Anxiety, Grief and Healing

In the text from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today we share the anxiety and grief of parents over the well being of their children.

From http://revchrisroth.blogspot.ca/2012/08/2-samuel-18-new-internationalversion.html

The passage from the Second Book of Samuel takes us to the unconsolable state of David as he mourns the death of his son Absalom.

The king was shaken, and went up to the room over the city gate and wept. He said as he wept, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!”

In the Gospel from Mark, the response of Jesus to the synagogue leader whose daughter is dying is interrupted by the healing of a woman separated by her condition from her community for fourteen years.

* [5:28] Both in the case of Jairus and his daughter (Mk 5:23) and in the case of the hemorrhage victim, the inner conviction that physical contact (Mk 5:30) accompanied by faith in Jesus’ saving power could effect a cure was rewarded.

Edward Morse reflects on our encounter with events that have no entry in our personal database to provide answers.

I am left with these questions:  how do we need to adjust our thinking to leave room for the work of God among us?  And perhaps more importantly, how do we make time to perceive how those works are affecting us?  I think we may need more love and mercy – and patience -- while we change our personal database and analytical approach.   Thanks be to God

Don Schwager quotes Peter Chrysologus, 400-450 AD, a renowned preacher and bishop of Ravena in the 5th century, on the the long-suffering of parents.

"Let us, if it is pleasing to you, speak for a moment of the pains and anxieties which parents take upon themselves and endure in patience out of love and affection for their children. Here, surrounded by her family and by the sympathy and affection of her relations, a daughter lies upon her bed of suffering. She is fading in body. Her father's mind and spirit are worn with grief. She is suffering the inward pangs of her sickness. He, unwashed, unkempt, is absorbed wholly in sorrow. He suffers and endures before the eyes of the world. She is sinking into the quiet of death... Alas! why are children indifferent to these things! Why are they not mindful of them? Why are they not eager to make a return to their parents for them? But the love of parents goes on nevertheless; and whatever parents bestow upon their children, God, the parent of us all, will duly repay." (excerpt from SERMON 33.2)

A TIME interview marks the 25th anniversary of When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Rabbi Harold Kushner, asking the author; What about that book gave it such strong resonance?

Kushner: It makes people feel better. It doesn't explain, it comforts. This is what people in times of difficulty need. They need consolation, not explanation. Too many books, especially ones written before mine, didn't understand that. They try to tell people why it isn't so terrible. People want a book that says it is terrible, but you can handle it. That's the first reason. The second reason is my own personal family experiences gave me the right to write that book, the authenticity. People have to listen to it because I've been there

Friar Jude Winkler comments on David mourning over Absalom and his fixation on a lamentation turning a day of victory to day of mourning. He notes that the apparent confusion of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark in absent in the account of Luke who portrays Christ as a philosopher omitting His very human characteristics.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, connects to admission that we are sometimes powerless as he explores Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit from Jesus Sermon on the Mount.

“Poor in spirit” means an inner emptiness and humility, a beginner’s mind, and to live without a need for personal righteousness or reputation. It is the “powerlessness” of Alcoholics Anonymous’ First Step. The Greek word Matthew uses for “poor” is ptochoi, which literally means, “the very empty ones, those who are crouching.” They are the bent-over beggars, the little nobodies of this world who have nothing left, who aren’t self-preoccupied or full of themselves in any way. Jesus is saying: “Happy are you, you’re the freest of all.”

Deep loss is a theme in the texts today. It connects with our lives. We need consolation where there is no explanation.

