Human reasoning does not lead to understanding

The text from the letter of Paul to the Romans from the Roman Catholic Lectionary declares that the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. This is a difficult concept for people to embrace. We are familiar with the concept of the "deal breaker" or the offense from which we could never consider reconciliation. We look and see that we are gifted and we are called to be in intimate relationship with the Creator. How do we progress? The psalmist is aware of the deep passion in people to seek God. We might join in his petition to God for an answer to the questions of this search.  The instructions of Jesus to his followers from the Gospel of Luke sets the expectation that the feast of the Kingdom is prepared for those we might least expect to meet there. As we find ourselves among the poor, crippled, lame and blind, in other words, aware of our broken-ness, we find the eternal invitation to dwell there in the Body of Christ in the abundance of His steadfast love.

Partiality in Instruction

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary prompt us to reflect on our motivations for the acts we do as Christians and as people. Our humanity and ego often demand that we show personal gain from the things that we do. The priests who Malachi exposes in the first reading are keeping the high valued animals for themselves and bringing the lame and blemished animals to be sacrificed to the Lord.  The act of giving our best in and for our relationship with God requires authenticity. We convince ourselves that we deserve a bit and that it is all the same to God if we show some devotion. The instruction we are giving to others, in this way, is false and potentially very damaging. The desire of Paul as he shares his actions among the Thessalonians is that they accept the Word and loving attention given them not as human action but as the Word and love of God. How can broken humans be in a relationship of quiet trust with God as echoed in the refrain of the psalm "In you, O Lord, I have found my peace"? In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus observes the shallow practice of the Pharisees of the many Laws they instruct others to follow. He advises us that we need humility to avoid the hypocrisy of not practicing what we preach and a servants attitude to direct our instruction and action in the Church to others and not for our personal gain.

Humility and heading home

hThe texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary suggest thoughts of heading home for people and individuals. Paul is convinced, as he addresses the Romans, that Israel will experience the fulfillment of the promises of the Covenant which seem to Paul, at the time, to be going to the Gentiles. His understanding is God is working through the rejection by Israel to bring those "not under the Law" into intimacy with the Divine. The Covenant that binds God and Israel as "people and God" will also be completed as the promises of God are irrevocable. This necessary steadfastness of God is praised by the psalmist who praises the discipline from God which ultimately leads to being held up and transcendently carried home by the intimacy with God. A discipline and practice which opens the path home is humility. The ego has difficulty in surrendering first place or rushing to place self at the head of the line. The ego sees God as competition and like the advice Jesus gives today in the Gospel from Luke, we should seek the lower place and "dismiss the loyal soldier", as Richard Rohr puts it, called ego, which has served our establishing of temporal security and comfort and humbly enter the wedding feast which celebrates our coming home to our most intimate relationship with God.

The Twelve who lead

Paul addresses the Ephesians in the text from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today with good news of the community in which they are members through their acceptance of the invitation to intimacy with Christ Jesus. This is a community including the apostles and prophets which becomes the temple and dwelling place of God. This is a mystical community with transrational characteristics. It is the message witnessed by the psalmist of the voice and power of God which covers all space and time with joy. In the Gospel of Luke, the events before the selection of the Apostles by Jesus are described. The new positions which match the Twelve Tribes of Israel will be filled with a diverse and different set of persons. Prayer with the Father revealed the name of those who would hold these positions. The persons thus chosen would not be those picked by a rational selection process for human leadership. The thoughts and actions of the Divine are far from the usual human ideas.

Divine love is not defeated

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today present the position that we can count on the steadfast love of God at all times and through all difficulties. Paul proclaims to the Romans that nothing will separate the believer from the love of God. He has had personal experience of many of the difficulties which he enumerates, hardship, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness and peril. He is witness to the slaughter of the faithful and he is convinced that death too is a passing through which Divine love will triumph. The Gospel of Luke indicates that Jesus is becoming increasingly aware that His message and actions are perceived as a threat by the powerful and like the prophets before Him, who brought attention to how to live according to the will of God,  Jerusalem will be the site of His final encounter with the authorities. Divine love is not a guarantee of safety and security of person which dominates so much of our time, but it is a guarantee that in all events of life and death the Presence is our strength and victory.

