Rich and revealing

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today offer a journey into the breadth and depth of Christian Tradition to inspire our contemplation of God transcendent and immanent.

Many connections

The reading from the Prophet Zephaniah declares the restoration of Jerusalem.

 JERUSALEM RESTORED 1

In the alternate reading from Romans, Paul outlines his instructions for mutual love.

Mutual Love 2 

Isaiah 12:1–6 expresses Israel’s thanksgiving to the Lord.

* [12:1–6] Israel’s thanksgiving to the Lord, expressed in language like that of the Psalms. 3 

The Feast of the Visitation of Mary is celebrated today with the Gospel from Luke where Mary Visits Elizabeth and praises God with the Canticle of Mary.

* [1:46–55] Although Mary is praised for being the mother of the Lord and because of her belief, she reacts as the servant in a psalm of praise, the Magnificat. Because there is no specific connection of the canticle to the context of Mary’s pregnancy and her visit to Elizabeth, the Magnificat (with the possible exception of v. 48) may have been a Jewish Christian hymn that Luke found appropriate at this point in his story. Even if not composed by Luke, it fits in well with themes found elsewhere in Luke: joy and exultation in the Lord; the lowly being singled out for God’s favor; the reversal of human fortunes; the fulfillment of Old Testament promises. The loose connection between the hymn and the context is further seen in the fact that a few Old Latin manuscripts identify the speaker of the hymn as Elizabeth, even though the overwhelming textual evidence makes Mary the speaker. 4 

Maureen McCann Waldron suggests that many questions remained unanswered in the Mary and Elizabeth’s lives and yet they had such delight and trust in God! … There are times she feels like she is wrestling for control of her life away from God, with proclamations like, "I can handle this God. I'll call you if I need you."

Humility is not a valued trait in our culture, but it means simply being nothing more than who I really am. It helps me to move the focus of my life from me to someone else. Today's gospel invites us to focus on God as the center of our lives, and to live in the joy that comes with surrendering that control. 5 

Don Schwager quotes “John prophecies from the womb,” by Maximus of Turin (died between 408-423 AD).

 "Not yet born, already John prophesies and, while still in the enclosure of his mother's womb, confesses the coming of Christ with movements of joy - since he could not do so with his voice. As Elizabeth says to holy Mary, 'As soon as you greeted me, the child in my womb exulted for joy.' John exults, then, before he is born. Before his eyes can see what the world looks like, he can recognize the Lord of the world with his spirit. In this regard, I think that the prophetic phrase is appropriate: 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you came forth from the womb I sanctified you' (Jeremiah 1:5). Thus we ought not to marvel that after Herod put him in prison, he continued to announce Christ to his disciples from his confinement, when even confined in the womb he preached the same Lord by his movements." (excerpt from SERMON 5.4) 6

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 1:39-56 quotes “In the mystery of the Annunciation and the Visitation,” written by St. Teresa of Calcutta, “Mary is the very model of the life we should lead. First of all, she welcomed Jesus in her existence; then, she shared what she had received.”

 How can we follow Mary’s example and share Christ with the people around us? The first step is to welcome him into our lives every day in prayer and, in a special way, in the Eucharist. According to Mother Teresa, “Every time we receive Holy Communion, Jesus the Word becomes flesh in our life.” In other words, we become tabernacles of Christ, bearing him in our hearts just as Mary bore him in her womb.
And that’s how we share him. The grace of Christ alive in us can transform every act of love, service, mercy, or generosity into an opportunity for people to encounter Jesus himself. It’s not that we are trying extra hard to act like Jesus; as it happened with Mary, the changes that Jesus makes in our lives can’t help but touch the people around us. 7

John W Miller connects the minor prophet Zephaniah to the theme of applying of Isaiah’s words to Israel’s future. These more or less minor prophetic voices give testimony to the seriousness with which certain circles in Jerusalem were attending to the words of the eighth century prophets a century later (and to the words of Isaiah in particular).

