Disciplined decision to drop our masks

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today use the theme of discipline in our actions toward others and in our journey with Jesus to drop our masks and reflect Love to others.

Strive to connect

The Letter to the Ephesians offers household instructions to the community for relations with others.

6.1 Children, obey your parents [in the Lord], for this is right.

In the Gospel from Luke, Jesus urges us to make sincere efforts to follow the Way.

* [13:22–30] These sayings of Jesus follow in Luke upon the parables of the kingdom (Lk 13:18–21) and stress that great effort is required for entrance into the kingdom (Lk 13:24) and that there is an urgency to accept the present opportunity to enter because the narrow door will not remain open indefinitely (Lk 13:25). Lying behind the sayings is the rejection of Jesus and his message by his Jewish contemporaries (Lk 13:26) whose places at table in the kingdom will be taken by Gentiles from the four corners of the world (Lk 13:29). Those called last (the Gentiles) will precede those to whom the invitation to enter was first extended (the Jews). See also Lk 14:15–24.

Larry Gillick, S.J. urges us to enjoy the life-long process of de-costuming and living our sainthood.

Jesus’ reply to the one asking about being saved is wondering if he/she is carrying enough accreditation and self-affirming actions. Jesus images a “narrow Gate” through which only the costumeless, the stripped can pass through. Those who obtained their identity from what they did, would be unknown by the Master. They are pictured by Jesus as knocking on the door like Trick-or Treaters and the Master would say twice, that He did not know where they were from.

The Living Space commentary on Luke 13:22-30 reminds us that each day and all days of our lives we have to walk through that narrow door, that door of faith and trust and love for Jesus and our brothers and sisters.

It is vital that we, as Catholics, do not think that, simply on the basis of our membership of our Church, we are somehow on an inside track and that, if the worst came to the worst, we could always get a confession or a final anointing to set things straight. That would be very presumptuous and very dangerous on our part. We could very well be in a position to hear those terrible words, “I do not know who you are”.

Don Schwager quotes “To enter the narrow door”, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"'Wide is the door, and broad the way that brings down many to destruction.' What are we to understand by its broadness? ...A stubborn mind will not bow to the yoke of the law [the commandments of God]. This life is cursed and relaxed in all carelessness. Thrusting from it the divine law and completely unmindful of the sacred commandments, wealth, vices, scorn, pride and the empty imagination of earthly pride spring from it. Those who would enter in by the narrow door must withdraw from all these things, be with Christ and keep the festival with him." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 99)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Ephesians 6:1-9 notes that the Letter to the Ephesians was written during a period when at least one out of every three people in the Roman Empire was a slave.

In his work with the church in Ephesus, Paul never endorsed slavery nor advocated its overthrow. He had a different objective: to enlighten everyone about the fundamental dignity of every human person. Since both slave and master “have a Master in heaven,” they are equal in status before the Lord (Ephesians 6:9). So Paul directed slaves to see themselves as children and heirs of God and to do their work as if for the Lord. Because it was proclaimed to both masters and slaves, this new perspective opened the way to an eventual rethinking of the institution of slavery—even as it gave oppressed slaves an immediate sense of dignity and purpose.

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the household instructions for children noting mutual obligations between parents and children. The author does not question slavery. This connects to Stoic teaching that everyone has a place in the world and we are called to obedience. Friar Jude urges us to strive. It will cost us. It is not easy to enter the narrow gate.

Stoic Donald Robertson shares some notes on passages in the Stoic literature that appear to question, or possibly even condemn as vicious, the practice of slave-owning.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, observes that Jesus taught us what God is like through his words, his actions, his very being, making it clear that “God is love” (1 John 4:8,16). If God is Trinity and Jesus is the face of God, then it is indeed a benevolent universe—at its very core.