The narrow door to our pre-destiny

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary are the source of much theological study and effort. Friar Jude Winkler offers a concise and clear discussion of prayer, the Spirit, predestination and the narrow door to salvation. I am reminded how we sometimes feel so badly that people we care for have not embraced what we consider to be essential for their fullness of life. Our struggle is the minor one and perhaps by witnessing it our beloved will look inside. The Spirit is the force which not only calls us to be in prayer with God but is the deepening force which moves us to the realization of Paul (and Friar Jude) that through the Spirit we become aware of the plan of the divine for our lives. It is a unique plan which is all for our deepening in intimate relationship with the Divine. The Gospel of Luke indicates the truth that our pursuit of this intimacy must be genuine and in the measure that we have been graced by God to have vision and experience of the journey. If we have been graced with ten talents, we need to pursue our pre destiny with the intensity and power that is proportional to our gifts. The narrow gate does not allow us to pass through without sincere commitment to living the gifts as the psalmist proclaims "he has dealt bountifully with me"   

The nature of the Kingdom

The text today from the Gospel of Luke in the Roman Catholic Lectionary compares the effect of the Kingdom of God on the world to the effect of the mustard seed and yeast. The smallest seed or a small bit of yeast becomes the highly visible life and nourishment for many. The Letter of Paul to the Romans exhorts us to hope that the present suffering will lead to the fulfillment of the rebirth of creation in the model of people being children of God who like the apparently inconsequential yeast and mustard seed will bring the life to the world for which the psalmist praises God. The growth of the Kingdom is the freeing of people from bondage to addictive self satisfying living to be servant leaders full of joy and laughter as we come home carrying our sheaves.

Comfortable about limits to the heirs

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today present the challenge that an intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit brings to the world in which control and security are primary motivators. Paul exhorts the Romans and all those who are living by the guidance of the Spirit to claim the relationship to which they are participants, "Children of God". In this relationship the expressions of the Divine praised by the psalmist are ours to practice as heirs. In the power of the Spirit we lead prisoners to prosperity and live the escape from death. The action of Jesus in the synagogue on the Sabbath is presented by Luke. Our mission is to be the healing agent of His Presence in our daily encounters regardless of the impact on the established comfort zones which serve to deny and obscure our invitation to be in the intimate relationship of heirs to the ministry of healing, mercy and forgiveness to which we have been invited by Jesus.

Take it as more than literal

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today are some which if interpreted literally would cause us all to realize how we fall short in many areas in living the Great Commandment. The Friar Jude Winkler advises readers of the passages today that they were not written by an American but by people of the Middle East who write and exaggerate descriptions for emphasis. The example of the Thessalonians in living in the power of the Holy Spirit was a powerful example to many but not the "whole world". The text from Exodus is part of the section of that has a huge number of laws concerning conduct within the Jewish community. Fr Larry Gillick SJ suggests that many of us in legalistic North America might actually prefer to revive the long list of laws and then know exactly what God wants us to do. The Gospel of Matthew details the dialogue between Jesus and the Pharisees and the Sadducees to determine which is the greatest commandment. Jesus response states the foundation of the focus of love for Judeao-Christian believers. The power of God in our lives as expressed by the witness of the Thessalonians "Life in the Spirit" and praise of the psalmist for the God as rock, fortress and deliver is not based in the security of keeping rules but it is in the trust and faith of Abraham and Mary that our relationship with the Divine is transcendent of human experience and calls us to intimacy with the Divine. 

