Consolation in giving all to serve truth

The initial exploration of the text from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today uncovered vengeance and ransom as topics.

Gospel: What's "servant leadership"? To know that striving to be great in the world's eyes is vanity. Strive to be the humble servant of all pic.twitter.com/QZ6xs2rrBJ

— James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) February 21, 2017

The Prophet Jeremiah is seeking consolation as he finds that people who he has tried to help want to see him dead. In the Gospel from Matthew, Jesus instructs the Apostles on leading as a servant as the Evangelist describes a ransom for many in Jesus death in Jerusalem. George E. Mendenhall, notes that judging from Jeremiah’s laments, he did not move to the stage of loving his enemies. Diane Jorgensen recalls we are on intimate terms with Jesus and asks “What do we do with this terrible knowledge? Can we listen in silence or do we skip ahead to Easter?” Don Schwager reflects on true servanthood. Friar Jude Winkler shares some background on the “Confessions of Jeremiah”. The cliche that “no good deed goes unpunished” is often a sentiment arising from our action that calls us to deeper analysis of our intentions. Dr. David Ewert comments that the confessions of the prophet Jeremiah were written so that other servants of God might find comfort and strength from them. Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, reflects on our training to argue and prove ourselves right—both believers and scientists—rather than to dialogue with and truly understand each other. The “Confessions of Jeremiah” and the silence of “presence” are guides on how to hold a creative tension as we patiently wait for more insight into challenges on our spiritual journey.

Invitations and instructions in humility

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to move from the comfort of living as some do to exploration of the invitation from God to be humble servants in attitude change that opens us to freedom.

"The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. You must therefore observe and obey what they teach you; but do not be guided by what they do, since they do not practice what they teach."(Matthew 23: 2-3)

Reading leads to forgetfulness. Prac..https://t.co/QIyhxXCLvj pic.twitter.com/O6qPV9jvNU

— Seekfirstcommunity (@Obialor) February 27, 2018

The Book of the Prophet Isaiah gives a warning about oppressing the weak and denying justice in our actions.

* [1:10–17] A powerful indictment of the religious hypocrisy of rulers and others who neglect just judgment and oppress the weaker members, yet believe they can please God with sacrifices and other external forms of worship. The long list of observances suggests the Lord’s tedium with such attempts. Sodom…Gomorrah: the names are picked up from v. 9, but now to emphasize their wickedness rather than the good fortune of escaping total destruction.

In the Gospel from Matthew, Jesus warns about pride in our piety becoming an obstacle to practicing what we preach.

* [23:5] To the charge of preaching but not practicing (Mt 23:3), Jesus adds that of acting in order to earn praise. The disciples have already been warned against this same fault (see note on Mt 6:1–18). Phylacteries: the Mosaic law required that during prayer small boxes containing parchments on which verses of scripture were written be worn on the left forearm and the forehead (see Ex 13:9, 16; Dt 6:8; 11:18). Tassels: see note on Mt 9:20. The widening of phylacteries and the lengthening of tassels were for the purpose of making these evidences of piety more noticeable.

Barbara Dilly comments that it seems adult to look to God for guidance, instruction and encouragement.

That instruction and encouragement comes today in the form of an invitation.We are invited to make justice our aim, redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, and defend the widow.  In so doing, we shall see the salvation of God.  We are invited to cast away all our misdeeds so that we can make for ourselves a new heart and a new spirit.

Don Schwager expands the concept of Humility as truth in self-understanding and truth in action. It means viewing ourselves honestly, with sober judgment. It means seeing ourselves the way God sees us (Psalm 139:1-4). He quotes Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, 354-430 A.D. on the characterization of the proud.

"Who are the proud? Those who do not perform penance and confess their sins in order to be healed through humility. Who are the proud? Those who attribute to themselves the few good qualities they seem to possess and endeavor to diminish the mercy of God. Who are the proud? Those who, while attributing to God the good they accomplish, insult others for not performing such works and raise themselves above them."  (Commentary on Psalm 93, 15)

Friar Jude Winkler explains how Isaiah speaks to the people of Israel about how God wants his people to turn from self destructive sin and receive His mercy. The role of Jewish exaggeration in Matthew’s Gospel means a literal interpretation of the use of honorific titles may be over stating the meaning of the instructions in the passage today.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, claims no knowledge of where the universe story might be fully or finally heading. He can see what it has already revealed with great clarity—that knowledge builds on itself, is cumulative, and is always moving outward toward ever-greater discovery.