 Some (notably Habakkuk) were frankly perplexed at the way events were unfolding. They were sure that God was still working things out, but that was about all. Others (notably Zephaniah) foresee yet additional catastrophes of cosmic proportions coming upon Judah, before a brighter future will dawn for the inhabitants of Judah‑Jerusalem. The thoughts of still others (notably Nahum and Obadiah) are much more hopeful. They believed that a (renewed) Davidic state would soon arise, and when it did, God’s sovereignty and peace would be manifest in history as never before. 8

Friar Jude Winkler discusses Zephaniah and Jerusalem where the Lord would live in her midst. Parenesis is a word to describe last minute instruction of Paul to the Romans. An area near Jerusalem (Abou-Goch Kiryat- Jearim) connects the Ark of the Covenant, David and Mary as the New Ark of the Covenant. Friar Jude relates the connection of the Magnificat and the song of Hanna.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, observes that, unfortunately, we’re not very well acquainted with God-within. We’ve mastered the theology of God’s transcendence but have failed to embrace God’s immanence. There’s a part of us that doubts our deep connection to this divine love. Contemplative spirituality helps us overcome this disconnect.

The word contemplative derives from a root that means to set aside a place of worship or to reserve a cleared space in front of an altar. In Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, a contemplative stance is obvious. The Israelites cleared space for worship with the Ark of the Covenant and finally with their temple. Jesus honored the temple worship of his Jewish tradition but also tried to enlighten his people to realize that sacred buildings, rituals, and rules are meant to bring us into the awareness of the divine presence in us and in all of those around us.
Jesus drew our attention to the doctrine of the divine indwelling in a radical declaration that he himself was the temple (John 2:19). . . . Paul elaborates on Jesus’ teaching of the doctrine of divine indwelling by declaring that not just Jesus’ but our body too is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). How marvelous! The Creator of the universe resides within our being. 9 

From restoration of Israel, through Incarnation of the Word as flesh to reconnecting to God within, the texts today reveal many paths in the Christian tradition.

References

1	(n.d.). Zephaniah, chapter 3 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved May 31, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/zephaniah/3
2	(n.d.). Romans, chapter 12 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved May 31, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/romans/12
3	(n.d.). Isaiah, chapter 12 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved May 31, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/isaiah12:38
4	(n.d.). Luke, chapter 1 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved May 31, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke/1
5	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved May 31, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
6	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved May 31, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
7	(n.d.). The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Feast) - Mass Readings and .... Retrieved May 31, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/05/31/
8	(n.d.). Zephaniah, Nahum, Habakk | My Jewish Learning. Retrieved May 31, 2019, from https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/second-wave-of-prophecy-zephaniah-nahum-habakk/
9	(n.d.). Richard Rohr's Daily Meditations - Daily Meditations Archives .... Retrieved May 31, 2019, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/

Losing sight

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today touch on the sometimes cyclical experience of moving toward and away from our intimacy with Christ.

On track

The reading from the Book of Acts describes the changes in the people while Paul was in Corinth.

* [18:2] Aquila…Priscilla: both may already have been Christians at the time of their arrival in Corinth (see Acts 18:26). According to 1 Cor 16:19, their home became a meeting place for Christians. Claudius: the Emperor Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome ca. A.D. 49. The Roman historian Suetonius gives as reason for the expulsion disturbances among the Jews “at the instigation of Chrestos,” probably meaning disputes about the messiahship of Jesus.1 

Psalm 98 is a hymn extolling God for Israel’s victory.

* [Psalm 98] A hymn, similar to Ps 96, extolling God for Israel’s victory (Ps 98:1–3). All nations (Ps 98:4–6) and even inanimate nature (Ps 98:7–8) are summoned to welcome God’s coming to rule over the world (Ps 98:9).2 

In the Gospel from John, Jesus predicts His departure and return.

 Jesus’ Departure; Coming of the Advocate3

Chas Kestermeier, S.J. shares that we need to trust that God is always near us, always loving us, always encouraging us to grow whether we detect His presence or love or not.

When we come to know Jesus at first, to really know Him, we experience a warmth and a joy that sustains us in our faith, but with all our comings and goings we seem to lose sight of His constant presence.  We start to doubt His power and His love and can't seem to feel His hand guiding our lives. But if we remain as faithful to God as we can, as willing to sacrifice our time as we are able, to exchange our confidence in ourselves for complete trust in Him instead, then we will see and experience Him in our lives again.4 

Don Schwager quotes “Christ our physician,” by Saint Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"God sent the human race a physician, a savior, One Who healed without charging a fee. Christ also came to reward those who would be healed by Him. Christ heals the sick, and He makes a gift to those whom He heals. And the gift that He makes is Himself!" (excerpt from Sermon 102,2)5 

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 16:16-20 asks why would Jesus think it was important for us to “see” him again? Didn’t his cross and resurrection take care of our salvation?

