Related to the will

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to explore our relationship to Jesus as members of His family who need to discern contemplatively the will of the Father for us.

Discerning the Will

The Letter to the Hebrews expands upon Jesus conforming to the will of the Father as One Sacrifice instead of the many of the Hebrew Testament.

 * [10:1–10] Christian faith now realizes that the Old Testament sacrifices did not effect the spiritual benefits to come but only prefigured them (Heb 10:1). For if the sacrifices had actually effected the forgiveness of sin, there would have been no reason for their constant repetition (Heb 10:2). They were rather a continual reminder of the people’s sins (Heb 10:3). It is not reasonable to suppose that human sins could be removed by the blood of animal sacrifices (Heb 10:4). Christ, therefore, is here shown to understand his mission in terms of Ps 40:5–7, cited according to the Septuagint (Heb 10:5–7). Jesus acknowledged that the Old Testament sacrifices did not remit the sins of the people and so, perceiving the will of God, offered his own body for this purpose (Heb 10:8–10).1

In the Gospel from Mark Jesus poses and answers a question about the connection of the will of God to His family.

 * [3:20–35] Within the narrative of the coming of Jesus’ relatives (Mk 3:20–21) is inserted the account of the unbelieving scribes from Jerusalem who attributed Jesus’ power over demons to Beelzebul (Mk 3:22–30); see note on Mk 5:21–43. There were those even among the relatives of Jesus who disbelieved and regarded Jesus as out of his mind (Mk 3:21). Against this background, Jesus is informed of the arrival of his mother and brothers [and sisters] (Mk 3:32). He responds by showing that not family ties but doing God’s will (Mk 3:35) is decisive in the kingdom; cf. note on Mt 12:46–52

Kyle Lierk concludes, as his spiritual director advised, "Show up and shut up." Spend time in God's loving company with ears wide open. And if we're going to say anything at all, let it be, "Here I am Lord; I come to do your will." (PS 40: 8-9).

 The scriptures today remind us that it is not about how we show up or even necessarily what we do when we show up, but that we just keep showing up! As the community addressed in the Letter to the Hebrews was reminded, their regular sacrifices and offerings they hoped would expiate their sins clearly weren't working because their sin remained. It took the great act of Love, the sacrifice of the life of Jesus, to shed purifying light on the matter. This, then, is our charge: to show up to Jesus, as we are, and to avoid the temptation to present ourselves perfect and pretty and put together.
Jesus picks up on this in today's Gospel when he redirects the attention away from the fact that his family members are asking for him outside the home where he is meeting with an assembled group toward the fact that those inside the home are spending time with him. This, Jesus says, is what defines someone as a mother or brother or sister of Jesus. I hear him extending an affirmation to this audience for their faithful companionship of him. This is God's will (God's desire) for us.3

Don Schwager quotes “The cross of Christ as victory,” by Augustine of Hippo, 430-543 A.D.

 "[Mary] did the Father's will. It was this in her that the Lord magnified, not merely that her flesh gave birth to flesh... When he said, 'Blessed are they who hear the Word of God and keep it' (Luke 11:28), he was in effect saying: 'My mother whom you have called blessed is blessed for the reason that she keeps the Word of God, not that the Word was made flesh in her and dwelt among us (John 1:14), but that she keeps the very Word of God through which she was made and which was made flesh in her." (excerpt from TRACTATE ON JOHN 10.3.2)4

The Word Among Us Meditation on Hebrews 10:1-10 urges us to think about the word “consecrated” in today’s reading. To be consecrated means to be set apart, to be fitted for a special purpose.

 Every time we respond to God’s craftsmanship, we are giving him another opportunity to shape us for his purposes. These opportunities come to us all the time: when we say no to the temptation to shout at a rude driver or to eat that extra slice of pizza. When we drop something we are doing to go help someone else. These seemingly minor decisions are often far more important than we think. Each one bends us a little bit more. Each one chisels us a little bit more. Each one enables us to reflect our perfect Maker a little bit more.5

Friar Jude Winkler discusses the insufficiency of the sacrifices described in the Book of Hebrews. The Mass takes us outside of time making us present at Jesus sacrifice. Friar Jude touches on the various Christian understanding about Jesus “brothers and sisters”. He observes that the faith of those close to Jesus may have been a distorted vision which is clarified by the Spirit at the Cross. Mark is harsher than Luke 8.19-20 in treating Jesus Brothers and Sisters.

Meghan Murphy-Gill asks did Jesus have brothers and sisters?

 The evidence may seem clear, but scripture scholars and theologians have been debating these and other passages for nearly two millennia, arguing whether those brothers and sisters were in fact biological siblings, step-siblings, “half” siblings, or not even siblings at all, but cousins.6

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments if we are humble and honest, Christians must acknowledge that most of our churches and leaders have not consistently read the Gospels in a contemplative way or with “the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). Without contemplative consciousness, we severely limit the Holy Spirit’s capacity for inspiration and guidance. We had arguments to win, logic to uphold, and denominational distinctions to maintain, after all.

 I believe the world—and the West in particular—is experiencing a rapid evolution of consciousness in recent centuries. Only in the past few decades have Western Christians even had the capacity to think nondually! While mystics throughout history have recognized the power of Christ to overcome dualisms, dichotomies, and divisions, many Christians are just now realizing what this means. As Augustine said, we are being offered something “forever ancient and forever new.” It is revolutionary because it is so traditional and yet so hidden. This traditional teaching can still create a revolution of mind and heart—and history itself.
As Amos Smith writes: “My core truth about Jesus isn’t rooted in mainstream Christian tradition. It’s rooted in Jesus’ essence. It’s about the deep stillness of silent prayer and a theology big enough to give that blessed stillness words.” [1]
[1] Amos Smith, Healing the Divide: Recovering Christianity’s Mystic Roots (Resource Publications: 2013), 223.7

The tension between our will and the struggle to model Jesus, who lives the will of the Father, invites us to take time for contemplative communion with Him and His call to transform our small selves.

References

1	(n.d.). Hebrews, chapter 10 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved January 29, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/hebrews/10
2	(n.d.). Mark, chapter 3 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved January 29, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/mark/3
3	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved January 29, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
4	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 29, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
5	(n.d.). Meditations - The Word Among Us. Retrieved January 29, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/
6	(2013, December 10). Did Jesus have brothers and sisters? | USCatholic.org. Retrieved January 29, 2019, from https://www.uscatholic.org/articles/201312/did-jesus-have-brothers-and-sisters-28224
7	(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive: January 2019 - Center for Action and .... Retrieved January 29, 2019, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/2019/01/