People who cling to the past and resist change have a hard time participating in God’s and their own future. Perhaps this is an appropriate application of Jesus’ somewhat problematic words, “Anyone who has will be given more . . . but anyone who has not, will lose what little he has” (see Matthew 25:29). This is only true in the realm of spirit and wisdom which increase and evolve with use. Material reality decreases with usage, which is why our consumer worldview is unsustainable.

The obstacles of pride, scrupulosity, and closed mindedness threaten to deny our experience living as humble agents of God.

References

(n.d.). Isaiah 1:18. Retrieved February 27, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/isaiah1.htm

(n.d.). Matthew, chapter 23 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved February 27, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/23

(n.d.). Online Ministries - Creighton University. Retrieved February 27, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/online.html

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

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

Notions of judgement and ostracism

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today illuminate the difference of direction of society imprisoned in notions of judgement and ostracism and the Christian mission to evolve to dialogue of give and take that is marked by mercy and forgiveness.

Too often we think of Jesus sermon on the plain (Luke 6) as prescriptions for getting to heaven (even though we ignore them). Instead, the b-attitudes are a set of descriptions of a free life. pic.twitter.com/ncJZax5ya3

— Abigail Henrich (@henrich_abigail) February 23, 2018

The Book of Daniel tells of the shame of the prophet in the realization of how the choices made by the people of Israel had separated them from their culture and God.

* [9:2] Seventy years: Jeremiah was understood to prophesy a Babylonian captivity of seventy years, a round number signifying the complete passing away of the existing generation (Jer 25:11; 29:10). On this view Jeremiah’s prophecy was seen to be fulfilled in the capture of Babylon by Cyrus and the subsequent return of the Jews to Palestine. However, the author of Daniel, living during the persecution of Antiochus, extends Jeremiah’s number to seventy weeks of years (Dn 9:24), i.e., seven times seventy years, to encompass the period of Seleucid persecution.

In the Gospel from Luke, Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain declares that love of one’s neighbour is characterized by forgiveness and generosity.

At the core of the sermon is Jesus’ teaching on the love of one’s enemies (Lk 6:27–36) that has as its source of motivation God’s graciousness and compassion for all humanity (Lk 6:35–36) and Jesus’ teaching on the love of one’s neighbor (Lk 6:37–42) that is characterized by forgiveness and generosity.

Cindy Costanzo looks within and becomes aware that this ‘judgment’ of others ….is to sooth our own sense of failure, to reaffirm our own importance, and to gain back a sense of control.

We are human and today’s powerful message is a reminder of our own imperfect human-ness. I am grateful for God’s forgiveness and the forgiveness others extend to me when I sin. The ability to forgive and extend an olive branch translates to caring, compassion, and love.  I am grateful for that love.

Don Schwager asks what makes true disciples of Jesus Christ different from those who do not know the Lord Jesus and what makes Christianity distinct from any other religion? He understands it is grace - treating others not as they deserve, but as God wishes them to be treated - with forbearance, mercy, and loving-kindness. God shows his goodness to the unjust as well as to the just. His love embraces saint and sinner alike. He quotes The Practice of Mercy, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D..

"The practice of mercy is twofold: when vengeance is sacrificed and when compassion is shown. The Lord included both of these in his brief sentence: 'Forgive, and you shall be forgiven; give, and it shall be given to you.' This work has the effect of purifying the heart, so that, even under the limitations of this life, we are enabled with pure mind to see the immutable reality of God. There is something holding us back, which has to be loosed so that our sight may break through to the light. In connection with this the Lord said, 'Give alms, and behold, all things are clean to you.' Therefore the next and sixth step is that cleansing of the heart." (excerpt from Letter 171A.2)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the desire for forgiveness expressed in the Book of Daniel. Forgiveness based on the need of the person to be forgiven is a practice that opens our heart to accept forgiveness.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that Love demands both give and take, which is what we mean by a “personal” God. And this is exactly what people of deep prayer invariably experience—an inner dialogue of give and take, of giving and being received.

The mystics consistently use words like mercy, forgiveness, faithfulness, and healing to describe what they experience as God.  These all imply a God who does not just impose rules, but in fact changes them for us! If God is Trinity, then God is Absolute Relationship, even inside of God. And every time God forgives, God is saying that relationship is more important than God’s own rules! Did you ever think about that?

Mercy, forgiveness, faithfulness, and healing are experiences of God that we become more likely to know when we practice them with others.

References

(n.d.). Daniel, chapter 9 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved February 26, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/daniel/9

(n.d.). Luke, chapter 6 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved February 26, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke/6

(n.d.). Online Ministries - Creighton University. Retrieved February 26, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/online.html

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

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

Changes in perspective

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today offer some changes of perspective on our relationship with God.

