke self examination. Paul explains to the Corinthians that even though the journal of challenging events he has experienced in pursuit of his mission could give him much to brag about, he refrains from self aggrandizement and prefers to speak of his weaknesses. The Grace he has known has been that which has overcome his pride and narrow vision and made him servant of the Word. The text today may actually seem to border on boasting, yet the witness of the Life of Paul as Apostle testifies to humility and surrender. The psalmist advocates that we turn our vision to the Lord and we shall reflect and be radiant sources of His Presence to people. The Gospel of Matthew continues the theme that the objects and goals that fill our vision reflect our life to those around us. Our needs and addictions put the pursuit of self interest and the praise of self intention at the forefront of our actions and in the view of those who see us clearly. We pause to try to see beyond self

The idea distraction

The texts in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today present the challenge of approaching Christianity as a set of ideas. Paul tells the Corinthians that the next preacher with the newest idea may draw them away from the Way to which Paul has provided witness by his life. The psalmist offers a test of the fruit of a relationship with the Divine. “The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. They are established for ever and ever,to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness” (Psalm 111:7-8). The Gospel of Matthew presents a connection path for Christian believers to the intimate relationship with God. The familiar and rich words and rhythm of the “Lord’s Prayer” bring the restless and wandering mind to a place of peace and connection.

Blessings of the Righteous

The Roman Catholic Lectionary for today offers texts which present an opportunity to consider the nature of righteousness. Being in right relationship to the Divine is the condition sought by believers. Both Paul and the psalmist cite generous givers as being righteous. We have read of believers of one tradition identifying believers of other traditions as “righteous Gentile” for actions which often have involved risking life to protect the “other”. The history of my wife’s Christian family in Lebanon contains a story of being honoured by a Muslim family for righteous action. Righteous people are out there and involved. The Gospel of Matthew prescribes the technique for righteous practice of almsgiving, prayer and fasting. The self righteous may be too visible. The righteous are present and require us to look and listen more carefully to experience the witness they provide of lives in resonance with the Spirit.

This tough love

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary present some ways for Christians to witness to their relationship with Jesus. Paul offers the example of the Corinthians as our encouragement to be generous. The psalmist praises the actions of the God of Jacob who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry; sets the prisoners free; opens the eyes of the blind; lifts up those who are bowed down; loves the righteous; watches over the strangers; upholds the orphan and the widow. The believer today can make the Divine present in the same manner. Matthew reveals Jesus teaching on loving enemies. In practice this is tough and it relies on the transcendent power of the relationship with the Divine being resonant with our indwelling Spirit. When this love is practiced, the fruits of generosity, freedom and forgiveness abound foe all to witness and give praise to God.

Spiritual Support for Action

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary present behaviour of the believer which is contrary to common practice. The radical challenge of the Word is expressed in the Gospel of Matthew as Jesus instruction concerning retaliation for wrong doing. The action of ‘turning the other cheek” is normally beyond human response. The grace of God which raises thanksgiving, forgiveness and compassion in people through the resonance of the indwelling Spirit with the Spirit of God creates the possibility for this action. What about justice? The ancient believers were able to trust that justice would be in the domain of the Divine. The psalmist proclaims that victory and vindication are contained in the eternal steadfast love and faithfulness of God to His people. People often have strong drives for justice. The peace of communion with the Divine allows this zeal to be entrusted to God. Paul who demonstrates his zeal for the evangelization of the nations by a listing to the Corinthians of the trials, tribulations and predictions of his own demise through which by the power of the Spirit working in his person he is able to be and live the contradiction of expectation today.