The brilliant Jewish philosopher, Emmanuel Lévinas (1906-1995), said the only thing that really converts people, the ultimate moral imperative, is “the face of the other.” He developed this concept at great length and with great persuasion. [1] When we receive and empathize with the face of the other (especially the suffering face), it leads to transformation of our whole being. It creates a moral demand on our heart that is far more compelling than the Ten Commandments. Just giving people commandments on tablets of stone doesn’t change the heart. It may steel the will, but it doesn’t soften the heart like a personal encounter can.
So many Christian mystics talk about seeing the divine face or falling in love with the face of Jesus. I think that’s why Clare of Assisi (1194-1253) often used the image of “mirroring” in her writings. We are mirrored not by concepts, but by faces delighting in us, giving us the face we can’t give to ourselves. And, of course, the ultimate and perfect mirror is the face of God.

The face of God that brings us to experience Love in the depth of our biological being is the light we may reflect to others as we drop the masks of living in our own “All Hallows’ Eve” and decide to be disciplined on our journey to be saints.

References

(n.d.). Ephesians, chapter 6 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved October 31, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/ephesians/6
(n.d.). Luke, chapter 13 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved October 31, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke/13
(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved October 31, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
(n.d.). Living Space Wednesday of week 30 of Ordinary Time – Gospel .... Retrieved October 31, 2018, from https://livingspace.sacredspace.ie/o2304g/
(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 31, 2018, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
(2018, October 31). 30th Week in Ordinary Time - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily .... Retrieved October 31, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/2018/10/31/
(2017, November 5). Did Stoicism Condemn Slavery? | How to Think Like a Roman Emperor. Retrieved October 31, 2018, from https://donaldrobertson.name/2017/11/05/did-stoicism-condemn-slavery
(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 31, 2018, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/

Cultivate self giving

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, interpreted in the light of the work of their authors and the culture of the day, urge us to cultivate self giving in our relationships.

Mutual giving

The Letter to the Ephesians urges married couples to reflect the love of Christ.

* [5:21–33] The apostle exhorts married Christians to a strong mutual love. Holding with Gn 2:24 that marriage is a divine institution (Eph 5:31), Paul sees Christian marriage as taking on a new meaning symbolic of the intimate relationship of love between Christ and the church. The wife should serve her husband in the same spirit as that of the church’s service to Christ (Eph 5:22, 24), and the husband should care for his wife with the devotion of Christ to the church (Eph 5:25–30). Paul gives to the Genesis passage its highest meaning in the light of the union of Christ and the church, of which Christlike loyalty and devotion in Christian marriage are a clear reflection (Eph 5:31–33).

The Gospel of Luke urges us to be the small force that initiates large changes in the lives of those we encounter.

* [13:18–21] Two parables are used to illustrate the future proportions of the kingdom of God that will result from its deceptively small beginning in the preaching and healing ministry of Jesus. They are paralleled in Mt 13:31–33 and Mk 4:30–32.

Colleen Chiacchere comments that hearing the words in the Letter to the Ephesians in the context where she lives… in a 21st Century North American independent, individualistic society, made her uncomfortable.  It seemed like a recipe for a disastrous relationship. Shouldn’t husbands and wives be seen as equals in their vows and commitment to each other and to the sacrament of marriage?

Paul is inviting husbands and wives to be self-giving and self-emptying, using Christ’s example of servant leadership, as our model. A servant leader leads by counter-cultural example, offering effort and resource for the well-being of those whom they lead.  Service is the key in this perspective as one is always concerned first and foremost about the empowerment and encouragement of the one with whom he/she is in relationship.

Jerold Aust, Senior Writer and Minister, United Church of God, explores the relationship of Paul, who inspired the author of the Letter to the Ephesians, and Luke who wrote with special attention to women in his Gospel.

