Storms from loss of trust and counter culture living

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today contrast the trauma of violent separation from homeland with the joy of acting on the Word that we hear from Jesus.

Prepared for the storm

The Second Book of Kings describes the removal of the rulers of Judah to exile by Nebuchadnezzar to exile in Babylon.

* [24:12] The eighth year of his reign: that is, of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, not Jehoiachin’s. The year was 597 B.C.

In the Gospel from Matthew, Jesus exhorts us to be doers of the Word who are prepared by our relationship with God for the storms that assail us in life.

* [7:24–27] The conclusion of the discourse (cf. Lk 6:47–49). Here the relation is not between saying and doing as in Mt 7:15–23 but between hearing and doing, and the words of Jesus are applied to every Christian (everyone who listens).

Tom Lenz has had the pleasure of reading Gaudete et Exsultate (Rejoice and be Glad), an apostolic exhortation by Pope Francis. It is a wonderful piece on the call to holiness in today’s world.

As I read the today’s Gospel, I could not help but think about parrhesía. Pope Francis spent a great deal of time reaffirming that God is always with us and that we should not be afraid to spread the good news. … Pope Francis reminds us that we do not need to be afraid to go out into uncharted waters because God will always be there with us. Even when the seas get rough, he is there to calm the water.
So, we are implored by the Gospel of Matthew and by Pope Francis to be bold and to speak freely about God. This is parrhesía. We need not be afraid because, as Pope Francis says, “the seal of the Holy Spirit testifies to the authenticity of our preaching."

Don Schwager quotes Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD) on the house that falls if Christ is not the rock and foundation.

"'For neither death nor life nor angels nor other things can separate us from the love of Christ' (Romans 8:38-39). Neither can the flooding of rivers, as in the lands of Egypt and Assyria [symbolize worldly wisdom opposed to God], do harm. Only those are harmed who build on sand, who practice the wisdom of the world. The winds that blow are like the false prophets. All these, coming together in one place, 'beat upon' the house. If it is founded on rock, they do no harm. 'The way of a snake upon a rock' is not to be found (Proverbs 30:19). But in the form of temptations and persecutions, which may mount into a flood, they beat upon even the one who seems to be well-founded. The house falls if it does not have Christ as its basis and foundation. But the truly wise person builds one's house 'upon a rock.' This is the way the Lord builds his church - upon the rock, with steadfastness and strength. This is why 'the gates of hell shall not prevail against it' (Matthew 16:18). All the persecutions that fall upon that house accomplish nothing. The house is founded upon the rock. (excerpt from FRAGMENT 153)

The Word Among Us meditation on Matthew 7:21-29 shares an experience of trusting God during a storm.

“The floods came. I was in the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, when a jetliner crashed into the building. I escaped unharmed, but the attack filled me with fear. Would God really take care of our family? As we grappled with these questions, we found strength in Romans 8:28— the promise that ‘all things work together for good’ has become a refrain for our family.

Friar Jude Winkler outlines the process of exile that impacted Judah in the 6th Century BCE. The tension between election and universality, created by the Exile, is still one for the Church today. Friar Jude cites lip service and transformed hearts as an interpretation of sand or rock foundations in the Gospel. Through faith lived and transparent we will weather the storm.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, quotes Charles Eisenstein on a paradox about money.

On the one hand money is properly a token of gratitude and trust, an agent of the meeting of gifts and needs. . . . As such it should make us all richer… Instead, it has brought insecurity, poverty, and the liquidation of our cultural and natural commons.

Some of the storms that we experience are connected to our trust in God and some come from the expectations of society about how the wealth of the world should be distributed. We hear Jesus words and we act on that basis.

References


(n.d.). 2 Kings, chapter 24 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved June 28, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/2kings24:29

(n.d.). Matthew 7. Retrieved June 28, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/matthew7.htm

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

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

(n.d.). Meditations - The Word Among Us. Retrieved June 28, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/

(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved June 28, 2018, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/