References




(n.d.). 2 Samuel, chapter 19 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved January 30, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/2samuel/19

(n.d.). Mark, chapter 5 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved January 30, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/mark/5

(n.d.). Creighton University's Online Ministries. Retrieved January 30, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/online.html

(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 30, 2018, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/

(2006, October 12). Q & A: Rabbi Harold Kushner - TIME. Retrieved January 30, 2018, from http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1545682,00.html

(2017, December 30). 2018 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved January 30, 2018, from https://cac.org/2018-daily-meditations/

(2012, August 12). Rev Chris Roth: the love of the father- 2 Sam 18- David and Absalom-. Retrieved January 30, 2018, from http://revchrisroth.blogspot.com/2012/08/2-samuel-18-new-internationalversion.html

The challenging encounters

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with the way in which our interactions with others shape our understanding of God and our transformation to our True Self.

The passage from the Second Book of Samuel tells of the humiliation of David by the relative of Saul, Shimei.

In the Gospel from Mark, Jesus’ power over evil spirits is demonstrated and results in a fear reaction from the people of the territory of the Gerasenes.

* [5:2–6] The man was an outcast from society, dominated by unclean spirits (Mk 5:8, 13), living among the tombs. The prostration before Jesus (Mk 5:6) indicates Jesus’ power over evil spirits.

Gina’ s blog shows the great intrigues and challenges in the life of David.

I can see God working in all of this…. but WHAT a RED HOT MESS!!!! Living with the consequences of our sin, although we KNOW we are forgiven, is never easy. But like David, we can still have the FAITH to press forward and TRUST that God will use all things for our good (Romans 8:28.)

Father Ronald D. Witherup comments that preaching the miracle stories of the Gospels in a rational age is not easy.

Moreover, as Mark’s Gospel shows, miracles are in and of themselves ambiguous. I am reminded of the wise adage attributed to St. Thomas Aquinas: “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one who has no faith, no explanation is sufficient.” Miracles and faith go hand in hand.

Mark Latta asks questions inspired by the texts. What is God calling us to do? How should we respond to those who are unlovable? How do we view God in our own lives as sinners?

Christ can change anybody. Christ’s love can revolutionize anybody’s life, but His love must first be shared and then received. And so, the obvious lesson for us is to in faith, “become comfortable being uncomfortable” and seek to manifest the love of Christ through us to those who the world says are unworthy.

Don Schwager asserts that Jesus has power to free us from every evil spirit of oppression.

What is more remarkable - the destructive force of this driven and possessed man - or the bended knee at Jesus' feet imploring mercy and release? God's word reminds us that no destructive force can keep anyone from the peace and safety which God offers to those who seek his help. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not come near you. ..Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your habitation (Psalm 91:7,9).

Friar Jude Winkler explains that David had taken place of Saul. The Benjamite Shimei may be speaking in the name of God offering David an invitation to humility and a way of becoming more humble. Jesus sends the man freed from demons back to where he will be a witness. Sometimes the role we play is to live and give witness.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, cites Fr. Henri Nouwen who points to commentary on Jesus’ Beatitudes by Eknath Easwaran (1910-1999), translator and interpreter of early Hindu texts such as the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, in which he shares four perennial principles taught by Christian mystic Meister Eckhart (1260-1328) revealing a core of personality which cannot be separated from God.

First, there is a “light in the soul that is uncreated and uncreatable” [2]: unconditioned, universal, deathless; in religious language, a core of personality which cannot be separated from God. Eckhart is precise: this is not what the English language calls the “soul,” but some essence in the soul that lies at the very center of consciousness. As Saint Catherine of Genoa put it, “My me is God: nor do I know my selfhood except in God.” [3] In Indian mysticism this divine core is simply called atman, “the Self.”

Our inner Divine Spark becomes energized in our interaction with others who shape our understanding of our mission and the personality changes that are essential in our transformation.

Teaching with authority

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with our need for and attraction to teaching about living our lives with meaning.

Jesus astonishes the people in the Capernaum synagogue with his teaching and authority. He taught with authority because he is the living Word of God. We are all witnesses to this living Word who is Jesus. https://t.co/Tv0Du83RCT

— Thomas Rosica (@FatherRosica) January 28, 2018

Moses addresses the needs of the people for a liaison between people and God in the text from the Book of Deuteronomy.