Paul’s deep respect and Christian love for Luke surface when he refers to him as “the beloved physician” (Colossians 4:14). Luke showed interest in the welfare of women and children, as shown in his Gospel.
In Judea, as in other places throughout the known world, women in Luke’s day held a place low in society. For example, some historical accounts of the time report that Jewish men gave thanks to God each morning that they had not been born a gentile, slave or woman.
Luke’s perspective differs from the common portrayal of women of the time. Luke tells his birth narrative of Christ from Mary’s point of view. Luke writes of Elizabeth, of Anna, of the widow at Nain, of the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet in the house of Simon the Pharisee. Luke portrays Martha and Mary and Mary Magdalene.

Don Schwager quotes “The Word of God operates in us like leaven”, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"The leaven is small in quantity, yet it immediately seizes the whole mass and quickly communicates its own properties to it. The Word of God operates in us in a similar manner. When it is admitted within us, it makes us holy and without blame. By pervading our mind and heart, it makes us spiritual. Paul says, 'Our whole body and spirit and soul may be kept blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ' (1 Thessalonians 5:23). The God of all clearly shows that the divine Word is poured out even into the depth of our understanding... We receive the rational and divine leaven in our mind. We understand that by this precious, holy and pure leaven, we may be found spiritually unleavened and have none of the wickedness of the world, but rather be pure, holy partakers of Christ." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 96)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Ephesians 5:21-33 asks “So what does unity in marriage mean in real life”?

Finally, unity means loving sacrificially. It can sound grandiose, but sacrificial love usually shows itself in the small things: helping with the dishes, listening attentively when your spouse has had a hard day, going out of your way to give your spouse a break from the kids when you are both tired. Gestures like these never go unnoticed—by your spouse or by the Lord.

Friar Jude Winkler fleshes out the Stoic influence in the advice of the author of the Letter to the Ephesians to maintain the order of the culture of the day. That said, the author goes beyond the culture of the day to urge self giving love. Friar Jude recognizes the approach of the Evangelist Luke to offer both a male example and a female example of how our love, compassion, and forgiveness are the basis for the Kingdom of God.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, warns that we can’t risk walking around with a negative, resentful, gossipy, critical mind, because then we won’t be in our true force field. We won’t be usable instruments for God. That’s why Jesus commanded us to love. It’s that urgent. It’s that crucial.

Jesus tells us not to harbor hateful anger or call people names in our hearts like “fool” or “worthless person” (Matthew 5:22). If we’re walking around all day thinking, “What idiots!” we’re living out of death, not life. If that’s what we think and feel, that’s what we will be—death energy instead of life force. We cannot afford even inner disconnection from love. How we live in our hearts is our real and deepest truth.

The Responsorial for today, Psalm 128, offers an image of the fruit of self giving attention to the others in our families. Pray for the grace to cultivate this mustard plant.

References

(n.d.). Ephesians chapter 5 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved October 30, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/ephesians/5
(n.d.). Luke chapter 13 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved October 30, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke/13
(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved October 30, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
(2001, January 20). Profiles of Faith: Luke - Paul's Beloved Friend and Companion | United .... Retrieved October 30, 2018, from https://www.ucg.org/the-good-news/profiles-of-faith-luke-pauls-beloved-friend-and-companion
(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 30, 2018, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
(2018, October 29). 30th Week in Ordinary Time - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily .... Retrieved October 30, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/2018/10/30/
(2017, December 30). 2018 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 30, 2018, from https://cac.org/2018-daily-meditations/

Rectify and rejoice

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today offer contemplation of the role of seeing in our faith journey.

Seeing the Presence

The Letter to the Ephesians sets an expectation of how faithful Christians we be seen as they act in their daily life. These actions may need some rectification.

* [5:1] Imitators of God: in forgiving (Eph 4:32) and in loving (as exhibited in how Christ loved us).

In the Gospel from Luke, Jesus sees the crippled woman on the Sabbath and acts, overriding traditional Sabbath practice, to heal her.

* [13:15–16] If the law as interpreted by Jewish tradition allowed for the untying of bound animals on the sabbath, how much more should this woman who has been bound by Satan’s power be freed on the sabbath from her affliction.