Gospel: Christ reveals himself at the Transfiguration, and at many other times, as Messiah, as Lord, and as the Son of God. He is our friend, our brother, our leader, our savior, liiberator, our way our truth and our life. Can you open your heart to let him be yours? pic.twitter.com/tg2kQyKjJC

— James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) February 25, 2018

The passage from the Book of Genesis is an opportunity to consider the effect that this experience of taking Isaac to sacrifice had on Abraham.

* [22:1–19] The divine demand that Abraham sacrifice to God the son of promise is the greatest of his trials; after the successful completion of the test, he has only to buy a burial site for Sarah and find a wife for Isaac. The story is widely recognized as a literary masterpiece, depicting in a few lines God as the absolute Lord, inscrutable yet ultimately gracious, and Abraham, acting in moral grandeur as the great ancestor of Israel. Abraham speaks simply, with none of the wordy evasions of chaps. 13 and 21. The style is laconic; motivations and thoughts are not explained, and the reader cannot but wonder at the scene.

In the Letter to the Romans, Paul is assuring his readers of the they can overcome all their afflictions and trials in communion with Christ.

* [8:31–39] The all-conquering power of God’s love has overcome every obstacle to Christians’ salvation and every threat to separate them from God. That power manifested itself fully when God’s own Son was delivered up to death for their salvation. Through him Christians can overcome all their afflictions and trials.

The Gospel of Mark describes the luminous experience of the “big 3 apostles” who accompany Jesus up the mountain.

* [9:2–8] Mark and Mt 17:1 place the transfiguration of Jesus six days after the first prediction of his passion and death and his instruction to the disciples on the doctrine of the cross; Lk 9:28 has “about eight days.” Thus the transfiguration counterbalances the prediction of the passion by affording certain of the disciples insight into the divine glory that Jesus possessed. His glory will overcome his death and that of his disciples; cf. 2 Cor 3:18; 2 Pt 1:16–19. The heavenly voice (Mk 9:7) prepares the disciples to understand that in the divine plan Jesus must die ignominiously before his messianic glory is made manifest; cf. Lk 24:25–27. See further the note on Mt 17:1–8.

Amy Hoover reflects on how the Testing of Abraham and the Transfiguration are changes in perspective for Abraham and Jesus.

Next, I was reminded how important it is for us to share our faith stories with one another.  I often tell participants on a group retreat that sometimes we need to share our stories for ourselves.  We need to hear ourselves and we need others to validate our experiences of God.  Other times though, others may need to hear our experiences to see God from a different perspective or catch a different image of God.  What a gift it is to share our experiences and images of who God is.  It can only help in our understanding of the mystery that is the Divine.  Suddenly my reflection was about the invitation and grace of seeing different perspectives.

Nicholas King SJ asks “Who Do You Think You Are?” in a reflection about Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

We should also notice that Abraham was entirely ready to kill Isaac (22:1-19). Yes, this was at God’s command, and the Book of Genesis regards it as an eminent example of obedience, as does the rabbinic tradition; but we moderns, led by Kant, shudder at the story. Is this the kind of ancestor that you would expect the Messiah to have? It is true, of course, that Abraham is entirely obedient to God (12:4; 13:18; 15:10; 17:23-27; 21:4), that he is a model of Near Eastern hospitality when God turns up at his tent in Mamre (18:1-8) and, finally, that he argues with God to have Sodom spared (18:17-33 – though as things turn out he fails in this attempt). There is a good side to Abraham, as Matthew’s readers would have known.

Rabbi Irwin Kula comments on autonomy and heteronomy as he asks Obey God or Question God?

The genius of the covenantal way is that these two powerful principles, autonomy and heteronomy, are yoked together and held in creative tension. Both challenging and submitting to God and the tradition are authentic covenantal responses to the dilemmas of Jewish life. The covenantal question addressed to each generation and even each person is when to act in which way.

Peter Edmonds SJ puts the Transfiguration in a perspective on Mark’s Gospel that it is not just a warning about the cost of discipleship; it is a promise about its rewards.

Mark situates his narrative of the Transfiguration straight after Jesus’s warning to his disciples that he would suffer and die in Jerusalem. This vision of glory was to show his disciples that his destiny also included resurrection and future glory. Perhaps because of the Transfiguration, Mark felt no need to include resurrection appearances of Jesus in his gospel. The Transfiguration prefigures the resurrection and is a necessary supplement to the story of the Temptation. Christian life is a promise of glory as well as a warning about conflict

Don Schwager shares thoughts on the transfiguration of Jesus, by Jerome (347-420 AD) who resonates with the writing of Origen (185-254 AD), an early church Scripture scholar and writer, who describes how we are changed and transformed into Christ's likeness as we we look to him day by day with faith and honesty and strive to walk according to the light of his truth and righteousness (moral goodness).