* [18:15] A prophet like me: from the context (opposition to the practices described in vv. 10–11) it seems that Moses is referring in general to all the true prophets who were to succeed him. This passage came to be understood in a quasi-Messianic sense in the New Testament (Mt 17:5; Jn 6:14; 7:40; Acts 3:22; 7:37).

In the First Letter to the Corinthians, Paul advises the people about attending to the imminent return of Jesus.

* [7:1–40] Paul now begins to answer questions addressed to him by the Corinthians (1 Cor 7:1–11:1). The first of these concerns marriage. This chapter contains advice both to the married (1–16) and to the unmarried (1 Cor 7:25–38) or widowed (1 Cor 7:39–40); these two parts are separated by 1 Cor 7:17–24, which enunciate a principle applicable to both.

The Gospel from the First Chapter of Mark reveals the impact of Jesus teaching with authority on people and demons in the synagogue.

* [1:21–45] The account of a single day’s ministry of Jesus on a sabbath in and outside the synagogue of Capernaum (Mk 1:21–31) combines teaching and miracles of exorcism and healing. Mention is not made of the content of the teaching but of the effect of astonishment and alarm on the people. Jesus’ teaching with authority, making an absolute claim on the hearer, was in the best tradition of the ancient prophets, not of the scribes.

Tamora Whitney uses Psalm 95 to reflect on the difficulty, today, to hear the voice of God.

It’s more difficult today to hear and understand the voice of God, but not impossible. We can read it here in the scriptures. We can sense it in our conscience. We can see it in God’s creation. We should be alert and aware for where it will express itself. God is all around us. We need to recognize his voice when we hear it. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Don Schwager shares the teaching of Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D. about knowing without loving.

"Those words show clearly that the demons had much knowledge, but entirely lacked love. They dreaded receiving their punishment from him. They did not love the righteousness that was in him. He made himself known to them to the extent he willed; and he willed to be made known to the extent that was fitting. But he was not made known to them as he is known to the holy angels, who enjoy participation in his eternity, in that he is the Word of God. To the demons he is known as he had to be made known, by striking terror into them, for his purpose was to free from their tyrannical power all who were predestined for his kingdom and glory, which is eternally true and truly eternal. Therefore, he did not make himself known to the demons as the life eternal, and the unchangeable light which illuminates his true worshipers, whose hearts are purified by faith in him so that they see that light. He was known to the demons through certain temporal effects of his power, the signs of his hidden presence, which could be more evident to their senses, even those of malignant spirits, than to the weak perception of human beings. (excerpt from CITY OF GOD 9.21)

Friar Jude Winkler identifies signs of our relationship with God in the texts today. One of the signs of end times to his audience was Jesus resurrection. The advice of Paul was in the context that the end times had already dawned.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, cites Cynthia Bourgeault as he asserts that Jesus belongs to a stream of living wisdom that has been flowing through the human condition for at least five thousand years.

[Jesus was] a wisdom teacher, a person who . . . clearly emerges out of and works within an ancient tradition called “wisdom,” sometimes known as sophia perennis, which is in fact at the headwaters of all the great religious traditions of the world today. It’s concerned with the transformation of the whole human being. Transformation from what to what? Well, for a starter, from our animal instincts and egocentricity into love and compassion; from a judgmental and dualistic worldview into a nondual acceptingness. This was the message that Jesus, apparently out of nowhere, came preaching and teaching, a message that was radical in its own time and remains equally radical today.

Our passion for teaching about our relationship to God is part of our history to ancient times. The Wisdom Tradition calls us to be transformed as disciples of Jesus to fullness of life.

References

(n.d.). CHAPTER 18 Priests. 1 The levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi .... Retrieved January 28, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/deuteronomy/deuteronomy18.htm

(n.d.). 1 Corinthians, chapter 7 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved January 28, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/7

(n.d.). Mark, chapter 1 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved January 28, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/mark/1

(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved January 28, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html

(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 28, 2018, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/

(2017, December 30). 2018 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved January 28, 2018, from https://cac.org/2018-daily-meditations/

Fear based behaviour

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today offer contemplation on our behaviour in relation to fear.