Eileen Wirth reflects that by the act of SEEING, Jesus teaches us that compassion begins with noticing the plight of people in need.

If we’re overwhelmed by distant tragedies, we can all find plenty of needs in our communities – maybe visit someone you know in a nursing home or volunteer at a homeless shelter. The opportunities to think globally and act locally are endless.
This must be what St. Paul means when he admonishes us to “Live as children of light.” May all of us try to live in such light!

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus overcomes death and destruction”, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD) who stresses that we see Jesus as Son, human and Divine.

"The incarnation of the Word and his assumption of human nature took place for the overthrow of death, destruction and the envy harbored against us by the wicked Serpent, who was the first cause of evil. This plainly is proved to us by facts themselves. He set free the daughter of Abraham from her protracted sickness, calling out and saying, 'Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.' A speech most worthy of God, and full of supernatural power! With the royal inclination of his will, he drives away the disease. He also lays his hands upon her. It says that she immediately was made straight. It is now also possible to see that his holy flesh bore in it the power and activity of God. It was his own flesh, and not that of some other Son beside him, distinct and separate from him, as some most impiously imagine." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 96)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 13:10-17 reminds us that much Jewish thinking at the time made a correlation between illness and sin (John 9:2). God rewarded a virtuous person with good health and punished sinners with misfortune of every sort, including disease.

Think of your most challenging situation. Is it too hard for Jesus? Absolutely not! Is there a sin too big for Jesus to forgive? No. Is he punishing you for some past misdeed? Of course not. So follow this woman’s lead. Go to Jesus, in the “inner synagogue” of your heart and the sanctuary of your Church. Be where he is so that he can see you, touch you, and set you free.

Friar Jude Winkler nudges us to be aware of our call to live a virtuous life that is witnessed by the people we encounter daily. The conflict in the synagogue is between the role of rules and mercy in living the life of virtue. Friar Jude comments on the very important role of women in the Gospel of Luke.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that we cannot attain the presence of God because we’re already in the presence of God. What’s absent is awareness. Little do we realize that God’s love is maintaining us in existence with every breath we take. As we take another, it means that God is choosing us now and now and now and now. We have nothing to attain or even learn. We do, however, need to unlearn some things.

All spiritual disciplines have one purpose: to get rid of illusions so we can be more fully present to what is. These disciplines exist so that we can see what is, see who we are, and see what is happening. What is is love, so much so that even the tragic will be used for purposes of transformation into love. It is God, who is love, giving away God every moment as the reality of our life. Who we are is love, because we are created in God’s image. What is happening is God living in us, with us, and through us as our unique manifestation of love. And each one of us is a bit different because the forms of love are infinite.

Our perception of virtuous life and our intimacy with God may now involve rules about practices even as we seek “our daily bread” of life that is contained in Presence.

References
(n.d.). CHAPTER 5 1So be imitators of God* as beloved childrena 2and live .... Retrieved October 29, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/ephesians/ephesians5.htm
(n.d.). Luke chapter 13 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved October 29, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke/13
(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved October 29, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 29, 2018, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
(n.d.). 30th Week in Ordinary Time - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily .... Retrieved October 29, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/
(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 29, 2018, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/

Called to joy, service and restoration

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today call us to joy in our service and the restoration of our intimacy with God.

Seeing the way

The passage from the Book of Jeremiah describes the Second Exodus nature of the return to Jerusalem of the exiles in Assyria.

* [31:2–3] Jeremiah describes the exiles of the Northern Kingdom on their way home from the nations where the Assyrians had resettled them (722/721 B.C.). The favor they discover in the wilderness is the appearance of the Lord (v. 3) coming to guide them to Jerusalem. Implicit in these verses is the presentation of the people’s return from captivity as a second exodus, a unifying theme in Second Isaiah (chaps. 40–55).