 Simply put, no. And thank God for this truth! We need to “see” Jesus every day. We need to hear his voice, to receive his love, and to be formed by his wisdom. As St. Paul taught, Jesus gave us the Spirit “so that we may understand the things freely given us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12).6

Friar Jude Winkler comments on Paul and his actions in Corinth and discusses the message of Jesus to His disciples about His going away and returning.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares John Philip Newell’s beautiful summary of the visions of Julian of Norwich (1342–1416).

What Julian hears is that “we are all one.” [9] We have come from God as one, and to God we shall return as one. And any true well-being in our lives will be found not in isolation but in relation. She uses the image of the knot . . . to portray the strands of time and eternity intertwined, of the human and the creaturely inseparably interrelated, of the one and the many forever married. Christ’s soul and our soul are like an everlasting knot. The deeper we move in our own being, the closer we come to Christ. And the closer we come to Christ’s soul, the nearer we move to the heart of one another. In Christ, we hear not foreign sounds but the deepest intimations of the human and the divine intertwined.7 

Our vision of Jesus may be blurred as we move away from our inner reality. The Spirit is always nudging us to deeper intimacy with Christ.

References

1	(n.d.). Acts, chapter 18 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved May 30, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/acts/18
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 98 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved May 30, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/98
3	(n.d.). John, chapter 16 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved May 30, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/john/16
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved May 30, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved May 30, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). Meditations - The Word Among Us. Retrieved May 30, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/05/30/
7	(2019, May 30). Our Deepest Desire — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved May 30, 2019, from https://cac.org/our-deepest-desire-2019-05-30/

Simply be with mystery

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to launch from the insight of philosophy and theology to the inner journey in the Presence of the Mystery.

Journey within

The reading from Acts outlines the experience of Paul in Athens and his Speech at the Areopagus.

* [17:22–31] In Paul’s appearance at the Areopagus he preaches his climactic speech to Gentiles in the cultural center of the ancient world. The speech is more theological than christological. Paul’s discourse appeals to the Greek world’s belief in divinity as responsible for the origin and existence of the universe. It contests the common belief in a multiplicity of gods supposedly exerting their powers through their images. It acknowledges that the attempt to find God is a constant human endeavor. It declares, further, that God is the judge of the human race, that the time of the judgment has been determined, and that it will be executed through a man whom God raised from the dead. The speech reflects sympathy with pagan religiosity, handles the subject of idol worship gently, and appeals for a new examination of divinity, not from the standpoint of creation but from the standpoint of judgment.1 

Psalm 148 is a hymn inviting the beings of heaven (Ps 148:1–6) and of earth (Ps 148:7–14) to praise God.

 * [Psalm 148] A hymn inviting the beings of heaven (Ps 148:1–6) and of earth (Ps 148:7–14) to praise God. The hymn does not distinguish between inanimate and animate (and rational) nature.2

Jesus declares the coming of the Advocate to reveal truth in the passage from the Gospel of John.

 * [16:13] Declare to you the things that are coming: not a reference to new predictions about the future, but interpretation of what has already occurred or been said.3

Amy Hoover spends more time in contemplative silence or time in nature. These practices allow her to withdraw whatever projections she has placed on the divine and simply be with mystery.

Lastly, I am reminded that although we find ourselves oftentimes groping for God, the Mystery that is the divine is where “we live and move and have our being.”  The Mystery is right here within us and around us. So, as we go about our day today we might ask: What are we being called to let go of, our attachments and ideas about God, so that the Spirit can guide us in Truth to experience the Mystery in all things?4 

Don Schwager quotes Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) who explains the progressive work of the Spirit, with citations on love and knowing from 1 Corinthians 13, in guiding the disciples of Jesus in all the truth.

"Accordingly, when he says, 'He will teach you all truth' or 'will guide you into all truth,' I do not think the fulfillment is possible in anyone's mind in this present life. For who is there, while living in this corruptible and soul-oppressing body (Wisdom 9:15), that can know all truth when even the apostle says, 'We know in part'? But it is effected by the Holy Spirit, of whom we have now received the promise (2 Corinthians 1:21), that we shall attain also to the actual fullness of knowledge that the same apostle references when he says, 'But then face to face' and 'Now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known' (1 Corinthians 13:12). He is not talking about something he knows fully in this life but about something that would still be in the future when he would attain that perfection. This is what the Lord promised us through the love of the Spirit, when he said, 'He will teach you all truth' or 'will guide you unto all truth.'" (TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 96.4)5 

The Word Among Us Meditation on Acts 17:15, 22–18:1 comments that If Paul needed a community of believers shoring him up, so do we!