Pentecost

When 50 days have passed since Easter, the Lectionary of the Roman Catholic Church presents the Scripture texts chosen for the feast of Pentecost. These texts follow themes of The Coming of the Holy Spirit, God the Creator and Provider, One Body with Many Members and Jesus Appears to the Disciples. As we investigate these texts and attempt to experience their power we find the Holy Spirit which unites the apostles and empowers them to praise is the Spirit of Creation which Genesis identifies as moving over the waters and which the psalmist proclaims is the breath of life for all creatures. Paul addresses the Corinthians with the insight of the Spirit and presents the truth that knowing Jesus and being witness to Him is an act of the Spirit through our being which is the Body of Christ. The action of the Spirit from the Gospel of John involves peace, breath and retention of sin. The appearance of Jesus after His death is most certainly a mystic, marvellous and disconcerting event. The Spirit of creation which moved over the waters is breathed to move over the assembly and bring peace. The creation and maintenance of life is in this Breath. The issue of being trapped in sin is invoked. The need to be forgiven and the need to forgive are tied together. The One Body united by the Spirit of Life and Truth moves toward deep intimacy with the Divine through forgiveness and forgiving. We may recall today the “Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit”. Fr Larry Gillick SJ represents these gifts, catalogued by Thomas Aquinas, in an “in-spiring” manner.

Some events on which to meditate

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary provide food for meditation on the movement of the Spirit among believers. The Gospel from Matthew details some of the activities of those commissioned to proclaim the Good News. The psalmist praises the mighty works of God which have demonstrated the steadfast love and faithfulness of the Divine.

Remove the transgression

The psalmist in the texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary proclaims the great mercy of God who removes our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west. How do we experience this removal? Perhaps we can recall an encounter like the one between Jesus and Peter from John’s Gospel. Jesus leads and loves Peter through three professions of his love for Jesus. This is the process of healing the three denials of Peter prior to Jesus crucifixion. As Jesus brings Peter back to intimacy with Him, he indicates the mission and the service He needs from Peter. This is to include death at the hands of those who will oppose him. This model of forgiveness and reconciliation is for our use. The power of the indwelling Spirit will be available as we work to transcend the wrongs we have suffered from others.

One in Witness and more

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary describe the preparation of the believer for persecution. In the Gospel from John, Jesus final discourse and prayer for His disciples is extended to all to whom the disciples bring the Good News. The unity for which Jesus prays may seem to be elusive in Christianity and in the world. When we reflect on the tension between unity and diversity, we may see how the scenario described in Acts, where Paul understands the difference between Pharisees and Sadducees and uses it to disrupt their council, may suggest that the unity is not about accepting the same dogma. The psalmist understands that the Lord is his portion and cup. The direction to take through conflict to unity may offer persecution but it will be a direction revealed in the intimate communion with the Divine which the psalmist experiences in dream. The unity in the section of John’s Gospel follows the proclamation of the Son being in the Father and the desire that the believers would be one with Father and Son. This is transcendent and it is, as John notes, not what the world of tribes and disunity understands yet.

Worldly Word

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary continue the exploration of the nature of truth. The Book of Acts tells of the departure of Paul from Ephesus. He expresses concern that savage wolves will spring up to try to distort the message he has presented to them. They may be led away from the truth by these arguments. The fear of heresy is still present in the Christian community. This fear exists in tension with change and recognition of diversity. The psalmist helps with a test for true belief. We should ignore those who seek tribute or who clamour for war. The Gospel of John links truth to the communion of Father, Son and humanity through the Holy Spirit. The “Word is become flesh” is the truth which is presented through the intimate relationship of our indwelling Spirit with the Divine. This relationship is not “of the world” and we therefore, in pursuit of Truth, are moving in a Transcendent realm. The petition of Jesus to the Father is that those in this relationship will not be lost and will be on the path to truth. This relationship will indentify the ‘savage wolves’ and the heresies as directions to which we are not drawn by the Spirit.