The Letter to the Hebrews establishes the nature and uniqueness of Jesus role as High Priest in His Covenant.

* [5:1–10] The true humanity of Jesus (see note on Heb 2:5–18) makes him a more rather than a less effective high priest to the Christian community. In Old Testament tradition, the high priest was identified with the people, guilty of personal sin just as they were (Heb 5:1–3). Even so, the office was of divine appointment (Heb 5:4), as was also the case with the sinless Christ (Heb 5:5). For Heb 5:6, see note on Ps 110:4. Although Jesus was Son of God, he was destined as a human being to learn obedience by accepting the suffering he had to endure (Heb 5:8). Because of his perfection through this experience of human suffering, he is the cause of salvation for all (Heb 5:9), a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek (Heb 5:10; cf. Heb 5:6 and Heb 7:3).

In the Gospel from Mark, the blind Bartimaeus recognizes Jesus as Son of David and lives his faith following Him on the Way.

(Mark 10:52) Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.

Maureen McCann Waldron pauses to face her own daily blindness and wonders if she really wants to ask Jesus to see.  Do we want to be healed?

I see families in division, government policies that hurt the poor, refugees that beg an unwilling world for help and people betrayed by their own church.  If I see all this clearly, then what will I have to do? If I see where I can make a difference, what new challenges does that put in my life? Please, Jesus. Give me the courage to call out to you.  I feel Jesus standing in front of me, loving me and asking, “What do you want me to do for you?”
And then I know that I want Jesus to give me sight and take my hand and lead me. I have the words now: “Lord, I want to see.”

Don Schwager quotes “Your Word will enlighten and save me”, by Clement of Alexandria, 150-215 A.D.

"The commandment of the Lord shines clearly, enlightening the eyes. Receive Christ, receive power to see, receive your light, that you may plainly recognize both God and man. More delightful than gold and precious stones, more desirable than honey and the honeycomb is the Word that has enlightened us (Psalm 19:10). How could he not be desirable, who illumined minds buried in darkness, and endowed with clear vision 'the light-bearing eyes' of the soul? ... Sing his praises, then, Lord, and make known to me your Father, who is God. Your Word will save me, your song instruct me. I have gone astray in my search for God; but now that you light my path, Lord, I find God through you, and receive the Father from you, I become co-heir with you, since you were not ashamed to own me as your brother. Let us, then, shake off forgetfulness of truth, shake off the mist of ignorance and darkness that dims our eyes, and contemplate the true God, after first raising this song of praise to him: 'All hail, O light!' For upon us buried in darkness, imprisoned in the shadow of death, a heavenly light has shone, a light of a clarity surpassing the sun's, and of a sweetness exceeding any this earthly life can offer." (excerpt from EXHORTATION TO THE GREEKS 11.8)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 10:46-52 observes that the problem is, what the world offers can leave us restless, unfulfilled, always searching, always looking for the next best thing to make us happy. All too often, our desires for God’s peace and love become fleeting moments that get shouted down by the influence of the crowd.

Remember this as well: while the crowds of the world want to keep you from Jesus, there are also crowds of disciples who want to follow him. They can help you grow in your faith. Find people who pray together. Find a Bible study. Join people who serve the poor. Surround yourself with people who share your desire for Jesus. Join them as you follow Jesus “on the way” (Mark 10:52).

Friar Jude Winkler underlines some important details in accounts of Jeremiah and the Letter to the Hebrews. The blind Bartimaeus is the first, in Mark, to see Jesus as the Son of David who will be proclaimed king in Jerusalem. Friar Jude reminds us of the New Testament code of declaring”saved”, those who are healed both in body and soul.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, recalls Paul (1 Corinthians 13:13) in declaring the most powerful, most needed, and most essential teaching is always Love.

We must all overcome the illusion of separateness. It is the primary task of religion to communicate not worthiness but union, to reconnect people to their original identity “hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). The Bible calls the state of separateness “sin.” God’s job description is to draw us back into primal and intimate relationship. “My dear people, we are already children of God; what we will be in the future has not yet been fully revealed, and all I do know is that we shall be like God” (1 John 3:2).