@IBGDRGN Wild: Stories about Jesus - Mark 4:35-41 https://t.co/UQfJmwKnIS ✝️🙃❤️💗💕💝 pic.twitter.com/NagbvGpCxo

— Anna.Maria.Trúc (@carrietruc0405) January 27, 2018

In the Second Book of Samuel, Nathan confronts David with the consequences of his evil doing in the lives of Uriah and Bathsheba.

* [12:1–7] David has committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged the death of her husband. Instead of directly indicting the king for this criminal abuse of his royal authority, the prophet Nathan tells David a story. In the story, a parable of David’s own actions, a powerful man takes cruel advantage of his vulnerable neighbor. Hearing the story, David is outraged and denounces the rich man—thus unwittingly pronouncing judgment on himself (“You are the man,” v. 7).

The Gospel of Mark tells of Jesus nature miracle to bring calm to the Sea in which the disciples feared they would perish.

* [4:41] Jesus is here depicted as exercising power over wind and sea. In the Christian community this event was seen as a sign of Jesus’ saving presence amid persecutions that threatened its existence.

Amy Hoover invites us to consider what habits, what things do we do, that are really rooted in fear?

Today I invite us to notice throughout the day, what habits, what things do we do, that are really rooted in fear?  Then remember to have faith, not faith that the situation will turn out how we want it to, but faith that God will be with us regardless.

Don Schwager offers a comparison, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D, of our interpersonal conflicts to the storm in the Gospel.

"When you have to listen to abuse, that means you are being buffeted by the wind. When your anger is roused, you are being tossed by the waves. So when the winds blow and the waves mount high, the boat is in danger, your heart is imperiled, your heart is taking a battering. On hearing yourself insulted, you long to retaliate; but the joy of revenge brings with it another kind of misfortune - shipwreck. Why is this? Because Christ is asleep in you. What do I mean? I mean you have forgotten his presence. Rouse him, then; remember him, let him keep watch within you, pay heed to him... A temptation arises: it is the wind. It disturbs you: it is the surging of the sea. This is the moment to awaken Christ and let him remind you of those words: 'Who can this be? Even the winds and the sea obey him." (excerpt from Sermons 63:1-3)

Friar Jude Winkler provides background to the difference in the mistakes made by David and those of Saul. The understanding of the sea as a reservoir of evil in Hebrew thought makes a double miracle in the Gospel of Mark.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, offers the Orthodox prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner.” as our contemplation of Jesus who calms our storms.

Mercy: We need the “salvation” of Love to overcome our fear-based disconnection, to return us to wholeness. Abundant, never withheld, restorative grace brings us back into intimacy with self, God, and others. Pope Francis says that mercy is the highest virtue in the hierarchy of Christian truths.

The anxiety of being caught unprepared or the fear that we will be overwhelmed by temptations to self satisfaction invoke a fear response that is in conflict with the Love that the mercy of God continuously offers to us.

References

(n.d.). 2 Samuel, chapter 12 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved January 27, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/2samuel/12

(n.d.). Mark, chapter 4 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved January 27, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/mark/4

(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved January 27, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html

(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 27, 2018, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/

(2017, December 30). 2018 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved January 27, 2018, from https://cac.org/2018-daily-meditations/

Companions and faith

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary for the Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus offer fruit for contemplation of the role of our companions in our journey towards the Realm of God.

What do the books of Timothy and Titus teach us about coping with crisis in the church? https://t.co/hNK1i9mUR8 #Bible #PaulineLetters

— Thinking Faith (@ThinkingFaith) January 26, 2018

The Second Letter to Timothy expresses the importance of a spiritual heritage and tradition to form believers that are deeply connected to our lives.

