Faith conquers the World

The texts today from the Roman CatholicLectionary cover a wide span of abstract and concrete guidelines for our journey in the world. EdwardMorse of Creighton University is concerned that the tendency of human beings to fit abstraction to our own world view and adjust our filters to have it agree with our concepts may rob us of the insight which is contained in the text. Keeping the Commandments, which the passage from the letter of John declares as the way in which we know we love God, is compared by Friar Jude Winkler with the direction attributed to Augustine that we “Love God and do what we want”. The Gospel of John, written earlier than the letter, does not seem to emphasize the Commandments as much. (though the USCCB Lectionary today cites John 14:15).  Other commentators have proposed that the Ten Commandments stand as a measure of how well we love God and neighbor. Those who Love will find that their lives are not burdened with the sins which are detailed in the Commandments. The world which John proclaims will be conquered by faith is comprised, according to Friar Jude, of all that reject the core message of John that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. The Gospel today from Luke is Jesus public proclamation, in the synagogue of his home, that He is the fulfillment of the prophesy of Isaiah that God’s plan is to send the Chosen One to liberate the people of Israel. One idea of the role of the Messiah was to restore the kingdom of David which would conquer the world of the people of Israel that had brought them centuries of domination by foreign powers. Jesus conquers the world of our sins of personal power, privilege and passions that result in situations of poverty, enslavement and oppression and our blindness to these situations. As we allow faith to guide us through the errors we practice in living our world view, we will be more aligned with the direction of the Commandments and our compassion, forgiveness and love will be witness to Jesus Presence and our Love of God.