The response today to Psalm 126 is our declaration of thanksgiving for all that God has done for us in our journey of return to intimacy and clearer vision in our relationship with the Divine.

References

(n.d.). Jeremiah chapter 31 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved October 28, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/jeremiah/31
(n.d.). Hebrews chapter 5 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved October 28, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/hebrews/5
(n.d.). Mark, chapter 10 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved October 28, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/mark/10
(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved October 28, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 28, 2018, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
(n.d.). Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Mass Readings and Catholic .... Retrieved October 28, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/
(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 28, 2018, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/

Gifted to prepare us for conversion

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today identify our responsibility to use our gifts to in  ministry to others who like ourselves have been called to bear fruit even as God is mercifully patient with us.

The year of grace

The Letter to the Ephesians identifies some of the diversity of gifts that are available to leaders to develop within the community.

* [4:12] The ministerial leaders in Eph 4:11 are to equip the whole people of God for their work of ministry.

The barren fig tree in the Gospel of Luke is a wake up call to alert us that we may be delaying our decision to choose life.

* [13:6–9] Following on the call to repentance in Lk 13:1–5, the parable of the barren fig tree presents a story about the continuing patience of God with those who have not yet given evidence of their repentance (see Lk 3:8). The parable may also be alluding to the delay of the end time, when punishment will be meted out, and the importance of preparing for the end of the age because the delay will not be permanent (Lk 13:8–9).

Diane Jorgensen considers the tragic events in life as a wake-up call.

The parable seems to point to the limitless patience and mercy of our God. If Jesus had continued the parable, it is easy to imagine that the gardener would have asked the same of the orchard owner on the fourth year, and the fifth, and so on. But “why should it exhaust the soil?” raises the question of limited resources. Perhaps the call to repentance is not so much in fear of punishment from an angry god but rather a wake-up call to realize the limits of life. Our planet’s resources, our time and energy, our relationships, our workplaces, our very lives...all are fragile and have limited capacities.
The first reading refocuses our attention in the face of these limits. God has gifted and graced each of us, that we may contribute to the building up of the Body of Christ, building itself up in truth and love.

Don Schwager quotes “The Lord's three visits through the Patriarchs, Prophets, and the Gospel,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"The Lord also has something very fitting to say about a fruitless tree, 'Look, it is now three years that I have been coming to it. Finding no fruit on it, I will cut it down, to stop it blocking up my field.' The gardener intercedes... This tree is the human race. The Lord visited this tree in the time of the patriarchs, as if for the first year. He visited it in the time of the law and the prophets, as if for the second year. Here we are now; with the gospel the third year has dawned. Now it is as though it should have been cut down, but the merciful one intercedes with the merciful one. He wanted to show how merciful he was, and so he stood up to himself with a plea for mercy. 'Let us leave it,' he says, 'this year too. Let us dig a ditch around it.' Manure is a sign of humility. 'Let us apply a load of manure; perhaps it may bear fruit.' Since it does bear fruit in one part, and in another part does not bear fruit, its Lord will come and divide it. What does that mean, 'divide it'? There are good people and bad people now in one company, as though constituting one body." (excerpt from Sermon 254.3)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 13:1-9 asks are we ever tempted to think, “Maybe I deserve this; maybe God is punishing me because of some sin I have committed” This line of thinking may even be a way to make sense out of natural disasters like hurricanes or earthquakes.

This is one of the great challenges of the Christian life: we don’t always understand why God allows such things to happen. It’s one of those mysteries we will never grasp—at least this side of heaven.
But this we know for sure: we don’t have a vengeful God. He isn’t counting up our sins, waiting to strike us down when we exceed some limit. That doesn’t sound like the kind of God who sent his only Son to earth to offer his life for us on the cross. Immeasurable mercy and eye-for-eye judgment simply can’t coexist.