* [1:4–5] Purportedly written from prison in Rome (2 Tm 1:8, 17; 4:6–8) shortly before the writer’s death, the letter recalls the earlier sorrowful parting from Timothy, commending him for his faith and expressing the longing to see him again.

In the CCCB Gospel selection from Luke, Jesus provides direction for the way in which those sent as missionaries should interact with others.

Jim Somerville, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., translates the Gospel message to our mission as disciples today.

So, let me summarize: It’s not just the Twelve who are sent on a mission, and it’s not just the Seventy.  If we’re going to get this message to the world it’s going to take all of us, that whole, big, boisterous crowd of disciples following along behind Jesus.  And this is what we’re going to have to do.  1. Realize what a big job this is, and pray for extra help.  2. Understand that it won’t be easy, but that it is urgent.  3. Don’t wait until you have enough resources: just go!  4. Do the work of a missionary: heal the sick and tell people the Kingdom has come near.  5. Don’t get discouraged; they’re not rejecting you, they’re rejecting God.  Got it?  Good.  Now go.

Andy Alexander, S.J. comments on what God needs from us. (connected to USCCB Gospel reading  MK 4:26-34).

Trust and a cooperative heart anticipate God's creative goodness, all the time - certainly in the darkest and most discouraging times, but also in the day to day. Day to day receptivity to grace is transformative. It sees what I don't see when I'm crabby. It hears hurt and pain in others, who before had only driven me nuts.
God does really care about us, really does desire unity and the "harvest" that comes from our working at little acts of love and heroic sacrifices for the sake of those most in need. All I need to do is remember God's desire and trust that I simply need to cooperate with God's graces and trust in the outcome.

Peter Edmonds SJ explores the texts from the letter to Timothy that stress the role of the piety of family members in forming our openness to God.

The first passage concentrates on the person and background of Timothy. In the verse before our reading begins (1:5), we learn about his mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois. Their sound piety was to be a model for his. The Paul who writes the Pastoral letters contrasts with the Paul who roamed the frontiers of theology in Galatians when he justified his missionary methods to Peter (Galatians 2:16) and in Corinthians when he defended his apostleship before those who denied him the title (1 Corinthians 9:1). Here, he is one who passes on sound tradition. His teaching was what Timothy’s grandmother held, and went back to Christ Jesus; it concerned faith and love, and one cannot be more orthodox than that. Our readings omit passages from these letters which speak in fierce terms of the errors of those who tried to push theology forward in unacceptable ways. By laying his hands on Timothy, Paul passed on the traditional faith which he knew and taught, and he expected Timothy to do the same.

Don Schwager quotes Isaac of Nineveh (a Syrian monk, teacher, and bishop), 613-700 A.D. on how God gave us what was most precious.

"The sum of all is God, the Lord of all, who from love of his creatures has delivered his Son to death on the cross. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son for it. Not that he was unable to save us in another way, but in this way it was possible to show us his abundant love abundantly, namely, by bringing us near to him by the death of his Son. If he had anything more dear to him, he would have given it to us, in order that by it our race might be his. And out of his great love he did not even choose to urge our freedom by compulsion, though he was able to do so. But his aim was that we should come near to him by the love of our mind. And our Lord obeyed his Father out of love for us." (excerpt from ASCETICAL HOMILY 74.28)

Fr. Stephen Freeman, a priest of the Orthodox Church in America, shares more teaching of Isaac of Nineveh that is particularly resonant with our dualistic separation of good and evil people in society today.

Rebuke no one, revile no one, not even those who live very wickedly.Spread your cloak over those who fall into sin, each and every one, and shield them.And if you cannot take the fault on yourself and accept punishment in their place, do not destroy their character.

Friar Jude Winkler provides background on the religious heritage of Timothy and the role of the Holy Spirit to call forth the Wisdom required as a spiritual leader who may not have the age that is traditionally associated with Wisdom.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, quotes G. K. Chesterton on finding something we prefer to life itself that opens for us a larger field of meaning, purpose and connection.