The choices for life

The psalmist from the texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today asks the question which is deeply important to all people "Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?" Paul opens Chapter 8 of the Letter to the Romans with an appeal to us to walk in our spiritual journey "according to the Spirit" and not to live according to the flesh. The choice to live in the pattern of our addictions which continually focuses on our needs and gratification cannot be in accordance with God's Law. In the Gospel of Luke today Jesus reminds the disciples that death is not reserved to the wicked or those who have a lack of God's blessings. All die. The Owner of the fig tree will come to look for the fruit. Jesus also indicates that God provides time and more care to bring forth fruit. The summary from Paul and the psalmist is that the life in the Spirit, the continual intimate relationship with the Father, through Jesus and the resonance of our indwelling Spirit with the Divine is assent to the hill of the Lord where we strive for clean hands, pure hearts and truth and experience the invitation to the state of no "condemnation for those who are in Christ". (Romans 8:1) 

The battle rages and we know it

The psalmist in the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary proclaims the understanding of humanity of the Divine that "You are good and do good". Paul frames for the Romans how the law of the commandments cited as guidelines to life in the psalm is rejected by the passions off the flesh. The energy of life eros is essential to our movement in growth. This passion can lead the body to great extremes of taking care of the desires of the flesh so that we become slaves of this force. Paul exhorts us through his experience to be slaves to our relationship with the Father through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Our life energy in Divine intimacy fulfills our destiny as children of God. The peace and joy in this intimacy are the signs that we have made the correct choice. The signs of our difficulty are not obscure. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus reminds us of how capable we are to recognize the signs of drifting in our journey. Our life experience, in the world, has taught us to know how to avoid damage to our ego and avoid what we consider to be unnecessary humiliation. We can use this sense of self preservation to move away from the attacks of the passions of the flesh as Paul so deeply witnesses today.

The two ways

The psalm today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary is Psalm 1. The psalmist presents a choice for people to model their lives after the righteous or after the wicked. This dualism  shows the  possible directions for our spiritual journey. We spend our time between being slaves of sin and slaves of righteousness as Paul declares in the Letter to the Romans. The Gospel of Luke presents clarification from Jesus that there is tension and conflict between people who are moving in different directions. The inability of people to move in both directions, toward greater intimacy with the Divine in relationship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit and toward greater satisfaction of the ego and our self serving addictions causes division from those who do not share our decision to move in one of the directions detailed by the psalmist and emphasized by Jesus. 

We know how we have been delivered

The texts today in the Roman Catholic Lectionary invite us to explore more deeply our relationship with the Divine through the grace of God, in Jesus, through the Holy Spirit. Paul reminds us that we are not slaves to the Law but we need to be slaves of the grace which has called us into relationship with God. That relationship compels us to fight against our selfish passions causing us to be servants of sin. The psalmist recalls for Israel and us the life events in which we already know that the Lord has kept us from disaster. We echo the proclamation that "our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth". In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells the story of two slaves who behave badly when their master is absent. The slave who knew his master and understood the directions he was supposed to follow is treated more harshly than the slave who had not completely understood how he was supposed to behave. The intimate relationship with the Divine informs more of the nature of God than the "knowing of"contact. The experience of living in grace requires deeper awareness of the offense possible to that Grace.

Harvest from few workers

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today give some insight into evangelism and the role of the evangelist in the process. The personal instructions to Timothy from Paul in the passage from the second letter to Timothy reveal the disappointments and abandonment experienced by Paul who is popularly considered the greatly "successful" Apostle to the Gentiles. The human needs that the evangelist shares with all are cited. This is a bit of a counterpoint to the instructions to seventy disciples in the Gospel of Luke where the purse, bag or sandals are not to be the concern of those on the mission. The psalmist speaks of how the works of the Lord will make known to the people the glorious splendor of the Kingdom of God. This knowledge will become experience of graciousness, justice, kindness and truth. The disciple must live the experience of the Divine and that peace which is in the intimate relationship with God will resonate with people who will become the rich harvest. The disciple lives in and with faith. The Lord calls the Harvest from those who have their indwelling Spirit awakened.