Friar Jude Winkler connects the descent of Christ in the Letter to the Ephesians to His incarnation. We need to respond faithfully to our call and do the part in the community for which we have been given the charism. The 8th year of grace that is included in the parable from the Gospel today is explained by Friar Jude.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, has been talking about suffering. He offers that through practice we can discover that God is present with us in our suffering, permeating it with love and compassion and sustaining us in ways we cannot understand. James Finley and Alana Levandoski collaborated on a beautiful musical experience that can lead us through our suffering to discover our preciousness.

I don’t know where to start.Or how to bare this heart.But I fear I’ve become what’s been done to me.
Move slowly, move slowly,move slowly into deep water.
You are safe with me,no longer thrown out to sea.Now it’s time to breathe.

God’s presence in our suffering means that our suffering, fear, or shame do not have the power to name who we are. God’s love names us as infinitely precious in our vulnerability.

References

(n.d.). Ephesians chapter 4 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved October 27, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/ephesians/4:7
(n.d.). Luke chapter 13 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved October 27, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke/13
(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved October 27, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 27, 2018, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
(n.d.). 29th Week in Ordinary Time - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily .... Retrieved October 27, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/
(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 27, 2018, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/

One Body One Spirit and dialogue in the present time

The contrast in the texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary are confidence from the unity of the Spirit in the community addressed

Common Ground

in the Letter to the Ephesians and

* [4:4–6] The “seven unities” (church, Spirit, hope; Lord, faith in Christ [Eph 1:13], baptism; one God) reflect the triune structure of later creeds in reverse.

the questions of the lack of awareness of the people encountering Jesus described in the Gospel from Luke.

* [12:59] The last penny: Greek, lepton, a very small amount. Mt 5:26 has for “the last penny” the Greek word kodrantēs (Latin quadrans, “farthing”)

Kyle Lierk comments that Jesus implies that if we cannot settle our differences, this unresolved split will imprison us, even if not literally, but emotionally, figuratively or symbolically.  He cannot help but think, then, of the framework for true dialogue as outlined by Fr. Thomas Merton, OCSO.

He says that if you share your perspective and I truly listen with open ears and heart, and if I share my perspective and you truly listen with open ears and heart, then we will end up not with one of us being “forced” to one side or the other, but that we will both be pulled, by the Holy Spirit, to a third place.  This, of course, requires that we leave space for the Spirit to enter between us and that we remain open.

Kathleen Deignan, CND, notes that Merton eventually formulated principles he considered relevant to all interreligious dialogue.

First, he spoke of contemplative dialogue, implying that such engagement must be reserved for serious practioners of their spiritual traditions, disciplined by a habit of meditation, and formed by their tradition’s transformational techniques and technologies. Secondly, dialogue must be clear and authentic, going beyond facile syncretism, or vague verbiage and superficial pieties. Thirdly, dialogue requires scrupulous respect for important differences without useless debate; understanding unfolds as the capacity for true and patient listening deepens. Fourthly, attention must be concentrated on what is really essential to the sacred quest: true self-transcendence, consciousness transformation, and enlightenment. Fifthly, questions of institutional structures and other elements of form are to be seen as secondary and not become a focus of attention.4

Mike Smoolca, coordinator of the North-Central CT Chapter of the International Thomas Merton Society, quotes from Thomas Merton “Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander”, about the monk’s Fourth and Walnut experience. (pg 153 – 154 (1958)).

In Louisville, at the corner of Fourth and Walnut, in the center of the shopping district, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I loved all those people, that they were mine and I theirs, that we could not be alien to one another even though we were total strangers.

