The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary motivate us to consider the struggles we encounter as we follow the Way.
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The passage from Exodus describes the oppression initiated by the Pharaoh against the Israelites in Egypt.
* [1:8] Who knew nothing of Joseph: the nuance intended by the Hebrew verb “know” here goes beyond precise determination. The idea may be not simply that a new king came to power who had not heard of Joseph but that this king ignored the services that Joseph had rendered to Egypt, repudiating the special relationship that existed between Joseph and his predecessor on the throne.1
Psalm 124 is a thanksgiving which teaches that Israel’s very existence is owed to God who rescues them.
* [Psalm 124] A thanksgiving which teaches that Israel’s very existence is owed to God who rescues them. In the first part Israel’s enemies are compared to the mythic sea dragon (Ps 124:2b–3a; cf. Jer 51:34) and Flood (Ps 124:3b–5; cf. Is 51:9–10). The Psalm heightens the malice of human enemies by linking them to the primordial enemies of God’s creation. Israel is a bird freed from the trapper’s snare (Ps 124:6–8)—freed originally from Pharaoh and now from the current danger.2
In the Gospel from Matthew Jesus points to following Him as a cause of division. (USCCB link error http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/mark/10:34 should be http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/matthew/10:34 )
* [10:40–42] All who receive the disciples of Jesus receive him, and God who sent him, and will be rewarded accordingly.3
It seems to Sr. Candice Tucci, O.S.F. that it can be very confusing listening to the words of Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel.
when in fact it comes down to one thing, and that is living in loving relationships to the point of loving one’s enemies. In following Christ, this may mean differing opinions with those closest to us. It may mean “picking up one’s cross”. But LOVE makes all things possible as it is the way to deepen God’s life in each of us. Love is God’s life in each of us.4
James Morrisson is a retired law clerk to Chief Justice Stone of the SCOTUS. His essay identifies some divisions in views of Christianity.
I believe we are approaching what Scripture refers to as the end times. As we approach them, I believe the lines are being more sharply drawn between good and evil, between truth and falsity, between the one true God and other false "gods", and between theism and naturalism. We must choose. There is no middle ground. Jesus confronts us with the choice. He divides us and judges us according to how we have chosen.5
Don Schwager quotes “How peace requires a sword,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).
"What sort of peace is it that Jesus asks them to pronounce upon entering each house? And what kind of peace is it of which the angels sing, 'Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace'? And if Jesus came not to bring peace, why did all the prophets publish peace as good news? Because this more than anything is peace: when the disease is removed. This is peace: when the cancer is cut away. Only with such radical surgery is it possible for heaven to be reunited to earth. Only in this way does the physician preserve the healthy tissue of the body. The incurable part must be amputated. Only in this way does the military commander preserve the peace: by cutting off those in rebellion. Thus it was also in the case of the tower of Babel, that their evil peace was ended by their good discord. Peace therefore was accomplished. (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 35.1)6
The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 10:34–11:1 notes that Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel reading had an especially sharp edge for his first hearers: he seemed to be talking about severing family ties for the sake of the gospel... Jesus was using classical Jewish hyperbole—that is, an extravagant exaggeration—to make a point: our relationship with him needs to become the most important relationship in our lives.
Most people are concerned about what their family members think of them and how to please their parents or children, and this is good. However, sometimes we let these family concerns override or crowd out our relationship with Jesus. Such concerns can dominate us so much that, for all practical purposes, we set Jesus aside and try to please our family more than we seek to please the Lord. When this happens, we risk looking to the wrong source for our fulfillment and our ability to love our families.7
A Post by Franciscan Media describes the struggle of the Saint of the Day, Saint Bonaventure, to unite the pastoral, practical aspects of life with the doctrines of the Church.
Saint Bonaventure’s teaching career came to a halt when the Friars elected him to serve as their General Minister. His 17 years of service were not easy as the Order was embroiled in conflicts over the interpretation of poverty. Some friars even ended up in heresy saying that Saint Francis and his community were inaugurating the era of the Holy Spirit which was to replace Jesus, the Church, and Scripture. But because he was a man of prayer and a good administrator, Saint Bonaventure managed to structure the Order through effective legislation. But more importantly, he offered the Friars an organized spirituality based on the vision and insights of Saint Francis. Always a Franciscan at heart and a mystical writer, Bonaventure managed to unite the pastoral, practical aspects of life with the doctrines of the Church. Thus, there is a noticeable warmth to his teachings and writings that make him very appealing.8
Friar Jude Winkler looks at aspects of the history of the Israelites in Egypts leading to the attempted genocide. We will be opposed as we hold on to Jesus. Friar Jude shares the sayings that apply to emissaries of Jesus.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, When I use the word “mystical” I am referring to experiential knowing instead of just intellectual, textbook, or dogmatic knowing. A mystic sees things in their wholeness, connection, and union, not only their particularity. Mystics get a whole gestalt in one picture, beyond the sequential and separated way of seeing that most of us encounter in everyday life.
And what is the big message, the great good news? I try to explain it in my book The Universal Christ. There is a well-hidden Mystery that’s true everywhere, and only the sincere seekers find it. People may have different names for this Mystery, but I don’t think God minds what we call God as long as it helps us focus on our radical unity while honoring our differences. Mystics—and all mature spirituality—recognize that the dignity in people and created things is inherent, equally shared, and objective. “You were chosen in Christ from the beginning before the world began” (Ephesians 1:4). This dignity is not created by moral behavior or sacraments. It’s the universally shared image of God, already present (see Genesis 1:26-27). Humans are just the lucky ones who can bring this to consciousness. Sacraments just help us do that.9
I sense that common ground between divided groups is a goal that may be achieved through the Spirit acting in the mystic personality as lived by Bonaventure and practiced by Father Richard. The Big Picture contains the soil of common ground.
References
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(n.d.). Exodus, chapter 1 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved July 15, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/exodus/1
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(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 124 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved July 15, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/124
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(n.d.). Matthew, chapter 10 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved July 15, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/10
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(n.d.). Daily Reflections - OnlineMinistries .... Retrieved July 15, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
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(n.d.). Jesus the Divider - Scripture Insights. Retrieved July 15, 2019, from http://www.scriptureinsights.com/Divide.html
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(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 15, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
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(n.d.). Meditations - The Word Among Us. Retrieved July 15, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/07/15/
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(n.d.). Saint Bonaventure - Franciscan Media. Retrieved July 15, 2019, from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-bonaventure/
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9
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(2019, July 15). Experiential Knowing — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 15, 2019, from https://cac.org/experiential-knowing-2019-07-15/
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