Too worthy to wait

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with a theme that is salient in our actions today that we are often too worthy to wait.

Build it now!

Paul addresses the rude and impatient actions of some members of the community in the First Letter to the Corinthians.

* [11:17–34] Paul turns to another abuse connected with the liturgy, and a more serious one, for it involves neglect of basic Christian tradition concerning the meaning of the Lord’s Supper. Paul recalls that tradition for them and reminds them of its implications.

Jesus remarks on the faith of a Roman Centurion, in the Gospel of Luke, who respects Jewish belief and practice while recognizing Jesus connection to Divine power.

* [7:1–10] This story about the faith of the centurion, a Gentile who cherishes the Jewish nation (Lk 7:5), prepares for the story in Acts of the conversion by Peter of the Roman centurion Cornelius who is similarly described as one who is generous to the Jewish nation (Acts 10:2). See also Acts 10:34–35 in the speech of Peter: “God shows no partiality…whoever fears him and acts righteously is acceptable to him.” See also notes on Mt 8:5–13 and Jn 4:43–54.

L. Michael White, Professor of Classics and Director of the Religious Studies Program University of Texas at Austin,

Gentile and Roman

comments on the Gentile audience for Luke’s Gospel and the role of the Evangelist as the first Christian apologist.

Luke's audience seems to be predominantly gentile.... when they talk about the story of Jesus there's more of an emphasis on the political situation of Jesus today. Jesus is less of a rabble rouser, and so is Paul, for that matter, in these stories. And this suggests something about the situation of the audience, that they too are concerned about the way that they will be perceived, the way that the church will be perceived by the Roman authorities. It's sometimes suggested that Luke's gospel should be seen as a kind of an apologetic for the beginnings of the Christian movement, trying to make its place in the Roman world, to say, "we're okay, don't worry about us, we are just like the rest of you: we keep the peace, we're law abiding citizens, we have high moral values, we're good Romans too."

Luis Rodriguez, S.J. reminds that we do not partake in the Eucharist because we are worthy, but because God in sheer goodness considers us worthy enough.

It is such a Roman officer that does not consider himself worthy to receive a Jew under his roof. As we transpose his setting to ours today, it raises two pertinent questions for us. One is about our own respect for people of other faiths and for the faith of other peoples (even if they are of our own faith), a respect that in the gospel passage went beyond tolerance into actually facilitating their different faith life. The other question is the way we approach God: as entitled to God’s action on our behalf, or aware that we have no real claim that would make us worthy? Do we let the centurion’s words, which we echo before communion, sink into us and help us approach communion more aware of our not being entitled to it?

Don Schwager shares the comments of Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D. on the power of Divinity and the grace of humility.

"How great is the sign of divine humility, that the Lord of heaven by no means disdained to visit the centurion’s servant! Faith is revealed in deeds, but humanity is more active in compassion. Surely he did not act this way because he could not cure in his absence, but in order to give you a form of humility for imitation he taught the need to defer to the small and the great alike. In another place he says to the ruler, 'Go, your son lives' (John 4:50), that you may know both the power of Divinity and the grace of humility. In that case he refused to go to the ruler's son, lest he seem to have had regard for riches. In this case he went himself lest he seem to have despised the humble rank of the centurion's servant. All of us, slave and free, are one in Christ (Galatians 3:28, Colossians 3:11)." (excerpt from EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 5.84)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 7:1-10 comments that many miracles in Scripture occurred because someone went to Jesus on another person’s behalf. Often it was a parent pleading for a child or a friend begging Jesus to intervene. And over and over, Jesus answered their request.

Intercession like this isn’t limited to biblical times. We can all be intercessors. We don’t need a special title or training. In fact, you probably already intercede for your family and friends. But maybe now is an opportunity to learn to pray a little more effectively. How? Like the centurion, try making a plan and pushing yourself to stick with it.

Friar Jude Winkler begins with comments on the horizontal nature of the Eucharist as reaching out to all, especially the disadvantaged. The vertical dimension of Eucharist is captured in the Aramaic words “this is me” connected to the commemoration. Luke reaches out to Gentiles through a Centurion “god-fearer” who recognizes the supernatural authority of Jesus, Friar Jude notes.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, recalls how in the 1950s and 1960s, Thomas Merton brought renewed interest to the contemplative tradition in the West. He became a Trappist monk and “left the world” for the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky, where he learned the lessons of contemplation and action.

Through contemplation—holding the paradoxes of life—Merton struggled against “the evil [that] is in us all . . . [and] the blindness of a world that wants to end itself.” He fought against violence, war, racism, poverty, and consumerism. He wrote, “Those who continue to struggle are at peace. If God wills, they can pacify the world. For [the person] who accepts the struggle in the name of Christ is delivered from its power by the victory of Christ.”

Prayer and petition from a position of humble recognition of Jesus Presence is a counterbalance to impatience. Contemplation of mystery and paradox is our struggle to see the Grace and gifts we are connected to through our life in Christ.

References

(n.d.). 1 Corinthians chapter 11 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved September 17, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/1Corinthians/11:17
(n.d.). Luke chapter 7 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved September 17, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/luke/7:31
(n.d.). The Story Of The Storytellers - The Gospel Of Luke | From Jesus To .... Retrieved September 17, 2018, from https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/story/luke.html
(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved September 17, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 17, 2018, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
(n.d.). 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily .... Retrieved September 17, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/
(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 17, 2018, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/