Far from being a lone ranger, Paul was a team player who saw the value in community. Consider one of the metaphors that Paul used to describe the Church: a body composed of many members, each of which was vital to the body’s functioning (1 Corinthians 12:12).6 

The Novalis Living with Christ website quotes Thomas Merton, “Ultimately, faith is the only key to the universe.”

Friar Jude Winkler relates the progress of the speech of Paul at the Athens “Areopagus” from acceptable to rejection by his audience. Pseudo Dionysius’ Apophatic theology method is that anything we teach falls short because God is filled with mystery that we are not to over define or pin down. He is loosely connected to the Acts Dionysius disciple. Friar Jude notes the Gospel message that the Spirit will guide us into all truth and call us to remain in Father and Son resonates with the understanding of Augustine that we must look within.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that Christians in the West have focused on abstract ideas instead of actual transformation into our own incarnate humanity. Now that very humanity has grown tired of disembodied spiritualities that allow no validation or verification in experience.

For example, insisting on a literal belief in the virgin birth of Jesus is very good theological symbolism, but unless it translates into a spirituality of interior poverty, readiness to conceive, and human vulnerability, it is largely a “mere lesson memorized” as Isaiah puts it (29:13). It “saves” no one. Likewise, an intellectual belief that Jesus rose from the dead is a good start, but until you are struck by the realization that the crucified and risen Jesus is a parable about the journey of all humans, and even the universe, it is a rather harmless—if not harmful—belief that will leave you and the world largely unchanged.7 

The Mystery in which we are invited to simply dwell is explored through inner journeys and basic initiation experiences that Fr Richard senses are often considered peripheral to “true religion.”

References

1	(n.d.). Acts, chapter 17 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved May 29, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/acts/17
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 148 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved May 29, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/148
3	(n.d.). John, chapter 16 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved May 29, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/john/16
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved May 29, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved May 29, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). 6th Week of Easter - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily Meditations .... Retrieved May 29, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/05/29/
7	(2019, May 29). Meeting Christ Within Us Archives — Center for Action and .... Retrieved May 29, 2019, from https://cac.org/going-to-the-depths-2019-05-29/

Spirit of consolation and conviction

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today urge us to contemplate the role of the Holy Spirit in awakening us to opportunities for humility and service as Jesus disciples.

Inspired day

In the Reading from Acts, the Spirit works with the Imprisonment of Paul and Silas at Philippi.

* [16:11–40] The church at Philippi became a flourishing community to which Paul addressed one of his letters (see Introduction to the Letter to the Philippians).1 

Psalm 138 is a thanksgiving to God, who came to the rescue of the psalmist. This is a public act that stirs the surrounding nations to praise God’s greatness and care for the people.

* [Psalm 138] A thanksgiving to God, who came to the rescue of the psalmist. Divine rescue was not the result of the psalmist’s virtues but of God’s loving fidelity (Ps 138:1–3). The act is not a private transaction but a public act that stirs the surrounding nations to praise God’s greatness and care for the people (Ps 138:4–6). The psalmist, having experienced salvation, trusts that God will always be there in moments of danger (Ps 138:7–8).2 

In the Gospel from John Jesus announces His Departure and the Coming of the Advocate to build conviction.

* [16:8–11] These verses illustrate the forensic character of the Paraclete’s role: in the forum of the disciples’ conscience he prosecutes the world. He leads believers to see (a) that the basic sin was and is refusal to believe in Jesus; (b) that, although Jesus was found guilty and apparently died in disgrace, in reality righteousness has triumphed, for Jesus has returned to his Father; (c) finally, that it is the ruler of this world, Satan, who has been condemned through Jesus’ death (Jn 12:32).3 

Michael Cherney wonders how often his statements and action were instead a function of his own ego, a wish to be admired at work or even a desire to be the center of attention.