Choose to trust the promise to Abraham

Paul exhorts the Romans and us today in the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary to have the trust of Abraham in God that the promise of a relationship with the Divine through Jesus Christ will be our becoming righteous before God. The canticle is from the Benedictus or the Song of Zechariah in praise of God over the birth of his son, John the Baptist who will herald a mighty Saviour who will remember the Covenant and the oath sworn to Abraham. We are called by our baptismal vows to choose to be the prophet today who makes the experience of the realization of the promise of an intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ and the resonance of the Holy Spirit with the indwelling Spirit evident in our society. The Gospel selection today is a parable where Jesus tells the tragic story of the rich man who was led away from a spiritual relationship by over concern for material wealth. His choice was to be a prophet of the good life which results from attention to wealth management. We have recent evidence that such devotion to wealth puts you in the 1% who are being shown as those who have been lead astray by greed which has had very negative consequences for the other 99%. The grain barns will tumble down but the Promise to Abraham is eternally available to those who trust and are justified by Faith.

You call it

The Text today in the Roman Catholic Lectionary from the Gospel of Matthew tells of how the Herodians and the Pharisees attempted to trap Jesus with a question about the legality of paying taxes to the empire of the oppressor, Rome.  Jesus uses the coin of the realm, the denarius, to make the point that the obligation we owe the civil authorities and the obligation we owe to God are different. The Book of the Prophet Isaiah tells of the action of God to liberate the captives in Babylon through the political and military power of the Persian, Cyrus who eventually subdued Babylon and issued an Edict of Restoration for the Jews to return to Jerusalem. The civil authorities are capable of good and bad initiatives. Paul addresses the Thessalonians with thanksgiving to God for the way they have witnessed to the presence of the Holy Spirit through their word and action. The movements in the society around us which are rendering unto God that which is holy, good, compassionate and loving are worthy of our support, thanksgiving and praise for the power of God, as echoed by the psalmist. Rushing to judgement of people, political parties or movements because of their image may be missing the point the Jesus is teaching today.

Based on Grace

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today emphasize the fundamental importance of grace, the free and loving action of the Divine in our growth in relationship with God. Paul refers to the promises made by God to Abraham with are for all peoples and not just those "under the Law". Observance of the Law is not the path to being righteous with God. The faith of Abraham which gave him the trust to "hope against hope" is both a gift of God and the means by which Abraham is in right relationship with God. The psalmist praises the joy and and singing of the people who have been saved by the graciousness of the Lord. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells the disciple to be courageous as they acknowledge Him to others. The Holy Spirit, the love between the Father and Son which resonates with our indwelling Spirit sustains our witness and give us words to speak to those who attack the Son of Man. This Spirit like Grace itself is the nature of God.

Trust that faith is right relationship

The Roman Catholic Lectionary today presents some examples of the experience of fathers of the faith in the area of being in right relationship or righteous before God. In the letter to the Romans, Paul argues that Father Abraham is in relationship with God because of his faith which was manifest in the trust that he placed in God which was beyond that which human or conventual wisdom advises. Paul proclaims that David understood that God forgives transgression and enters into intimate relationship with the believer without regard to the "good works" or lack there of. The Gospel of Luke is an exhortation by Jesus for us to move fearlessly to deeper truth and awareness of the hypocrisy which distracts our focus and the pervasive suggestions that we only need be semi conscious believers. Our security is in faith. Our evidence of the constant Presence is in the Creation around us and the events of our lives which are consequences of a faith and a greater universe than we can fully comprehend.

Faith works for me

The Gospel of Luke in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today presents the deepening conflict between Jesus criticism of the history of inappropriate action and observance in the name of religion and the sensibilities of the scribes, Pharisees and lawyers who understand Jesus to be attacking their way and power. Those who proclaim an understanding of how to be righteous with God bear a large responsibility for the people who may be lead astray and into practices which might serve those prescribing the action than those who participate. Paul declares in the Letter to the Romans that "a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the Law" The debate about the role of "good works" in justification is a significant part of Christian theological discussion. We are made aware by Paul that we all have fallen short and like the psalmist we cry to the Lord not to mark our iniquities but to welcome us into a righteous relationship which we do not deserve by virtue of Divine forgiveness.

