Joy and the Presence of God

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today call to mind the place of worship within which we experience the Spirit calling us to love and joy.

Flowing from the Basilica of St. John Lateran 

The vision of the prophet in the Book of Ezekiel describes the life that flows from the communal worship of God.

* [47:1–12] The life and refreshment produced wherever the Temple stream flows evoke the order and abundance of paradise (cf. Gn 1:20–22; 2:10–14; Ps 46:5) and represent the coming transformation Ezekiel envisions for the exiles and their land. Water signifies great blessings and evidence of the Lord’s presence (cf. Jl 2:14).

In the Letter to the Corinthians, Paul declares the sanctity of the Body of Christ and our individual roles as Temples of the Holy Spirit.

* [3:17] Holy: i.e., “belonging to God.” The cultic sanctity of the community is a fundamental theological reality to which Paul frequently alludes (cf. 1 Cor 1:2, 30; 6:11; 7:14).

Jesus cleanses the Temple in the passage from the Gospel of John.

* [2:13–22] This episode indicates the post-resurrectional replacement of the temple by the person of Jesus

Rev. Richard Gabuzda comments that these days in the life of the Church seem to be accompanied by much darkness together with a yearning for much renewal.  He urges that we take courage today that the Holy Spirit never abandons the Church but, as history shows, brings unexpected light out of the darkest of places.

This feast gives us the opportunity to renew our belief that the Holy Spirit remains the soul, the animator of the Body of Christ, providing a hidden though powerful source of life, light, holiness, renewal, inspiration, and, perhaps most of all, joy.  Yes, this Holy Spirit brings joy to the Church in every age and in every human heart. We recall the words of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin:  “Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God.”

Don Schwager invites us to consider the quote from John Chrysostom (347-407 AD) about Jesus authentic action in clearing the Temple.

"But why did Christ use such violence? He was about to heal on the sabbath day and to do many things that appeared to them transgressions of the law. However, so that he might not appear to be acting as a rival to God and an opponent of his Father, he takes occasion to correct any such suspicion of theirs... He did not merely 'cast them out' but also 'overturned the tables' and 'poured out the money,' so that they could see how someone who threw himself into such danger for the good order of the house could never despise his master. If he had acted out of hypocrisy, he would have only advised them, but to place himself in such danger was very daring. It was no small thing to offer himself to the anger of so many market people or to excite against himself a most brutal mob of petty dealers by his reproaches and the disruption he caused. This was not, in other words, the action of a pretender but of one choosing to suffer everything for the order of the house. For the same reason, to show his agreement with the Father, he did not say 'the holy house' but 'my Father's house.' See how he even calls him 'Father,' and they are not angry with him. They thought he spoke in a more general way, but when he went on and spoke more plainly of his equality, this is when they become angry." (excerpt from HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 23.2)

The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Corinthians 3:9-11, 16-17 invites us to consider what gives any building its real value. It’s not the exterior, however beautiful or grand, that makes a house a home. It’s the people who occupy it.

Today we celebrate the dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, the official seat of the Holy Father. The basilica’s stunning architecture, inlaid marble, colorful mosaics, and finely carved statues attract visitors from around the world. But it’s not the building’s beauty and majesty we celebrate today. It’s the “living stones” that have filled it over the centuries. It’s the faithful members of the Church whose hearts and minds are filled with Jesus and his Spirit.

Friar Jude Winkler observes that Ezekiel envisions how worship of God in the Temple will give life to the entire land. We are the building of God, the people of God, and individually the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Friar Jude comments on how our comportment in Church is sometimes a source of creative tension.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Cynthia Bourgeault, who continues expanding on Pierre Teilhard de Chardin’s understanding of love as a creative force.

The term “codependency” was not yet current in Teilhard’s day, but he already had the gist of it intuitively. He knew that love is not well served by collapsing into one another. It is better served by standing one’s own ground within a flexible unity so that more, deeper, richer facets of personhood can glow forth in “a paroxysm of harmonised complexity.” [1]

Cynthia concludes God is a hidden treasure who longs to be known. And the way—the only way—this knowing can be released is in the dance of unity-in-differentiation which is the native language of love. Our different personalities, strengths, weaknesses, and attitudes make up a very diverse worshiping community that together shines like a container of gemstones reflecting individual aspects of the joy and love we experience as children of God.

References


(n.d.). Ezekiel chapter 47 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved November 9, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/ezekiel/47
(n.d.). 1 Corinthians chapter 3 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved November 9, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/3
(n.d.). John chapter 2 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved November 9, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/john/2
(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved November 9, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved November 9, 2018, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
(n.d.). 31st Week in Ordinary Time - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily .... Retrieved November 9, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/
(2017, December 30). 2018 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved November 9, 2018, from https://cac.org/2018-daily-meditations/