"Do you wish to see the transfiguration of Jesus? Behold with me the Jesus of the Gospels. Let him be simply apprehended. There he is beheld both 'according to the flesh' and at the same time in his true divinity. He is beheld in the form of God according to our capacity for knowledge. This is how he was beheld by those who went up upon the lofty mountain to be apart with him. Meanwhile those who do not go up the mountain can still behold his works and hear his words, which are uplifting. It is before those who go up that Jesus is transfigured, and not to those below. When he is transfigured, his face shines as the sun, that he may be manifested to the children of light, who have put off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light (Romans 13:12). They are no longer the children of darkness or night but have become the children of day. They walk honestly as in the day. Being manifested, he will shine to them not simply as the sun but as he is demonstrated to be, the sun of righteousness." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 12.37.10)

Friar Jude Winkler notes the evidence of the love of Abraham for Isaac and the deep faith of this man who will not personally know the children and land promised in the Covenant. The luminous moments given us by God are helps to continue to slug it out in the valley.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, believes a bias toward beauty is still an act of faith and trust and that a free and loving God desires our participation in co-creation. The Great Work is ours too.

Science today—particularly physics, astrophysics, anthropology, and biology—is confirming many of religion’s deep intuitions. The universe is not inert, but is “inspirited matter.” We might call this driving force instinct, evolution, nuclear fusion, DNA, hardwiring, the motherboard, healing, growth, or springtime. Nature clearly renews itself from within. God seems to have created things that continue to create and recreate themselves from the inside out. A fully incarnate God creates through evolution.

Afflictions, trials and luminous moments are opportunities for our change of perspective in our relationship with the Divine.
References

(n.d.). Genesis, chapter 22 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved February 25, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/genesis22:716

(n.d.). Romans 8 USCCB. Retrieved February 25, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/romans/romans8.htm

(n.d.). Mark, chapter 9 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved February 25, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/mark/9

(n.d.). Online Ministries - Creighton University. Retrieved February 25, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/online.html

(2014, December 1). Jesus: Who Do You Think You Are? 1. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob .... Retrieved February 25, 2018, from http://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/jesus-who-do-you-think-you-are-1-abraham-isaac-and-jacob

(n.d.). Obey God or Question God? | My Jewish Learning. Retrieved February 25, 2018, from https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/autonomy-vs-heteronomy-in-the-covenantal-relationship/

(2011, December 5). The Voice of Saint Mark: Year B and the Gospel of Mark - Thinking Faith. Retrieved February 25, 2018, from http://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/20111205_1.htm

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

Standing apart

A consequence to disciples of Jesus who follow the guidelines in the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today is that they will stand out in a culture that very quickly identifies the bad actors and begins to distance from all that they do.

Source: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZk9o123fedvPuAcEzB34r1G6fGNN7ENPsvs7mJb4qqsEYCU17vuuLNXcbFd6w3FxjJgd7Wgj7M5_uJZllBtOnYyMqmg0EnhTlQ-lGFZPxEKvVqQsKwhwURkFR6vIb9MQv3oF14raG5j4/s400/jozua_amorieten.jpg

The passage from the Book of Deuteronomy is a dualistic choice between God and not god, between life and death. In the Gospel from Matthew, Jesus declares the fulfillment of the the Law of Moses is to love our enemies.

* [5:43–48] See Lv 19:18. There is no Old Testament commandment demanding hatred of one’s enemy, but the “neighbor” of the love commandment was understood as one’s fellow countryman. Both in the Old Testament (Ps 139:19–22) and at Qumran (1QS 9:21) hatred of evil persons is assumed to be right. Jesus extends the love commandment to the enemy and the persecutor. His disciples, as children of God, must imitate the example of their Father, who grants his gifts of sun and rain to both the good and the bad.

Father Ryan of the New Theological Movement uses the work of Thomas Aquinas to quote Augustine on the topic of Whoever said, "Thou shalt hate thy enemy"?

Here then is the rule by which we may at once hate our enemy for the evil’s sake that is in him, that is, his iniquity, and love him for the good’s sake that is in him, that is, his rational part. This then, thus uttered by them of old, being heard, but not understood, hurried men on to the hatred of men, when they should have hated nothing but vice.

Luis Rodriguez, S.J.  comments  that the popular remembering of the text from Leviticus had appropriated a non-Torah addition introduced by the Essenes of Qumran, some of whom even took an oath to hate their enemies.