Knowledge of our calling is serious

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary bring the concepts of Divine justice to mind. Paul addresses the Romans about the judgement of God. He warns that we should not judge others as we are likely doing the same things we condemn. The responsibility of those who know the will of God is to be kind, forbearing and patient is greater than those in ignorance. The self seeking actions of our lives will bring grief and the giving actions will bring glory, honor and peace. There is nothing new here but our inability to hear is the issue. The psalmist takes the position of those who we may be in conflict with. The victim claims the rock and salvation of an intimate relationship with the Divine. He will not be shaken. The burdens with which we can impede and annoy others are condemned by Jesus in the Gospel from Luke. Like the Pharisees and lawyers we can find ways to be less responsive to those who annoy us. We can move slowly, find excuses and delay when our "help" is for those for whom we would rather not serve. "But woe to you!"

Ignoring the signs and common sense

The Texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary ask us to consider the evidence which is all around us of the nature of God revealed in creation and the shallowness of some of our practices to defer contact with the truth. Paul tells the Romans and us that we are inclined to worship the creature rather than Creation. Our experience of the glory of the northern hemisphere as it dresses in autumn colours and our need to take care of our well being through the addictions which we use as self security and pointing to the opportunity to experience some of the deeper "Why?" through an intimate relationship with Jesus. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus draws the attention of the Pharisees to the practices which appear to give some attention to the Divine but are really gates to ensure that deeper reflection does not occur. We may literally give "lip service" to thanksgiving, brotherhood and love of family to forestall exploration of the real depth of compassion, agape and patience in our relationships. We give thanks for the wake up call!

Thanksgiving for being chosen

Thanksgiving Day in Canada and the Roman Catholic Lectionary presents special readings. The Gospel of John tells of the love of Jesus for those who abide in Him. The passage speaks of being chosen to be in intimate relationship with Christ. Certainly the Letter of Paul to the Colossians reflects the advice of one who is speaking from his experience of being chosen by God for an intimate relationship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Paul reflects that the chosen of God must live the fruit of that call. They must be compassionate, kind, humble, meek and patient. The light of these actions will bring the help to the needy as the agent and intimate partner of the Divine who is praised by the psalmist for help to the disadvantaged. Today we are thankful for our lives. We have been gifted with much. We can cooperate with Jesus as friend who is living the experience of being love to one another. Thank God!

Prepare a table for me

The psalmist in the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today presents the care of the Good Shepherd for the flock from Psalm 23. The idea that the Shepherd leads us in right paths for his name's sake recalls a theme in the Hebrew testament that God can be expected to act as Divine lover of His people. The Prophet Isaiah overlaps the table prepared for us by the Lord in Psalm 23 with the promise of the great feast for people of all nations when even death is swept away. The response of the people will be to rejoice and be glad to have arrived on the mountain of the Lord. Matthew's Gospel tells the Scribes and Pharisees that they are missing the invitation to the Kingdom of God, the mountaintop of Isaiah and the house of the Lord of the psalmist. They have ignored the invitations of the Prophets and Jesus, the Son. The invitation will go out to the other people who will, for the most part, rejoice with the King in the wedding hall. It is possible and certainly is the responsibility and consequence of those given free choice to reject to live the life to which we have been invited. The removal from the feast for those who have experienced some of it is particularly tragic. We are invited to satisfy our long hunger to be. Let us go to the table prepared for us on the mountain of the Lord. Our inclusion in the feast will be marked by joy and thanksgiving.

God wills restoration

Joel completes his prophesy about Israel with the promise of the restoration of the the fortunes of the people of God in Jerusalem after they choose to repent and return to the Covenant. The Roman Catholic Lectionary today offers Psalm 97 as praise to the power and glory of God. The psalmist proclaims the mountains melting like wax before the Lord. This is reminiscent of watching the video of the disappearance of Mount St. Helens in Washington State. The promises of restoration of intimate relationship are insured by the awesome Presence witnessed in the world around us. The Gospel of Luke eludes to the need to remind ourselves of the Transcendent nature of being in intimate communion with the Divine as Jesus refocuses the blessing of a woman in the crowd from recognizing birth and care of a messianic human to the truth of Messiah who is blessed in hearing and acting on the Word of God. The blessing is offered to those in intimate relationship with Jesus as they hear and respond to the will of God.

