Hunger for a relationship of abundance

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today present a contrast between our hunger for economic success and well being and the freeing possibility of following Jesus into a deeper relationship where we choose to act as agents of mercy and Love.

Putting it behind us

In the passage from the Book of the Prophet Amos, the people who exploit others in pursuit of financial gain are identified as the enemies of Israel who will be addressed on the Day of the Lord.

* [8:1–2] End-of-summer fruit…the end has come: the English translation attempts to capture the wordplay of the Hebrew. The Hebrew word for “fruit picked late in the season” is qayis, while the word for “end” is qes.

In the Gospel from Matthew, Jesus call to follow Him into relationships that extend mercy and love to others is immediately accepted by the tax collector as a life of greater meaning.

[9:13] Go and learn…not sacrifice: Matthew adds the prophetic statement of Hos 6:6 to the Marcan account (see also Mt 12:7). If mercy is superior to the temple sacrifices, how much more to the laws of ritual impurity.

Joan Blandin Howard reflects that in the scene in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus has blossomed open the original Ten Commandments. They are more than commandments. They are now invitations.

Jesus invites Matthew and all of us to “Follow me”, to eat with him, to invite Jesus into my home, my space, to offer to others and to accept from others hospitality, to break bread not only with those who invite themselves, but with those who never dare to impose or expect to be included – the contagious sick, the destitute poor, the filthy homeless, the no-see-ems marginalized, the derelict addicts, the exhausted and overwhelmed refugee, the orphaned and maimed. Jesus says, “Go and learn the meaning of …. Mercy…”  Go and learn by doing, by living “mercy”. Mercy is a verb, not a noun. Follow me into living out my invitations. Follow me into your daily life of hospitality, eating, socializing, caring and ministering to whomever, whenever and wherever.

Don Schwager quotes Chromatius (died 406 AD) reflection that Matthew did not delay when called by Jesus.

"The Lord, about to give salvation to all sinners believing in him, willingly chose Matthew the former publican. The gift of his esteem for Matthew stands as an example for our salvation. Every sinner must be chosen by God and can receive the grace of eternal salvation if one is not without a religious mind and a devout heart. So Matthew was chosen willingly by God. And though he is immersed in worldly affairs, because of his sincere religious devotion he is judged worthy to be called forth by the Lord ("Follow me"), who by virtue of his divine nature knows the hidden recesses of the heart. From what follows, we know that Matthew was accepted by the Lord not by reason of his status but of his faith and devotion. As soon as the Lord says to him, "Follow me," he does not linger or delay, but thereupon "he arose and followed him." (excerpt from TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 45.1)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 9:9-13 concludes with the advice to keep receiving mercy and don’t stop praying.

Stay close to the Lord in prayer. Let his heart of mercy continue to soften your own heart. Let his openness to everyone, rich and poor, healthy and ailing, successful and struggling, move you to the same kind of openness. Then be on the alert for opportunities to share his mercy. With everyone.

A post by Franciscan Media on Saint of the Day, Saint Maria Goretti, shares that her last hours were marked by the usual simple compassion of the good—concern about where her mother would sleep, forgiveness of her murderer (she had been in fear of him, but did not say anything lest she cause trouble to his family), and her devout welcoming of Viaticum, her last Holy Communion.

Alessandro was sentenced to 30 years in prison. For a long time he was unrepentant and surly. One night he had a dream or vision of Maria gathering flowers and offering them to him. His life changed. When he was released after 27 years, his first act was to go to beg the forgiveness of Maria’s mother.

Friar Jude Winkler provides background on how the rich of Amos time tried to  destroy the poor of the land by “making the ephah small and the shekel great.” The “Calling of Matthew”, a collaborator with Rome, displays Jesus approach to the contagion of sin and our tendency to “not to associate with”. Friar Jude reminds us Jesus calls sinners not the righteous because they most need our Love.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, quotes Lynne Twist on three core myths that keep us locked in an economy of scarcity. She addresses “That’s just the way it is, and there’s no way out.” and the idea that there is not enough to go around.

[This myth] justifies the greed, prejudice, and inaction that scarcity fosters in our relationship with money and the rest of the human race. For generations, it protected the early American slave trade from which the privileged majority built farms, towns, business empires, and family fortunes, many of which survive today. For more generations it protected and emboldened institutionalized racism, sex discrimination and social and economic discrimination against other ethnic and religious minorities. . .

Commentators today invite us to consider the possibility that there isn’t a way it is or way it isn’t. There is the way we choose to act and what we choose to make of circumstances.

References


(n.d.). Amos, chapter 8 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved July 6, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/amos/8

(n.d.). Matthew, chapter 9 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved July 6, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/matthew/9:9 

 
(n.d.). Creighton University's Online Ministries. Retrieved July 6, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/online.html

(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 6, 2018, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/

(n.d.). Saint Elizabeth of Portugal (Optional Memorial)v - Mass Readings and .... Retrieved July 6, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/

(n.d.). Saint Maria Goretti – Franciscan Media. Retrieved July 6, 2018, from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-maria-goretti/

(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 6, 2018, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/