Verbs and veritas

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary bring a view of truth which is shrouded in the inadequacy of human language to completely describe the Divine. Paul makes his farewell to the leaders of Ephesus as he is being drawn by the Spirit to return to Jerusalem. The future is not clear. He has had visions of the likelihood of persecution and suffering. The compulsion to follow the Spirit of Love is overwhelming. We have decisions and directions which are uncertain and which likely will require personal sacrifice. The truth is that Life is in the journey in those directions. The Psalmist in today’s text, as is frequently the case, reassures us of Providence who moves and sustains God’s people. The Gospel of John offers Jesus prayer for those He will be leaving behind. The truth of the His Nature and a description of eternal life are contained in these verses. The prayer of Jesus focuses on the maintenance of the communion between Jesus and Father to which we are admitted through His petition. The eternal life is in this communion of Life which contains our indwelling Spirit with the Spirit of Love of Father and Son

Strengthened by the Spirit

What is the experience of being strengthened by the Spirit? The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary offer some food for contemplation of this in our lives. The Acts of the Apostles tells of the encounter of Paul with some disciples who were apparently unaware of the Spirit. This seems paradoxical to an understanding of the call to belief being related to a stirring or resonance of our indwelling Spirit with the Spirit of God. We need to hold on to this paradox as we consider that the “Life of the Spirit” is not experienced at a constant high level in our lives. Some would argue that our humanity cannot exist at the full level of Spiritual connection to the Divine. The invocation of the Spirit is a response of our being to the need to be in deeper communion. As Acts indicates, this deeper communion is marked by detectable increase in courage, wisdom, knowledge, compassion and prayer. The psalmist shows a response of people who become aware of the Presence. Praise is the outpouring which can be spontaneous and uninhibited when the encounter is deep and overwhelming. In John’s Gospel, Jesus hears the movement of the Spirit in His disciples at an initial level of communion. They witness to the clarity they are experiencing about the Nature of Jesus. Jesus is advising them that they will abandon Him and they should be reassured of His relationship to the Father which should give them peace and to anticipate continuing support from the Spirit even through a time when they will flee and desert their ties to Him.

Ascending Commission

The Lectionary of the Roman Catholic Church today contains the texts chosen to celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. After the Resurrection the Gospels recall episodes of the appearance of Christ to His followers. The last of appearance of Jesus in His Resurrected Body marked His ascent into the realm of the Father. Along with this occurrence, the Promise is made that the intimacy with the Divine will continue and that this intimacy will involve continuing the Mission of Jesus as His Body on earth. Paul proclaims to the Ephesians that the transcendent power of the Divine will be available to the followers of the Way as they witnessed it in the lives of the apostles and the saints. The psalmist declares the power of God to fulfill His plan for Israel in spite of the opposition of other tribes and people. The Commission of the faithful is to continue and expand the Life in the Spirit as Jesus directs through Matthew’s Gospel "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20).

vindication steadfast love and faithfulness

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary touch on the topic of vindication. The psalmist praises the marvellous strength of God who has brought victory and vindication to Israel. In the final discourse of Jesus from the Gospel of John, he refers to the sorrow which will turn to joy. When the authorities put Him to death, the sorrow and sense of abandonment experienced by the disciples will be replaced through the Spirit with the experience of life in and through Jesus as His Body in intimate communion between the indwelling Spirit and the Holy Spirit. The “vindication” is not visible like victory over enemies invoked by the words of the psalmist It is not measurable like the number of leading Jews that converted to the Way after their encounter with Paul in Corinth. How can we understand the place of vindication in our evangelization efforts? It is not something to seek for that seems to distort our mission to be the Good News. It may happen along the way as a grace for our too human understanding of the whole.

Address to Athens and beyond

The text from the Book of Acts in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today reveals some of the influences within Paul as he is inspired to deliver the Good News to the people of Athens. He is able to stand in front of the Areopagus and perceive something of the spiritual life of his audience. The sense that they thirst for greater experience of the inner life that can only be tied to a resonance of indwelling Spirit with the Divine leads him to refer to their “unknown god”. The less philosophic approach to this recognizes the great difference between external remote deity and “God with skin on” as children understand. The psalmist understands and praises God who is praised by kings, princes, young men, maidens, old men and children. The thirst is universal. This catholic need to understand the Divine experienced in our Spirit is address by Jesus in the Gospel of John by the promise of “Spirit of truth” which is witnessed as active in the believers usually following the invocation of the Holy Spirit. Nicky Gumbel, UK presenter the Alpha courses proclaims “when you invite the Holy Spirit to come, He does”.