The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today puts us on guard to the hardness of heart that may draw us away from our journey to truth, beauty, and goodness.
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| On the journey |
Jeremiah addresses abuses in worship in the people of Jerusalem at the time of the exile.
Jeremiah... Abuses in Worship1
Psalm 95 is an invitation to praise God. It regularly opens the Church’s official prayer, the Liturgy of the Hours.
* [Psalm 95] Twice the Psalm calls the people to praise and worship God (Ps 95:1–2, 6), the king of all creatures (Ps 95:3–5) and shepherd of the flock (Ps 95:7a, 7b). The last strophe warns the people to be more faithful than were their ancestors in the journey to the promised land (Ps 95:7c–11). This invitation to praise God regularly opens the Church’s official prayer, the Liturgy of the Hours.2
In the Gospel from Luke, Jesus answers the strange connection made by the people to Beelzebul.
* [11:19] Your own people: the Greek reads “your sons.” Other Jewish exorcists (see Acts 19:13–20), who recognize that the power of God is active in the exorcism, would themselves convict the accusers of Jesus. See also note on Mt 12:273
MaryLee Brock shares “Praying and singing Psalm 95 has always been so meaningful for me: “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts”. I could not imagine a time when I would harden my heart to God’s voice. But now I realize that hearing the voice of God does not just happen in times of joy and gratitude and prayer.”
This Lent I pray for the grace to be open to hear the voice of God. The first section of the prayer Teach Me To Listen by John Veltri, SJ is a wonderful meditation: Teach me to listen, O God, to those nearest me, my family, my friends, my co-workers. Help me to be aware that no matter what words I hear, the message is, “Accept the person I am. Listen to me.”
Listening to the voice of God opens my heart to what truly matters. Do you hear me?4
Don Schwager quotes “God's help for our complete conversion,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"When we transform our old life and give our spirit a new image, we find it very hard and tiring to turn back from the darkness of earthly passions to the serene calm of the divine light. We must ask God to help us that a complete conversion may be brought about in us." (excerpt from Commentary on Psalm 6,5) 5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Jeremiah 7:23-28 comments that as anyone on a journey knows, the best way to get to the destination is to keep moving forward. That’s what makes today’s first reading so poignant. Through the prophet Jeremiah, God laments that his people have been going backward and not forward. They have turned their backs to the Lord and started walking away from him and back into the darkness of sin.
When you are faced with temptation today, keep this image in your mind. Remember that the choice is always yours: whether to take a step backward, away from your goal, or to walk forward, out of the swirling drives and urges and into the arms of your heavenly Father. Commit yourself today to continuing on with your journey of trust and love, keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus and his heavenly throne.
Remember too that the journey forward is not one you take alone. You are surrounded by the saints and angels. You have the witness, prayer, and support of brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world. Best of all, Jesus himself is always with you “until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).6
Friar Jude Winkler relates that the people blame Jeremiah for judgement that has come upon them from their hard hearted turn from God. Beelzebul, the lord of the flies, is a clever word play involving Baal and the place of pagan worship. Friar Jude is alerted by the dualistic expression in the Gospel that sometimes we have to make crucial choices.
David Benner, a friend of Richard Rohr, OFM, and depth psychologist, explores what it means to grow in Christ He cites Cynthia Bourgeault and Meister Eckhart [c. 1260–c. 1328] as he observes that mystics [across all spiritual traditions] love the Divine so much that they no longer see any boundaries between God and mortals.
I have been blessed to have the opportunity to know well several people for whom union with God was not just a momentary experience but a relatively stable part of their ongoing journey. . . .
What struck me most as I related to them over time was that their ever-deepening journey into God made them more deeply human, not less human. . . . None showed an avoidance of the realities of life, and none seemed to use their spiritual experience as an escape. Although by this point they had all established a contemplative dimension to their life, they all were active in serving others in the world. This, they knew, was their home, and it was here that they had learned to meet God.7
Our inner journey centering our prayer and seeking our true self leads us to live and be more open to listen and act in support of others.
References
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(n.d.). Jeremiah, chapter 7 - usccb. Retrieved March 28, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/jeremiah/7
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(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 95 - usccb. Retrieved March 28, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/95
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(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - OnlineMinistries - Creighton University. Retrieved March 28, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
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(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 28, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
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(n.d.). 3rd Week of Lent - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily Meditations for .... Retrieved March 28, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/03/28
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(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive: March 2019 - Daily Meditations Archives .... Retrieved March 28, 2019, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/2019/03/
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