Yet, as long as that was the popular “remembering” of the injunction, Jesus uses it to correct the existing extrapolation and to expand the true quote with his own injunction: But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. And he bases his commandment on the Father’s undiscriminating goodness in making the sun rise on the bad and the good and causing rain to fall on the just and the unjust.

Don Schwager shares The gift to love all people - even enemies, by Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Beg God for the gift to love one another. Love all people, even your enemies, not because they are your brothers and sisters but that they may become such. Love them in order that you may be at all times on fire with love, whether toward those who have become your brothers and sisters or toward your enemies, so that by being beloved they may become your brothers and sisters." (excerpt from Sermon on 1 John 10,7)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the choice in Deuteronomy between life and death; keeping the commandments and having the land or not being God’s people. Love of enemies is Jesus fulfillment of the Law because those who hate us need our love.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares an invitation to reflection from Judy Cannato.

What are the images that guide my journey, draw my attention, and fashion my awareness? Do I see images that are not helpful because they interfere with my desire to become whole? What image do I choose to hold in my awareness so that I may move toward it and manifest it tangibly in my daily life? I remember that my mind takes whatever I focus on as an invitation to make it happen.

The theological concept of loving our neighbours becomes difficult when we are in situations that call for us to witness to that command of Jesus. References


(n.d.). Deuteronomy 26.16. Retrieved February 23, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/Deuteronomy/26:16

 
(n.d.). Matthew 5:43. Retrieved February 24, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/matthew/5:43 

(2011, February 20). Whoever said, "Thou shalt hate thy enemy"? | The New Theological .... Retrieved February 24, 2018, from http://newtheologicalmovement.blogspot.com/2011/02/whoever-said-thou-shalt-hate-thy-enemy.html

(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved February 24, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html

(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 24, 2018, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/

(2017, December 30). 2018 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved February 24, 2018, from https://cac.org/2018-daily-meditations/

Creative response to evil

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary inspire action for the contemplative in the mystery of the connection between anger and evil.

"The Sermon on the Mount is a call to resistance. It has always been subversive and counter-cultural. " https://t.co/JGGwL1itAe via @sojourners

— JM Firecloud (@JMFirecloud) February 11, 2018

The Prophet Ezekiel presents an argument against the notion of building up credit for our righteous deeds.

* [18:25] The LORD’s way is not fair: this chapter rejects the idea that punishment is transferred from one generation to the next and emphasizes individual responsibility and accountability.

In the Gospel from Matthew, Jesus alerts us to the origins of serious sin in the petty conclusions we draw about the other.

* [5:22–26] Reconciliation with an offended brother is urged in the admonition of Mt 5:23–24 and the parable of Mt 5:25–26 (//Lk 12:58–59). The severity of the judge in the parable is a warning of the fate of unrepentant sinners in the coming judgment by God.

Mark Giszczak addresses the text from Ezekiel by asking Is God unfair?.

While we might like to reject God’s justice as “unfair” just like the ancient exiles, Ezekiel reminds us to accept responsibility for our actions, confess our sins, and come to God in humble repentance. He promises, even here in the Old Testament, to forgive our sins and preserve the life of those who turn away from evil and turn toward him. Now that’s preferential treatment!

Steve Scholer remembers his dad’s way of delivering judgement.

Like the litigants in my dad’s courtroom, maybe it is better for us, too, to settle our differences and forgive those we feel have trespassed against us, vs. rolling the dice that the Lord will see it our way on judgement day, and that we were right in not forgiving our neighbor, and our neighbor was wrong.

Don Schwager advises not to be angry, rather be reconciled and do not allow the seed of anger and evil to grow in our heart.

Jesus illustrates his point with the example of the commandment to not kill. Murder first starts in the heart as the seed of forbidden anger that grows within until it springs into words and actions against one's brother or neighbor. This is a selfish anger that broods and is long-lived, that nurses a grudge and keeps wrath warm, and that refuses to die. Anger in the heart as well as anger in speech or action are equally forbidden. The Lord Jesus commands by grace - take away the anger in your heart and there will be no murder.

Friar Jude Winkler observes the wicked forgiven and the virtuous punished as a reminder that we are not earning credits buying our way into heaven. A spiritual reflection that has us go to the widest interpretation of law looking at roots of evil consequences may be an excellent guide for our Christian action.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, offers insights from the late theologian Beatrice Bruteau who addresses What will we do? What does “God want us to” do?

