Time for a reversal of fortune

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary point to the end times and our invitation to action to reform our approach to life.

The reversal of fortune

Paul is convinced of an imminent end to the world as he offers advice to the Married and to Virgins and Widows in the First Letter to the Corinthians.

* [7:29–31] The world…is passing away: Paul advises Christians to go about the ordinary activities of life in a manner different from those who are totally immersed in them and unaware of their transitoriness.

The Sermon on the Plain in the Gospel of Luke takes on the format of a Covenant and is directed to an audience of Gentiles.

* [6:20–26] The introductory portion of the sermon consists of blessings and woes that address the real economic and social conditions of humanity (the poor—the rich; the hungry—the satisfied; those grieving—those laughing; the outcast—the socially acceptable). By contrast, Matthew emphasizes the religious and spiritual values of disciples in the kingdom inaugurated by Jesus (“poor in spirit,” Mt 5:3; “hunger and thirst for righteousness,” Mt 5:6). In the sermon, blessed extols the fortunate condition of persons who are favored with the blessings of God; the woes, addressed as they are to the disciples of Jesus, threaten God’s profound displeasure on those so blinded by their present fortunate situation that they do not recognize and appreciate the real values of God’s kingdom. In all the blessings and woes, the present condition of the persons addressed will be reversed in the future.

Joel R. White of the Theology of Work Project shares that Paul is calling believers to a radically new understanding of their relationship to the world.

The proper response to the compression of time is not to cease work­ing but to work differently. The old attitudes toward everyday life and its affairs must be replaced. This brings us back to the paradoxical state­ments in 1 Corinthians 7:29–31. We should buy, yet be as though we have no possessions. We should deal with the world as though not dealing with the world as we know it. That is, we may make use of the things this world has to offer, but we shouldn’t accept the world’s values and principles when they get in the way of God’s kingdom. The things we buy, we should employ for the good of others instead of holding tightly to them. When we bargain in the market, we should seek the good of the person from whom we buy, not just our own interests.

Amy Hoover is inspired to see an invitation to, as we walk through our day, notice what we hold tightly to - our reputation, wealth, suffering?  She asks how are we being invited to loosen our hold and let Christ in?

I hear, don’t get too attached when things are going well and everyone loves you.  Tomorrow, could be the opposite. And yes, today may be filled with suffering and pain but tomorrow or next week things can change.  Our time on earth is temporary. These joys and sorrows are temporary. What is eternal is life with Christ which is filled with love and joy and is not something we have to wait for – heaven is now if we live in Christ.

Don Schwager refers to Ambrose (339-397 A.D), an early church father and bishop of Milan, who teaches that the beatitudes strengthen us in virtue and excellence. Ambrose links the beatitudes with the four cardinal virtues which strengthen us in living a life of moral excellence.

He writes: "Let us see how St. Luke encompassed the eight blessings in the four. We know that there are four cardinal virtues: temperance, justice, prudence and fortitude. One who is poor in spirit is not greedy. One who weeps is not proud but is submissive and tranquil. One who mourns is humble. One who is just does not deny what he knows is given jointly to all for us. One who is merciful gives away his own goods. One who bestows his own goods does not seek another's, nor does he contrive a trap for his neighbor. These virtues are interwoven and interlinked, so that one who has one may be seen to have several, and a single virtue befits the saints. Where virtue abounds, the reward too abounds... Thus temperance has purity of heart and spirit, justice has compassion, patience has peace, and endurance has gentleness." (EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 5.62–63, 68).

The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Corinthians 7:25-31 comments that because he believed that the Second Coming of Jesus was imminent, St. Paul lived with a sense of urgency. He was convinced that “time is running out” (1 Corinthians 7:29). But Paul’s urgency was not directed only to that unknown time we call Judgment Day. He also directed it to the way we spend our time each day.

But at the same time, Paul was absolutely right. We should all strive to live carefully. We should all ask ourselves, If Jesus were to come today, would I be ready to meet him?
Legend has it that when St. Francis of Assisi was asked this very question, he replied that he would just keep working in his garden. Francis felt that he was ready for Jesus; there was no need to panic.

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the advice of Paul to stay single dedicate themselves to the service of the Lord. This advice works if the end of the world is right around the corner and in the Letter to the Ephesians, the view of marriage is better expressed. The Version of the beatitudes in Luke is more practical and likely more than original than Matthew’s version. Friar Jude notes that the blessings are in contrast to the superficial existence that attracts the woes.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, refers to Pope John Paul II comments that the Orthodox teaching of divinization, or theosis, is perhaps the greatest gift of the Eastern Church to the West, but one that has largely been ignored or even denied.

St. Gregory of Nazianzus (330–390) emphasized that deification does not mean we become God, but that we do objectively participate in God’s nature. We are created to share in the life-flow of Trinity. Salvation isn’t about replacing our human nature with a fully divine nature but growing within our very earthiness and embodiedness to live more and more in the ways of love and grace, so that it comes “naturally” to us and is our deepest nature.

The reversal of fortune that is thematic in the texts today is often part of our experience and also often the invitation to evaluate our relationship with God within which is the vitality of our life.

References

1 Corinthians chapter 7 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved September 12, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/7

(n.d.). Luke chapter 6 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved September 12, 2018, from http://usccb.org/bible/luke/6/500060
(n.d.). Maintain the Proper Perspective (1 Corinthians 7:29–31). Retrieved September 12, 2018, from https://www.theologyofwork.org/new-testament/1-corinthians/maintain-the-proper-perspective-1-cor-729-31

(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved September 12, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 12, 2018, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/

(n.d.). 23rd Week in Ordinary Time - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily .... Retrieved September 12, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/

(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 12, 2018, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/