Model to rebuild

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary for the Memorial of St. Clare offer reflection on the task of rebuilding the Church which was the mission of St Francis and his devoted follower St Clare. Luis Rodriquez SJ comments that the choice of the name Francis by the Pope indicates his direction to continue to rebuild the Church. The Catholic Culture website notes that at  the time of Clare and Francis, many Church men were enmeshed in financial matters and political maneuvering. Life which emulates the poverty of Jesus is the living Gospel of Franciscan spirituality. The passage from the Prophet Ezekiel tells of the time of the Babylonian exile when Temple worship in Jerusalem ceased. The revelation described in the text today began to rebuild the relationship between Yahweh and the Israelites with new insight that God is not restricted to a time or place. The eTeacher biblical Hebrew blog outlines the significance of this shift in understanding of God. The Gospel of Matthew brings us with Jesus disciples to the statement that the Son of Man, Messiah, will suffer and die at the hands of His enemies. Don Schwager reminds us how the image offered by Isaiah of the Suffering Servant Messiah was so difficult. The text from Matthew has Jesus decide to pay the Temple tax, even though as a Son of Abraham He would be exempt from the tax. At this time, Jesus is in pagan territory of Capernaum “But that we may not offend them” (Matthew 17:27) He provides the money for the tax for He and Peter. The path to rebuilding a Church and society which unfortunately has attributes of the time of Francis and Judah before the exile, is through living the Gospel which the example today indicates embrace of simple existence, necessary suffering and wise decisions not to give offense.