In the Tale of the Two Wolves, a Cherokee elder describes the conflict that might be found inside of everyone. There is the bad wolf embodying envy, greed and resentment. There is also the good wolf embodying humility, empathy and compassion. A young boy asks the elder which wolf will win. The elder responds “the one that gets fed”... My prayer today is to feed the good wolf being more aware of all of its subtleties and remembering that Jesus did not abandon his disciples; he promised them the Advocate, the Spirit.4 

Don Schwager quotes “Whatever is not of faith is sin,” by Saint Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"When the Lord said of the Holy Spirit, 'He shall convict the world of sin,' he meant unbelief. For this is what he meant when he said, “Of sin because they believed not on me.' And he means the same when he says, 'If I had not come and spoken to them, they should not have sin.' (John 15:22). He was not talking about [a time] before they had no sin. Rather, he wanted to indicate that very lack of faith by which they did not believe him even when he was present to them and speaking to them. These were the people who belonged to 'the prince of the power of the air, who now works in the children of unbelief' (Ephesians 2:2). Therefore those in whom there is no faith are the children of the devil because they have nothing in their inner being that would cause them to be forgiven for whatever is committed either by human infirmity, ignorance or any evil will whatever. But the children of God are those who certainly, if they should 'say that they have no sin, deceive themselves, and the truth is not in them,' but immediately (as it continues) 'when they confess their sins' (which the children of the devil do not do, or do not do according to the faith which is peculiar to the children of God), 'he is faithful and just to forgive them their sins and to cleanse them from all unrighteousness'" (1 John 1:9). (excerpt from AGAINST TWO LETTERS OF THE PELAGIANS 3.4)5 

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 16:5-11 comments that Jesus had just told his friends that he was about to be put to death. It’s natural to expect fear and grief to overwhelm them. Not only was their leader about to leave them—apparently without ushering in the kingdom they were waiting for—but their lives could also be in danger. And yet he tells them that it’s better for them that all of this happen. How is that possible? The answer, as in so many other passages, is the Holy Spirit.

Guess what? The Holy Spirit wasn’t just for the early Church. He’s in you as well! He is also at work in your family, your neighborhood, and your workplace. He’s there to help you understand God’s word in a deeper way. He’s there to help you listen patiently to someone who is hurting and feels alone. He’s there to inspire you with a solution for a persistent problem. He’s there to give you the strength to walk through the problems that have no solution. And through it all, he is there to help you love Jesus more.6 

Friar Jude Winkler is inspired that the Spirit turned the curse of imprisonment of Paul and Silas into the blessing of conversion for the jailer and his family. Our openness to Spirit creates the opportunity for everything we do to be an occasion for charity. Friar Jude reminds us of the dualism in John’s Gospel where sin is not believing in Jesus and the Cross is the defeat of hate by Love.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, exhorts that If we can trust and listen to our inner divine image, our whole-making instinct, or our True Self, we will act from our best, largest, kindest, most inclusive self. He would also like to add “our most compassionately dissatisfied self” because the soul’s journey invites us to infinite depth that we can never fully plumb!

We must learn how to recognize the positive flow and to distinguish it from the negative resistance within ourselves. It takes years of practice. If a voice comes from accusation and leads to accusation, it is quite simply the voice of the “Accuser,” which is the literal meaning of the biblical word “Satan.” Shaming, accusing, or blaming is simply not how God talks. God is supremely nonviolent. God only cajoles, softens, and invites us into an always bigger field and it is always a unified field.7 

Life in the Spirit turns difficulties into opportunities to experience Grace as we strive to follow the inspiration to feed the Good Wolf.

References

1	(n.d.). Acts, chapter 16 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved May 28, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/acts/16
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 138 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved May 28, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/138
3	(n.d.). John, chapter 16 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved May 28, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/john/16
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved May 28, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved May 28, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). Meditations - The Word Among Us. Retrieved May 28, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/05/28
7	(2019, May 28). The Voice of God — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved May 28, 2019, from https://cac.org/the-voice-of-god-2019-05-28/

Receiving and rejecting

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today offer insight into the growth of the Church and the consequential rejection of followers by those who have not known Jesus.

Witness on Main St.

In the reading from Acts we hear of the encounter of Paul with Lydia as the apostle goes into Europe.

* [16:10–17] This is the first of the so-called “we-sections” in Acts, where Luke writes as one of Paul’s companions. The other passages are Acts 20:5–15; 21:1–18; 27:1–28:16. Scholars debate whether Luke may not have used the first person plural simply as a literary device to lend color to the narrative. The realism of the narrative, however, lends weight to the argument that the “we” includes Luke or another companion of Paul whose data Luke used as a source1. 

Psalm 149 is a hymn inviting the people of Israel to celebrate their God in song.