The separation of good and evil

The incompatibility of good and evil motivates the prophet Joel to call for a fast and a solemn assembly to refocus the direction of the people of Israel to God and goodness in the texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary. The accumulation of neglect of the relationship with the Divine has created a pressure to restore the will of God for the people. The psalmist praises the strength and support God has been to the oppressed and those in trouble. The wicked have been and will be snared in the work of their own hands. The the Gospel of Luke, Jesus uses the accusations of the crowd that He is healing from an evil source to proclaim the truth of the inability of good and evil to coexist in the movement toward the intimacy with the Divine promised in the Kingdom of God. The kingdom divided cannot stand. The requirement is to choose. The invitation to full Life requires a choice. To recall Moses in the Book of Deuteronomy, "Choose Life!". The memorial celebration today is for "Our Lady of the Rosary". It commemorates those times when faithful have used the devotion of praying the Rosary to be lead by the choice of Mary to say "Yes" to the will of God. This is the choice which puts our direction with Jesus and not against Him

Righteous and wicked are different

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today continue the theme of the concern of some of the righteous over the action of God towards the wicked. The dialogue in the Book of Malachi indicates that God is aware of those who truly serve Him. The promise is made that the day will come when all evildoers will be stubble. The obvious challenge for us is to determine who are the evildoers. Certainly to some degree we all are not living the full communion with the Divine to which we are invited. We all have our distractions from the righteous life. Are we all 'stubble'? The choice presented by the psalmist is one between a fruitful life of the ones who meditate on the Law and ways of God and shape their lives in this fruitful manner and those who follow wicked advice, scoff and dismiss the peace and joy of perseverance which eventually yields fruits of peace and joy in God's time. The Gospel of Luke presents a parable which highlights the value of maintaining the course and persisting in gracious, patient, forgiving and loving life style. The Gracious One continues to provide evidence of the delight in which His Children are held in the every day confirmation that Life is in the Way of Psalm 1.

Mercy greater than can be imagined

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today contrast human sense of justice with Divine mercy and forgiveness. The discussion between God and Jonah after God decides not to destroy Nineveh reveals our desire to receive "proper" disposition of our efforts. When we pursue justice and uphold the law we expect that our efforts will result in the punishment of the guilty and as a result some justification for our efforts. We may accept and applaud the "mercy" which we might choose to extend but shouldn't God be on our wavelength when we are working for Him? The plea of the psalmist expresses the deep revelation that we are truly ones in need of mercy and forgiveness as we come to know how we remain slaves of our addictions and self centered lives. The Gospel of Luke brings us to a method to engage in intimate conversation with the Divine through simple recognition of the Almighty Transcendent One who is love, mercy and forgiveness. Out of this understanding that our daily life is saved from the pit by this intimate attention comes our desire to be part of the presentation of this love to others. The linking of our growth in intimacy with the Divine to the growth of our love and forgiveness to others is the lesson that Jonah appears reluctant to be open to hear in the text today. Let's not be Jonahs!

Seeking the better choice

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary present the idea that we often need to seek the better choice as we make decisions to live our discipleship. Jonah gets it right in the Hebrew testament reading a goes as instructed by God to Nineveh where his message to repent is received and acted upon by the residents. The psalmist recognizes that our broken nature means we will make poor choices. He rejoices in the understanding that God chooses to forgive rather than mark our failures. Jesus visit to the home of Martha and Mary from the Gospel of Luke presents a teaching on the choice of Martha to complain to Jesus about her distraction by her "many tasks" during His visit. We often put getting it done before listening to the other. Our choice to be busy about doing "important things" may be the same avoidance of action towards growth as servant leader in the enfleshment of the Gospel in our environments. The feast today of St Francis of Assisi offers an opportunity to focus on "preaching without words" by our action of living the Gospel life of peace, love, joy and simple existence in reverence of the Earth and its Creatures. A choice of Life!