Not a good way of putting the question, because it distances God from the world, but the answer I propose is Be! Be creative, be interactive, be agape, give being, unite, be whole, be in every possible way, be new. The self-creating world is unpredictable. It’s like a musician’s improvisation. . . . But the artwork will always resemble the artist. So the cosmos will somehow be like the Trinity, the vast Person-Community that is Agape, inter-being.

Working creatively to carry out the transition from a period of human devastation of the Earth to a period when humans would be present to the planet in a mutually beneficial manner is an exhortation of Thomas Berry that will help us with anger and evil.

References

(n.d.). Ezekiel 18.21. Retrieved February 23, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/ezekiel/18:21

(n.d.). Matthew 5:3. Retrieved February 23, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/matthew5.htm

(2014, September 26). Is God Unfair? - Catholic Exchange. Retrieved February 23, 2018, from https://catholicexchange.com/god-unfair

(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved February 23, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html

(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 23, 2018, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/

(2017, December 30). 2018 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved February 23, 2018, from https://cac.org/2018-daily-meditations/

Leading as modeled by the Shepherd

There are many branches on the tree rooted in the texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary for today, Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle.

#MyFeb2018Post

Reach. Preach. Teach.#MyMorningCoffee February 10, 2018

"We cannot teach what we want to preach to people we cannot reach."
- Mano Evem

Immersion or living with the people. A shepherd has to smell like his sheep. pic.twitter.com/oi2p6OhZBI

— EFREN DELIMA (@efrenmd) February 9, 2018

 In the First Letter of Peter imitation of Christ is the model for Church leadership.

* [5:1–4] In imitation of Christ, the chief shepherd, those entrusted with a pastoral office are to tend the flock by their care and example.

 The Gospel from Matthew describes the confession of Peter in the region of Caesarea Philippi about Who Jesus is.

* [16:13–20] The Marcan confession of Jesus as Messiah, made by Peter as spokesman for the other disciples (Mk 8:27–29; cf. also Lk 9:18–20), is modified significantly here. The confession is of Jesus both as Messiah and as Son of the living God (Mt 16:16). Jesus’ response, drawn principally from material peculiar to Matthew, attributes the confession to a divine revelation granted to Peter alone (Mt 16:17) and makes him the rock on which Jesus will build his church (Mt 16:18) and the disciple whose authority in the church on earth will be confirmed in heaven, i.e., by God (Mt 16:19).

Randall Niles looks at the biblical significance of Caesarea Philippi to Jesus and his disciples in a YouTube video.

Bishop Robert Barron in Episode 1 of the video series Catholicism uses Peter’s Confession to underline the significance of our answer to Jesus question at Caesarea Philippi.

Friar Jude Winkler reflects on the idea of Church leadership compared to being a shepherd. He recalled that “Take care of the flock” is interpreted by Pope Francis as smelling like the sheep by getting in the midst of people to help them find the way.

“This is what I am asking you,” he said with emphasis, looking up from his prepared text, “be shepherds with the smell of sheep,” so that people can sense the priest is not just concerned with his own congregation, but is also a fisher of men.

Friar Jude provides background on Peter being named the“Rock” and being given custody of keys of life, death, and rain. “Loosen the bond” as a traditional power of the rabbi and the connection to the nether world at Caesarea are explained.

Rev. Richard Gabuzda asks Is there a “memory of mercy” that we might call to mind today?  Is that a memory that we cherish?  How has that “memory of mercy” equipped us for our calling?

For all followers of Jesus, there can be no more powerful moment of encounter with the Risen Jesus than the encounter that brings forgiveness.  No one but God alone can forgive sins.  To encounter forgiveness is to encounter the power of the Risen Lord.  The memory of that encounter provides the fuel for our own life of faith and witness to him.  Whatever our own particular calling may be, preserving the memory of Jesus’ mercy becomes one of the most important ways we can assure the vitality of that calling.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM,  quotes Thomas Berry [1] and shares how Cynthia Bourgeault, a faculty member at the Center for Action and Contemplation, writes about how the ancient Wisdom tradition views creation.

Foremost among these qualities . . . is love. In the Christian West we are accustomed to rattling off the statement “God is love” [1 John 4: 8, 16]. . . . Love is a relational word, and that relationship presumes duality, or twoness, “because,” in the words of Valentin Tomberg (1900-1973), “love is inconceivable without the Lover and the Loved, without ME and YOU, without One and the Other.” [3] In order for love to manifest, there must first be duality. . . . In the words of another Sufi maxim whose truth is apparent to anyone who has ever experienced the sublime dance of recognition and mutual becoming at the heart of all love: “You are the mirror in which God sees himself.