* [Psalm 149] A hymn inviting the people of Israel to celebrate their God in song and festive dance (Ps 149:1–3, 5) because God has chosen them and given them victory (Ps 149:4). The exodus and conquest are the defining acts of Israel; the people must be ready to do again those acts in the future at the divine command (Ps 149:6–9).2 

In the Gospel from John, Jesus warns His disciples of their hour of persecution at the hands of those who do not know Him.

 * [16:2] Hour: of persecution, not Jesus’ “hour” (see note on Jn 2:4).3

Luis Rodriguez, S.J. underlines that we know people by being with and interacting with them... the witness could not be understood by those who knew neither the Father nor Jesus and that resulted in persecution that was even colored as service of God.

When on November 16, 1989 six Jesuits and two coworkers were murdered by the military at the Catholic University of San Salvador, those planning the killing made reality this warning of Jesus to his disciples. In his book Companions of Jesus Fr. Jon Sobrino, S.J. informs us that:

The actual murders themselves were decided during a high-level meeting of the National Intelligence Directorate the night of the shootings... The meeting finally ended at about 11:00 p.m. with the men joining hands together for prayer. They prayed that God in his goodness and mercy would protect them (the military) and come to their aid in their time of need.

Was Jesus right, when he said to the disciples: ...the hour is coming, when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God?4 

Don Schwager quotes “The Comforter is with us in our troubles,” by Cyril of Jerusalem, 430-543 A.D.

 "He is called the Comforter because he comforts and encourages us and helps our infirmities. We do not know what we should pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us, with groanings that cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26), that is, he makes intercession to God. Very often, someone has been outraged and dishonored unjustly for the sake of Christ. Martyrdom is at hand; tortures on every side, and fire, and sword, and savage beasts and the pit. But the Holy Spirit softly whispers to him, 'Wait on the Lord' (Psalm 27:14). What is now happening to you is a small matter; the reward will be great. Suffer a little while, and you will be with angels forever. 'The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that shall be revealed in us' (Romans 8:18). He portrays to the person the kingdom of heaven. He gives him a glimpse of the paradise of delight." (excerpt from CATECHETICAL LECTURES 16.20)5

The Word Among Us Meditation on Acts 16:11-15 comments that Lydia was a Gentile who worshipped the God of the Jews, but she listened closely to Paul’s preaching and allowed her heart to be opened further—to Jesus. God’s love for her awakened a new level of trust and action. Suddenly, she not only had the courage to invite the apostles into her house, but she persisted in asking them to stay with her. She didn’t care that they might see her true self.

 Don’t let your fear or pride stop you! Jesus always responds to our inner messes with love, mercy, and yes, a readiness to help. He is like that person who comes into your messy home and then happily lends you a hand.
So don’t worry about sharing those messy struggles with the Lord. Instead, let him help you clean them up, as any good friend would do.6

Friar Jude Winkler shares the background of the dream invitation to Paul that resulted in the establishment of a “house church” in Philippi. The ambiguity of the Greek word for Advocate allows the many facets of the Holy Spirit to be contemplated. Friar Jude identifies our persecution as making up for what is lacking in Christ’s suffering (Colossians 1.24) as the absence of the mystery of the Cross in our time.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, reminds us that Carl Jung, a supposed unbeliever, knew that any authentic God experience takes a lot of humble, honest, and patient seeking.

This is where embracing the Christ Mystery becomes utterly practical. Without the mediation of Christ, we will be tempted to overplay the distance and the distinction between God and humanity. But because of the incarnation, the supernatural is forever embedded in the natural, making the very distinction false. How good is that? This is why mystics like Hillesum, Jung, Augustine, Teresa of Ávila, Thomas Merton, and many others seem to equate the discovery of their own souls with the very discovery of God. It takes much of our life, much lived experience, to trust and allow such a process. But when it comes, it will feel like a calm and humble ability to quietly trust yourself and trust God at the same time. Isn’t that what we all want?7 

The rejection of the Way of humble love, mercy and compassion is rooted in lack of experience of the person of Jesus Incarnate.

References

1	(n.d.). Acts, chapter 16 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved May 27, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/acts/16
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 149 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved May 27, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/149
3	(n.d.). John, chapter 16 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved May 27, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/john/16
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved May 27, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved May 27, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). Meditations - The Word Among Us. Retrieved May 27, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/05/27/
7	(2019, May 27). God Speaks — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved May 27, 2019, from https://cac.org/god-speaks-2019-05-27/