“It is merely that when a man [sic] has found something which he prefers to life itself, he then for the first time begins to live.” [3] We are all searching for Someone to surrender to, something we can prefer to our small life. Without such a lifeline of love, the span between God and the soul is not bridged. And here is the wonderful surprise: We can surrender to God without losing ourselves! The irony is that we find ourselves in a new and much larger field of meaning. Jesus’ metaphor for that larger field of meaning, purpose, and connection is “The Realm of God.”

The comments on the Scripture today connect us with a range of teachers (Jim Somerville Andy Alexander, S.J. Peter Edmonds SJ Friar Jude Winkler Isaac of Nineveh Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, G. K. Chesterton ) who point to our openness to trust the lead of the Holy Spirit as we pursue that which is preferable to life itself.

References

(n.d.). 2 Timothy, chapter 1 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved January 26, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/2timothy/1

(n.d.). oremus Bible Browser : Luke 10.1-9. Retrieved January 26, 2018, from http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=326230530

(2013, July 11). On the Road with Jesus: The Mission of the Seventy - EthicsDaily.com. Retrieved January 26, 2018, from http://www.ethicsdaily.com/on-the-road-with-jesus-the-mission-of-the-seventy-cms-20923

(2013, September 13). The Letters to Timothy and Titus | Thinking Faith: The online journal of .... Retrieved January 26, 2018, from http://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/20130913_2.htm

(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 26, 2018, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/

(2017, December 30). 2018 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved January 26, 2018, from https://cac.org/2018-daily-meditations/

Conversion continuing as Church changes

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today connect with conversion of Christians to be missionaries and the exhortation of the Gospel to proclaim the good news to all creation.

On the feast of the conversion of St Paul, we pray that our eyes and hearts be opened to the needs of the world around us, so we might become humble missionaries of God's love. And we ask St Paul to pray with us; that the Spirit continues to inspire all overseas missionaries. pic.twitter.com/mHl54qC7is

— Missio (@MissioUK) January 25, 2018

The Acts of the Apostles details the Paul’s Conversion in his defense before the Jerusalem Jews.

* [22:1–21] Paul’s first defense speech is presented to the Jerusalem crowds. Luke here presents Paul as a devout Jew (Acts 22:3) and zealous persecutor of the Christian community (Acts 22:4–5), and then recounts the conversion of Paul for the second time in Acts (see note on Acts 9:1–19).

In the Long Ending to the Gospel of Mark, the mission of proclamation and baptism is declared.

* [16:9–20] This passage, termed the Longer Ending to the Marcan gospel by comparison with a much briefer conclusion found in some less important manuscripts, has traditionally been accepted as a canonical part of the gospel and was defined as such by the Council of Trent. Early citations of it by the Fathers indicate that it was composed by the second century, although vocabulary and style indicate that it was written by someone other than Mark. It is a general resume of the material concerning the appearances of the risen Jesus, reflecting, in particular, traditions found in Lk 24 and Jn 20.

Kyle Lierk is inspired by Pope Francis apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, to recall a colleague of his who likes to say, “God moments are meant to be shared not kept.”

Pope Francis tells our world the same.  He implores us to evangelize with the joy we discover in our relationship with God.  In Evangelii Gaudium, he writes, “We become fully human when we become more than human, when we let God bring us beyond ourselves in order to attain the fullest truth of our being.  Here we find the source and inspiration of all our efforts at evangelization.  For if we have received the love which restores meaning to our lives, how can we fail to share that love with others?”

Kevin Cotter offers the quote below which he believes sums up the Evangelii Gaudium (Joy of the Gospel) (“EG”) document.

“I dream of a 'missionary option', that is, a missionary impulse capable of transforming everything, so that the Church’s customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and structures can be suitably channeled for the evangelization of today’s world rather than for her self-preservation” (#27).