Trying to run away

The texts today in the Roman Catholic Lectionary speak of service and forgiveness as aspects of the life in relationship with God. The story of Jonah in the belly of the whale was a favourite for many children. The text reveals that Jonah ended up in the whale as a consequence of his attempt to run away from the mission he understood he was called by God to perform. The whale becomes for Jonah the means by which God saves him from the pit. In the Gospel of Luke the lawyer approaches Jesus with the question of who is to be considered neighbor when Jesus proclaims that we must love our neighbor as ourselves. The choice of example given by Jesus emphasizes the universality of all as neighbor. The Pharisee lawyer would find the desolate, unclean, one who has rejected the legalisms of the Jewish people as the most unlikely neighbor imaginable. This is the one for whom the Law, your schedule and treasure must yield. The role of the Law in the application of mercy and forgiveness is still an obstacle in Christian charity. In particular, around the sanctity of life, Catholic Christians may be running away from mercy and forgiveness as the essence of what we bring to our neighbor and like the Pharisee lawyer or Jonah, seeking an exemption from giving love and support because of the Law. We need to work with those members of the Body of Christ who have ministered to the needs of those facing life decisions around abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment and war. Compassion, mercy and life as gift of God are the foremost convictions of those who struggle with action in the hospital, on death row and on the battlefield. The revelation of "who is my neighbor?" in these places is crucial to keep us from running away or seeking a "legal exemption" from love.

Producing fruit in the vineyard

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary point out the long history of the desire of people to be in relationship with the Divine in the manner of the peace and prosperity of the Garden from the Book of Genesis. This story is the tension between the Creator who prepares the rich vineyard for the creatures and the desire of people to pursue their own plans in be in charge of their destiny and wealth. This vineyard is planted among the house of Israel and the people of Judah in the time of Isaiah with the will of God that it be a model and a home for all people, thus attracting many to a deep relationship with God and producing much fruit in the Divine mission to restore humanity to God. However, the prophet reflects that the care and direction of God is rejected by the people and the vineyard produces "wild grapes". Isaiah's prophesy is that the vineyard will go to ruin as God observes the abandonment of the plan which was supposed to bring justice but the people chose bloodshed. It was to be a righteous society but the Observer hears the people cry. The psalmist implores the Lord of the vineyard to look again and restore the relationship with humanity who desire to return to the time of the Divine favor in their lives. Paul describes the  characteristics of the life lived in relationship with God through Jesus. It is living in the grace and peace of God where things that are true, honorable, just, pure, excellent, and worthy of praise grow in the vineyard and are modeled for all to see. All are invited to join the workers of Christ in the vineyard. The Gospel of Matthew which was written to the Jewish community who had chosen to follow Jesus and found themselves ejected from the synagogue. The heir who is killed by the unfaithful tenants is Jesus and Matthew presents Jesus warning that the rejected Messiah will become the 'cornerstone" of the new vineyard where the fruits of peace and love described by Paul will grow and flourish for the restoration of the world to God.

Return to Communion

The Gospel of Luke from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today presents Jesus commentary on the celebration of the disciples that they had great success in their efforts to proclaim Jesus message to the people in the surrounding communities. He exhorts them to be joyful because they are united with in communion with the saints in heaven in an intimate relationship with the Divine. The prophet Baruch provides encouragement for the people of Jerusalem who have apparently lost contact with God and the traditions of the past. They find themselves witness to the destruction of their home by foreign armies. The isolation they experience is one of their own choosing. The intimacy they once enjoyed with God was rejected. The psalmist joins Baruch in praising God who does not forget His needy ones and who will rebuild the cities of Judah. The view from the outside at memories is one of separation. The one who turns back to God sees the image of welcome to rejoin the communion.