Born to call others to change

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today introduce us to prophets called from birth to advocate for change in our relationship with God.

Prophetic messages

The unique character of their mission is heralded in the story of their birth. In the Book of Judges the special preparations for the birth of  Samson, destined to be a Nazarite consecrated to God, are described.

* [13:5] A nazirite for God: according to the rules for nazirites set forth in Nm 6:2–8, Samson’s vows would have obliged him to abstain from wine and other products of the vine and to keep his hair uncut. As the story that follows shows, the last requirement proved especially fateful in Samson’s life.1

Psalm 17 connects us to images of God’s special care.

* [17:8] Apple of your eye; shadow of your wings: images of God’s special care, cf. Dt 32:10; Prv 7:2; Is 49:2.2

In the Gospel of Luke, the birth of John the Baptist is announced to Zechariah by the angel Gabriel.

* [1:15] He will drink neither wine nor strong drink: like Samson (Jgs 13:4–5) and Samuel (1 Sm 1:11 LXX and 4QSama), John is to be consecrated by Nazirite vow and set apart for the Lord’s service.3

Tom Drzaic, while reflecting on these stories, finds his mind always circles back to two themes; God speaking to us and silence, with both themes tightly intertwined.

The second part of this theme of silence relates to how Zechariah went mute after he received the good news and was unable to share it.  It struck me how many choose to make themselves mute when it comes to proclaiming their faith. In a world where so many have no problem easily sharing their political views, sports opinions, or how to cook dinner, I ask myself why has society made an open proclamation of faith seem unwelcomed and opinions discerned from one’s faith seem less valuable than others when discussed?4

Don Schwager quotes “Born for prophecy - murdered for truth,” by Maximus of Turin (died between 408-423 AD).

"I do not know what is the most important thing that we should preach - that he [John the Baptist] was wonderfully born or more wonderfully slain - for he was born as a prophecy and murdered for truth. By his birth he announced the coming of the Savior, and by his death he condemned the incest of Herod (Matthew 14:3-12). This holy and righteous man, who was born in an uncommon way as the result of a promise, merited from God that he should depart this world by an uncommon death - that he should by confessing the Lord lay aside his body, which he had received as a gift from the Lord. Therefore John did everything by the will of God, since he was born and died for the sake of God's work." (excerpt from SERMON 5.1-.2)5

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 1:5-25 notes that God, in his infinite wisdom and creativity, announced that he had heard both strains of Zechariah’s prayer: he and Elizabeth would have a son, and that son would prepare the way for the Messiah.

This is how generous and creative God is. His work in the life of one person always carries a corporate blessing along with it. For example, when you receive forgiveness in Confession, not only do you feel more free and joyful, but your disposition has a positive effect on the people around you. Or when someone comes to new faith in Christ, he or she often shares the good news with other people and invites them into the same relationship with the Lord.6

Friar Jude Winkler fleshes out some of the Nazarite requirements and he notes the tone of apologia in the text of Luke’s Gospel. Prayer changes reality. Friar Jude comments that prayer concentrates on what we need rather than what we want.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, notes that Africana and European Christians share a common contemplative history. He shares some specific differences in expectation and practice from the experience of Barbara Holmes, Thomas Keating, and Howard Thurman.

As I see it, the human task is threefold. First, the human spirit must connect to the Eternal by turning toward God’s immanence and ineffability with yearning. Second, each person must explore the inner reality of his or her humanity, facing unmet potential and catastrophic failure with unmitigated honesty and grace. Finally, each one of us must face the unlovable neighbor, the enemy outside of our embrace, and the shadow skulking in the recesses of our own hearts. Only then can we declare God’s perplexing and unlikely peace on earth. These tasks require a knowledge of self and others that only comes from the centering down that Thurman advocates. It is not an escape from the din of daily life; rather, it requires full entry into the fray but on different terms. . . . Always, contemplation requires attentiveness to the Spirit of God7.

The mission of the Prophets includes calling us to spiritual practice that has the potential to heal, instruct, and connect us to the source of our being. In the words of Thomas Keating;  “our private, self-made worlds come to an end; a new world appears within and around us and the impossible becomes an everyday experience.”

References

1	(n.d.). Judges, chapter 13 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved December 19, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/judges/13
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 17 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved December 19, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/17
3	(n.d.). Luke chapter 1 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved December 19, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved December 19, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 19, 2018, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). 3rd Week of Advent - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily Meditations .... Retrieved December 19, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/
7	(2017, December 30). 2018 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 19, 2018, from https://cac.org/2018-daily-meditations/