Inconsolant and impetuous

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to explore the life experiences of being inconsolable, so sad that it is impossible for anyone to comfort you, and acting on impulse that may have been triggered by the Presence of God.

Desolation and consolation

The Prophet Jeremiah declares the desolation and the restoration that the people of Judah experience in the journey from rejection of God to restoration in Covenant.

* [30:1–31:40] These two chapters contain salvation oracles that originally expressed the double expectation that the Lord would return the exiled survivors of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and reunite Israel and Judah as one kingdom under a just Davidic king. They were probably composed early in Josiah’s reign (the reference of v. 9), when he took advantage of Assyria’s internal disintegration and asserted control over northern Israel (cf. 2 Kgs 23:15–17). With the destruction of Jerusalem, the oracles were re-worked to include Judah and their fulfillment along with the renewal of the Davidic dynasty became associated with the eschatological “day of the Lord.”

The Gospel from Matthew highlights the need to be contemplative and reflective, as modeled by Jesus, and the gift of faith mixed with excessive self confidence that is characteristic of Peter, chosen as the Rock by Jesus.

* [14:22–33] The disciples, laboring against the turbulent sea, are saved by Jesus. For his power over the waters, see note on Mt 8:26. Here that power is expressed also by his walking on the sea (Mt 14:25; cf. Ps 77:20; Jb 9:8). Matthew has inserted into the Marcan story (Mk 6:45–52) material that belongs to his special traditions on Peter (Mt 14:28–31).

A description of the Day of the Lord  from the Jewish Virtual Library gives us insight into a rather vague but stark and powerful concept: God will indeed act.

The main, though largely undiscussed, difficulty concerning the Day of the Lord is that of its significance. The passages do not convey a concept amenable to logical analysis, nor an eschatological doctrine. The warning is given that the Day of the Lord is near, but the more abstract idea involving history's drawing to a close is not indicated. The wicked will be punished, justice established, mankind confounded, and its destiny somehow definitely changed. However, none of this seems essential to the notion itself. Nor is the concept related to expectations of theophany. The prophets simply confront their listeners with the awful certainty of future Divine action. Thus in the expression "Day of the Lord" there is a rather vague but stark and powerful concept: God will indeed act – suddenly, decisively, and directly, in a single day, with vehemence and terror.

Ed Komoszewski, founder and director of Christus Nexus, suggests the consummate, eschatological Day of the Lord finds similarity with those days that have gone before, but it is decidedly different in that the hand of Messiah and not primarily human instruments carries out divine purpose.

This heightening of previous themes leads to the significant theological observation that the eschatological Day of the Lord represents an event in which human hands can play no part—the ultimate and permanent undoing of evil, and the lasting transformation and redemption of that which has been ravished by sin. This day is a picture of God’s ultimate triumph, and an unmistakable declaration of his prevailing justice. The ultimate purpose of this day perfectly reflects the dual nature of the days leading up to it, with the warning for some to repent and encouragement for others to persevere (cf. 1 Cor 1:8). The Day of the Lord is certainly a terrible day of judgment for some, but for others, it is the means to purification and renewed blessing that will surely ensue once the dust has settled.

Rev'd Rachel Hartland reflects that it is Jesus’ job to walk on water, not ours.

It is Jesus’ job to walk on water, not ours. Jesusis the Son of God, divinely equipped to feed, toheal, to calm troubled waters, to rescue us whenwe get ourselves into deep water. We aren’t. We,like Peter have been called to be faithful disciplesusing our God-given skills, and when equippedby the presence of God through the Holy Spirit

Susan Naatz shares her personal experience of being both inconsolant and impetuous during the events of her mother’s journey through sickness and death.

Over the years, our mother’s incredible soprano voice filled our home and countless churches throughout the Midwest.   In spite of her innate introversion, she embraced her gift and was able to stand in front of hundreds and collectively thousands of people in her lifetime touching their souls with her music.  If she could overcome her fears, I would overcome mine. The night of the wake, I felt my mother’s presence as I looked out over the crowded church. My fear was gone. Yes, I wept while I spoke but I was no longer afraid of my tears.

Friar Jude Winkler shares that Jeremiah mourns the suffering of Judah followed by rejoicing after the restoration of returning to the Lord with one’s whole heart and soul. The mountain is an important place in the Judeo-Christian history to restore our contact with the Divine. Friar Jude notes that the impetuous who jump before thinking can be used by the Holy Spirit.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, observes that in every religion, there are times, places, and people who “get it”—the mystery of divine/human union—more than others. There are different stages and states of consciousness, and all are part of the journey. He quotes religious historian and Methodist minister Huston Smith (1919-2016) on religions with oral traditions.

[Orality guards against the loss of] the capacity to sense the sacred through nonverbal channels. Because writing can grapple with meanings explicitly, sacred texts tend to gravitate to positions of such eminence as to be considered the preeminent if not exclusive channel of revelation. This eclipses other means of divine disclosure. Oral traditions do not fall into this trap. The invisibility of their texts, which is to say their myths, leaves their eyes free to scan for other sacred portents, virgin nature and sacred art being the prime examples. [3]

The three “religions of the book” (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) have always been open to abuse in the hands of immature people. One of the nondual gifts of Native traditions is their openness to inspiration and wisdom from community, ancestors, dance, drumming, nature, beauty, and signs and symbols that speak deeply to the unconscious. We seek in our desolation and consolation to discover and honor the sacred everywhere.

References

(n.d.). Jeremiah, chapter 30 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved August 7, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/jeremiah30:2
(n.d.). 14:31. Retrieved August 7, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/matthew14.htm
(n.d.). Day of the Lord - Jewish Virtual Library. Retrieved August 7, 2018, from https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/day-of-the-lord
(2004, July 1). A Basic Introduction To The Day Of The Lord In The Old Testament .... Retrieved August 7, 2018, from https://bible.org/article/basic-introduction-day-lord-old-testament-writing-prophets
(n.d.). Matthew 14:22-33 Jesus walks on water Sometimes perhaps we need .... Retrieved August 7, 2018, from http://www.stmaryseversley.org.uk/download.php?file=its-jesus-job-to-walk-on-water.pdf&type=sermon
(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved August 7, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
(2017, December 30). 2018 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 7, 2018, from https://cac.org/2018-daily-meditations/