As we are leading those we meet to Christ we will be relating closely with their lives. Our action is a response to Jesus question about his nature. References


(n.d.). 1 Peter, chapter 5 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved February 22, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/scripture.cfm?bcv=68005007

(n.d.). Matthew 16:13-20. Retrieved February 22, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/matthew16.htm

(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved February 22, 2018, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/2018/01/

(2013, March 28). Pope Francis: Priests should be 'shepherds living with the smell of the .... Retrieved February 22, 2018, from https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/pope-francis-priests-should-be-shepherds-living-with-the-smell-of-the-sheep/13439

(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved February 22, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html

Clergyman to a nation

Billy Graham was a pastor who filled stadiums and counseled Presidents.

"America's pastor" Billy Graham dies at age 99. https://t.co/oW29tJDnaX

— Twitter Moments (@TwitterMoments) February 21, 2018

The New Times obituary concludes with this quote from Dr Graham's autobiography.





Why it all came about remained a puzzle to Mr. Graham. In his autobiography, he wrote: “I have often said that the first thing I am going to do when I get to Heaven is ask: ‘Why me, Lord? Why did You choose a farm boy from North Carolina to preach to so many people, to have such a wonderful team of associates, and to have a part in what You were doing in the latter half of the 20th century?’ ”
“I have thought about that question a great deal,” he added, “but I know also that only God knows the answer.”

References


(2018, February 21). Billy Graham, 99, Dies; Pastor Filled Stadiums and Counseled .... Retrieved February 21, 2018, from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/21/obituaries/billy-graham-dead.html

Manifestation of the Divine

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today touch on the events through which we become aware of God.

Winter Nights Sky - A tracked exposure showing the beauty of the night sky around the Orion Constellation. #Astrophotography in #Dorset#WexMondays #sharemondays2018 #appicoftheweek @B_Ubiquitous @BBCStargazing pic.twitter.com/Gj5aCdXyRj

— Sam King (@samking_uk) February 19, 2018

In the Book of Jonah, the prophet calls the people of Nineveh to repent and it works.

* [3:9–10] Scripture frequently presents the Lord as repenting (or, changing his mind) of the evil that he threatens; e.g., Gn 6:6–7; Jer 18:8.

In the Gospel from Luke, Jesus points to the conversion of the pagans who find Wisdom Incarnate in Him.

* [11:29–32] The “sign of Jonah” in Luke is the preaching of the need for repentance by a prophet who comes from afar. Cf. Mt 12:38–42 (and see notes there) where the “sign of Jonah” is interpreted by Jesus as his death and resurrection.

Mark Latta shares his experience of the steady manifestations of saintliness in the movement of the Holy Spirit.

Apparitions, miracles and other sensational spiritual events seem to be important not only for the contemporaries of Jesus but also for us today. We must understand however that Jesus insists that the real sign is his own person: in him God has become a human being, and who sees him sees the Father. Looking for other signs will not get us anywhere. Looking for God in all things, listening to the movements of the spirit within and above all focusing on our risen Lord should be pour focus.

Don Schwager quotes Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, 354-430 A.D., warning that tomorrow may never come for those who delay in their response to God.

"God is not now so long-suffering in putting up with you that He will fail to be just in punishing. Do not say then: 'Tomorrow I shall be converted, tomorrow I shall please God, and all that I shall have done today and yesterday will be forgiven me.' What you say is true: God has promised forgiveness if you turn back to Him. But what He has not promised is that you will have tomorrow in which to achieve your conversion." (excerpt from Commentary on Psalm 144,11)

Friar Jude Winkler provides the background to Jonah’s mission to Nineveh and the historic cruelty to Israelites practiced by Assyria. Unbelievers today may be more willing to take the leap of faith than the churched is a reflection on Jesus pointing to pagan acceptance of His message in the Gospel.

In a post by Franciscan Media, Saint Peter Damian is described as a reformer who, if he were alive today, would no doubt encourage the renewal started by Vatican II.

Peter was a reformer and if he were alive today would no doubt encourage the renewal started by Vatican II. He would also applaud the greater emphasis on prayer that is shown by the growing number of priests, religious, and laypersons who gather regularly for prayer, as well as the special houses of prayer recently established by many religious communities.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Judy Cannato (1949-2011)—an author, spiritual director, and visionary of a “new cosmology”—who writes about Thomas Berry who has said that our generation is one that is in-between stories.