Don Schwager quotes “Signs from the Law point to the dawn of the Mystery of Christ”, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"People focus their attention on things of this kind. From long observation and practice they tell beforehand when rain will fall or violent winds will blow. One especially sees that sailors are very skillful in this matter. He says that it would be suitable for those who can calculate things of this sort and may foretell storms that are about to happen to focus the penetrating eyes of the mind also on important matters. What are these? The law showed beforehand the mystery of Christ, that he would shine out in the last ages of the world on the inhabitants of the earth and submit to be a sacrifice for the salvation of all. It even commanded a lamb to be sacrificed as a type of him who died towards evening and at lighting of lamps (Exodus 12:6).    "We might now understand that when, like the day, this world was declining to its close, the great, precious and truly saving passion would be fulfilled. The door of salvation would be thrown wide open to those who believe in him, and abundant happiness be their share. In the Song of Songs, we also find Christ calling to the bride described there. The bride personally represents the church, in these words, 'Arise, come, my neighbor, my beautiful dove. Look, the winter is past, and the rain is gone. It has passed away. The flowers appear on the ground. The time of the pruning has come' (Song 2:10-12). As I said, a certain springlike calm was about to arise for those who believe in him." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 95)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Ephesians 4:1-6 recognizes that we see divisions within our Church as well. Race, class, and politics are some of the more obvious dividing lines, but there can also be divisions between religious traditionalists and progressives, between converts and “cradle Catholics.”

Seeing the potential for rivalries and animosity, Paul urged them to overcome their differences by focusing on what they had in common.
But how was this possible in the face of profound and seemingly irreconcilable differences? Paul points to the need for humility, patience, and gentleness, and he wraps all of these virtues up in a call for them to strive for peace. And to fuel their determination, he reminds them of all they have in common as believers: “one body
. . . one Spirit . . . one hope . . . one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father” (Ephesians 4:4-6). If they could keep their eyes on all these gifts, unity would be possible.

Friar Jude Winkler finds the exhortation to live in a worthy manner, as if written by Paul in prison, as the message in the Letter to the Ephesians. Our life when filled with virtue is an example of “oneness”. Clouds and courts remind us to move along our conversion as we move towards the end of our earthly journey.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, cites the Twelve-Step program to illustrate that deep communion and compassion are formed much more by shared pain than by shared pleasure. They who know pain themselves have the space and the capacity for the pain of the other. The special grace experienced by some at the time of death, brings peace to those who attend the dying.

Transformed people transform people. When you can be healed yourself and not just talk about healing, you are, as Henri Nouwen said, a “wounded healer”—which is probably the only kind of healer!
James Finley shares insights drawn from Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’ work with the dying:
Those who come to acceptance in death don’t look up at you from their deathbeds to say how happy they are in the ways we typically speak of happiness. For those who come to acceptance in death pass beyond the dualism of happiness and sadness as emotional states that depend on conditions that are conducive to happiness. Those who come to acceptance in death have about them a certain transparent childlike quality, an uncanny peace. It’s a peace not of this world. For in accepting their seemingly unacceptable situation, they are transformed in ways that leave us feeling strangely touched and privileged to be in their presence. Being in their presence can open up in us a deep sense of how invincibly precious we are in the midst of our fragility.

The events and circumstances of life, love, suffering and death are some areas of common ground in which we experience transformation as members of One Body.

References

(n.d.). Ephesians chapter 4 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved October 26, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/ephesians/4:7
(n.d.). Luke chapter 12 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved October 26, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke/12:81
(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved October 26, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
(2011, July 12). Learning the Art of Sacred Dialogue: Thomas Merton's Conversation .... Retrieved October 26, 2018, from http://www.scholaministries.org/lectory/hello-world-2/
(n.d.). Thomas Merton on Interreligious Dialogue - In Via Lumen, LLC. Retrieved October 26, 2018, from https://www.invialumen.org/uploads/3/7/5/4/37541063/mertoninterreligousdialogue.pdf
(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 26, 2018, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
(n.d.). 29th Week in Ordinary Time - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily .... Retrieved October 26, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/
(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 26, 2018, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/