Scott McKellar uses Pope Francis citation of Pope John XXIII to describe the dream of missionary renewal expressed in Evangelii Gaudium (Joy of the Gospel).

Quoting the famous words of Blessed Pope John XXIII, he notes, “The deposit of the faith is one thing… the way it is expressed is another” (EG 41). He also points out that, “all religious teaching ultimately has to be reflected in the teacher’s way of life, which awakens the assent of the heart by its nearness, love and witness” (EG 42). Without abandoning the evangelical ideal, pastors and teachers need to accompany others with mercy and patience through the “eventual stages of personal growth as these progressively occur” (EG 44).

Atila Sinke Guimarães finds confusion of language and the lack of consistency in the Apostolic Exhortation by Pope Bergoglio based on the same quotation about evangelization of today’s world.

“I dream of a ‘missionary option,’ that is, a missionary impulse capable of transforming everything, so that the Church’s customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and structures can be suitably channeled for the evangelization of today’s world rather than for her self-preservation.”

Friar Jude Winkler provides background of the political situation surrounding Paul’s travel to Damascus and the connection of some events in the account of Acts to the environment in the First Century. The scribe who added the Longer ending of Mark included an amalgam of the Resurrection stories and Jesus directive about going out as missionaries.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, declares that Incarnation should be the primary and compelling message of Christianity.

The dualism of the spiritual and so-called secular is precisely what Jesus came to reveal as untrue and incomplete. Jesus came to model for us that these two seemingly different worlds are and always have been one...
Yet most Christians, even those who go to church each Sunday, remain limited to a largely inert materiality for all practical purposes. Such emptiness sends us on a predictable course of consumerism and addiction—because matter without spirit is eventually unsatisfying and disappointing.

Stephen Beale comments that one of the Eight Gems from Pope Francis’ Evangelii Gaudium is that genuine religion is incarnate.

Genuine religion is incarnate. “Genuine forms of popular religiosity are incarnate, since they are born of the incarnation of Christian faith in popular culture. For this reason they entail a personal relationship, not with vague spiritual energies or powers, but with God, with Christ, with Mary, with the saints. These devotions are fleshy, they have a face. They are capable of fostering relationships and not just enabling escapism,” Francis writes. This fundamental characteristic of Catholic faith is a vital antidote to the two extremes so common in our culture: on the one hand, the materialist gospel of health and wealth, and, on the other, those forms of spirituality that seek total detachment from the body and deny the good of the created world.

The texts today give a glimpse of the reality of the difficulty in writing about transformation as people respond to the call of God. We join Pope Francis in prayer that the Church’s customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and structures can be suitably channeled for the evangelization of today’s world.

References

(n.d.). Acts, chapter 22 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved January 25, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/acts/22:3

(n.d.). Mark, chapter 16 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved January 25, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/mark/16

(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved January 25, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html

(n.d.). A Summary of Evangelii Gaudium (Joy of the Gospel): Pope Francis .... Retrieved January 25, 2018, from https://focusoncampus.org/content/a-summary-of-evangelii-gaudium-joy-of-the-gospel-pope-francis-first-apostolic-exhortation-5e45c0fa-331b-48dd-a872-22a27bb48a51

(2013, December 2). Pope Francis: A Dream of Missionary Renewal (Evangelii Gaudium .... Retrieved January 25, 2018, from https://newhitherthitherandyon.wordpress.com/2013/12/02/pope-francis-a-dream-of-missionary-renewal-evangelii-gaudium-review-part-1/

(2014, February 28). The Destruction Intended by Evangelii Gaudium by Atila Sinke .... Retrieved January 25, 2018, from http://www.traditioninaction.org/bev/164bev02_28_2014.htm

(2017, December 30). 2018 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved January 25, 2018, from https://cac.org/2018-daily-meditations/

(2013, December 9). Eight Gems from Pope Francis' Evangelii Gaudium - Catholic Exchange. Retrieved January 25, 2018, from http://catholicexchange.com/evangelii-gaudium