We are caught between the story that religion tells and the story that science tells. . . . During the last several decades, a new story has indeed emerged, a new cosmology that brings matters of science and matters of faith into a space where they no longer need collide, but can complement each other and render a fuller picture of what is true. [If it’s true, it’s true everywhere and all the time.] Ironically, in modern times it is science that has told us the story of how all life is connected in a fundamental way—a story that the world’s mystics have been telling for centuries. . . . [2]

The salvation history from Jonah to Jesus to the “new cosmology” challenges believers to be renewed by the insights into the Divine of those thought to be “outside”.

References


(n.d.). Jonah, chapter 3 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved February 21, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/jonah/3

(n.d.). Luke, chapter 11 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved February 21, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke/11

(n.d.). Online Ministries - Creighton University. Retrieved February 21, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/online.html

(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 21, 2018, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/

(2018, February 21). Saint of the Day for Wednesday, February 21st, 2018 - Saints & Angels .... Retrieved February 21, 2018, from http://www.catholic.org/saints/sofd.php?date=2018-02-21

(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved February 21, 2018, from https://cac.org/richard-rohr/daily-meditations/daily-meditations-archive/

Support in the ancient forms

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate how our life in a world of specialized labour, isolated from awareness of the cosmos and attuned to living with spontaneity has separated us from simple cycles of awareness of the Presence of God.

#ReadMore about #Prayer
Reflections on the Lord’s Prayer
Because “Yours is the Kingdom” give us concern for all human beings...#WorldwidePrayer #Argentina #LordsPrayerhttps://t.co/UUhqlgkV1z pic.twitter.com/IpEhVFWLTo

— The Park Forum (@TheParkForum) February 10, 2018

In the Book of the Prophet Isaiah the water cycle is used to establish the efficacy of the word of God.

* [55:10–11] The efficacy of the word of God recalls 40:5, 8.

In the Gospel from Matthew, the liturgical form of the Lord’s Prayer is presented.

* [6:14–15] These verses reflect a set pattern called “Principles of Holy Law.” Human action now will be met by a corresponding action of God at the final judgment.

Edward Morse derives the important truth that God our Father sustains us even as he invites us to ask him for sustenance.  He notes that both food and forgiveness are part of that sustaining power.

Sometimes we need time to heal.  But eventually we need to stop waiting and stewing, and get moving!  Fears can keep us from moving, including the reality that more hurt and angst likely awaits us.  Lord, as you promised, please deliver us from those fears that keep us from trusting in your goodness and going on in the journey you are preparing for us.

Don Schwager exhorts us to pardon our brother and sister by quoting Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Pardon, that you may be pardoned. In doing this, nothing is required of the body. It is the will that acts. You will experience no physical pain - you will have nothing less in your home. Now in truth, my brothers and sisters, you see what an evil it is that those who have been commanded to love even their enemy do not pardon a penitent brother or sister." (quote from Sermon 210,10)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the reassuring verses in Deutero-Isaiah that are set at the end of the Babylonian exile. The Lord’s Prayer is a familiar recalling of our relationship with “Our Father” that includes words of praise, nourishment, forgiveness and strength in trial.

Rod Dreher, author of the Benedict Option, comments on his experience of Catholic Liturgical Prayer.

It is such a blessing to be able to do this. To just let go, and trust that the prayers worked out by Christians in community ages and ages ago will carry you through. That you don’t have to re-invent the wheel. I do pray “free-form,” but there are times when I can’t find the words, or can’t discipline my thoughts. What a gift to realize that I don’t have to be original. There really is freedom in that. At least I have found it there. This is also true of the liturgy. To be free from the burden of spontaneity and originality.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that many of us who grew up in the church don’t realize that we’ve inherited a pretty blurry cosmology. He quotes Beatrice Bruteau (1930-2014), who offers an update of our cosmology to a lens that is more compatible with science and the world around us.

What we now call complexity, and recognize as doing its creative work on the very edge of chaos, is at the heart of this miraculous picture. There may not be an external Designer and a micro-managing Providence from the outside, but neither is the world devoid of divinity. The divinity is so intimately present in the world that the world can be regarded as an incarnate expression of the Trinity, as creative, as expansive, as conscious, as self-realizing and self-sharing.

Pondering the pace of the water cycle and the expanse of the universe open our being to gratitude and we find support in the ancient forms of praising God.

References


(n.d.). Isaiah 55. Retrieved February 20, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/isaiah55.htm

(n.d.). Matthew, chapter 6 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved February 20, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/6

(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 20, 2018, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/

(n.d.). The Blessing Of Routine | The American Conservative. Retrieved February 20, 2018, from http://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/the-blessing-of-routine/

(2017, December 30). 2018 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved February 20, 2018, from https://cac.org/2018-daily-meditations/