Shining light

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with development of community and the sharing of the life of Christian relationships with all people. It is Davis Day, also known as Miners' Memorial Day, an annual day of remembrance in coal mining communities in Nova Scotia. The timeline of Nova Scotia coal mining runs through the history of my family.

Miners lamps shining through

The passage from Acts tells how Barnabas helped develop evangelization of the world from the Church at Antioch.

 * [13:1–3] The impulse for the first missionary effort in Asia Minor is ascribed to the prophets of the Antiochene community, under the inspiration of the holy Spirit. Just as the Jerusalem community had earlier been the center of missionary activity, so too Antioch becomes the center from which the missionaries Barnabas and Saul are sent out1

Psalm 98 is a hymn, similar to Ps 96, 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 Matthew, Jesus uses the Similes of Salt and Light in part of the Sermon on the Mount.

* [5:13–16] By their deeds the disciples are to influence the world for good. They can no more escape notice than a city set on a mountain. If they fail in good works, they are as useless as flavorless salt or as a lamp whose light is concealed.3 

Tom Lenz builds a timeline from the age of the water molecule until today wherein the last 14 seconds are the time after Christ. He connects with the lives of coal miners that work today unearthing an ancient carbon element.

It is often easy to feel disconnected from our past, and even from scripture. But, relative to our common home (the earth), we may not be as disconnected as we think. So, if I ever have doubts about the relevance and relatability of Jesus and his words and teachings in the world today, I just need to think back to what I was doing 14 seconds ago for the answers. He is a lot closer than we may realize. (By the way, the number 14 is my new favorite number.)4 

Don Schwager quotes “The Light of Truth,” by Chromatius (died 406 AD).

 The Lord has already called his disciples the "salt of the earth" because they seasoned with divine wisdom in the hearts of the human race which had been made tasteless by the devil. Now he also calls them the "light of the world." For, illumined by his very own self who is the true and eternal light, they too become light within the darkness. For since he himself is the sun of righteousness, he rightly also calls his disciples "light of the world." Through them, as if through shining rays, he poured the light of his knowledge on the entire world. For by showing the light of truth, the Lord's disciples made the darkness of error flee from people's hearts. (excerpt from TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 19.1.1-2)
[Note: Chromatius was an early Christian scholar and bishop of Aquileia, Italy. He was a close friend of John Chrysostom and Jerome. He died in 406 AD. Jerome described him as a "most learned and most holy man."] 5

The Word Among Us Meditation on Acts 11:21-26; 13:1-3 shares that St. Barnabas, one of the earliest missionaries, had many gifts, but one of his most valuable gifts was the ability to “see” what God was doing and to encourage it.

In every age of the Church, God raises up people like St. Barnabas. Think of saints who were mentored and encouraged by godly men and women: St. Ambrose and St. Augustine; St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal. Think of St. John XXIII, who saw that God wanted to renew the Church and took hold of it. Countless people, known and unknown, have had a domino effect on the history of the Church.
God wants to use you too as someone who can see his grace at work and embrace it. That might mean supporting a budding ministry in your parish, giving someone a second chance, or encouraging a son or daughter to develop and use their gifts for the Lord.6 

Friar Jude Winkler describes the community of Antioch invoking the Spirit through the laying on of hands. The fullness of life of school children going to recess is compared to the image of Catholics leaving Mass. Friar Jude explains that there is no contradiction in Matthew between shining lamp posts and your private secret prayer.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, observes that like the Christ Mystery itself, the deep feminine often works underground and in the shadows, and—from that position—creates a much more intoxicating message. While church and culture have often denied women roles, offices, and formal authority, the Divine Feminine has continued to exercise incredible power at the cosmic and personal levels.

If Christ and Jesus are the archetypes of what God is doing, Mary is the archetype of how to receive what God is doing and hand it on to others. In art, she is invariably offering Jesus to the observer or inviting us to come to him. We Catholics used to say “To Jesus through Mary” in the 1950s. It was poor theology but very effective psychology and pedagogy for many.7 

Fr Richard correctly identifies that the children of the 50’s in mining towns learned of the Divine through the women of the Sisters of Charity who taught in the Catholic Schools and the faith that radiated from miners who constantly worked one sudden mining tragedy away from death in the deeps.

References

1	(n.d.). Acts, chapter 13 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved June 11, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/acts/13
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 98 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved June 11, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/98:12
3	(n.d.). Matthew, chapter 5 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved June 11, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/5
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - OnlineMinistries - Creighton University. Retrieved June 11, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 11, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). Saint Barnabas, Apostle (Memorial) - Mass Readings and Catholic .... Retrieved June 11, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/06/11
7	(n.d.). The Deep Feminine — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved June 11, 2019, from https://cac.org/the-deep-feminine-2019-06-11/