Mercy is prescribed

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today nudge us to go beyond adhering to the rules of ritual and be open to the Spirit enriching our ritual with practice in Love.

Journey in mercy

The reading from the Book of Exodus is the Passover ritual as first prescribed.

 * [12:1–20] This section, which interrupts the narrative of the exodus, contains later legislation concerning the celebration of Passover.1

Psalm 116 is a thanksgiving with vows and Temple sacrifices (Ps 116:13–14, 17–19).

* [Psalm 116] A thanksgiving in which the psalmist responds to divine rescue from mortal danger (Ps 116:3–4) and from near despair (Ps 116:10–11) with vows and Temple sacrifices (Ps 116:13–14, 17–19). The Greek and Latin versions divide the Psalm into two parts: Ps 116:1–9 and Ps 116:10–19, corresponding to its two major divisions.2 

Jesus receives criticism from the Pharisees in Gospel from Matthew after His disciples are observed picking grain on the Sabbath.

* [12:8] The ultimate justification for the disciples’ violation of the sabbath rest is that Jesus, the Son of Man, has supreme authority over the law.3 

Tom Drzaic contemplates if he is blind to the signs and miracles that surround him.

Recent comments Pope Francis made on the Feast of Corpus Christi emphasized the need to avoid this. Pope Frances reminded us that in the Eucharist “It is Jesus, Jesus alive, but we must not get used to it: it must be every time as if it were our First Communion.”.  He also called on us to receive it “with gratitude,” and “not in a passive, habitual way.”...For me, a fantastic way to avoid such an attitude would be to fully and faithfully recognize the miracle of the Eucharist.  If approached with the attitude asked by Pope Francis, I know the Eucharist will naturally help inspire a life full of love, compassion and mercy, as opposed to one of judgement.4 

Don Schwager shares a Prayer of Francis of Assisi, 1182-1226

 "Lord, make us to walk in your way: Where there is love and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance; where there is patience and humility, there is neither anger nor annoyance; where there is poverty and joy, there is neither greed nor avarice; where there is peace and contemplation, there is neither care nor restlessness; where there is the fear of God to guard the dwelling, there no enemy can enter; where there is mercy and prudence, there is neither excess nor harshness; this we know through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."5

and quotes “The Seventh Day,” from the early Greek fathers, attributed to Eusebius of Alexandria (5th century AD).

"Now every week has seven days. Six of these God has given to us for work, and one for prayer, rest, and making reparation for our sins, so that on the Lord's Day we may atone to God for any sins we have committed on the other six days. Therefore, arrive early at the church of God; draw near to the Lord and confess your sins to him, repenting in prayer and with a contrite heart. Attend the holy and divine liturgy; finish your prayer and do not leave before the dismissal. Contemplate your master as he is broken and distributed, yet not consumed. If you have a clear conscience, go forward and partake of the body and blood of the Lord." (excerpt from SERMON 6, 1-2)5

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 12:1-8 asks about thinking of the Sabbath as a gift instead of a duty. That’s what it really is. God gave us the Sabbath so that we could take a break from the daily grind to worship him, relax in his presence, and find refreshment as we prepare for the week ahead.

 Some of the Pharisees in Jesus’ time gave in to a similar temptation. In their zeal for the Law of Moses, they turned the Sabbath into a long list of dos and don’ts and expected everyone else to follow them...  Don’t you miss out as well! Accept the Sabbath as God’s special gift to you. Treasure it as a source of renewal and restoration. Jesus wants to spend unhurried, leisurely time with you so that he can minister to you and so that you can get to know him in a deeper way. He wants to celebrate his resurrection with you and your parish family at Mass. He is also inviting you to reconnect with family and friends, to enjoy some recreation, or to just curl up with a good book. Let him give you the grace you need to accomplish all that he is calling you to do in the next six days.6

Friar Jude Winkler looks at the history of the Passover meal. The experience of the Passover, like the Eucharist, is to pass out of history into eternity and be present to the events. Friar Jude reminds that overly scrupulous interpretation of ritual law may move away from real life where Jesus shows mercy triumphs over sacrifice.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that out of the deserts came the first monasteries, intentional communities of Christians who sought to give their entire lives to God… But with the dawn of the modern era—and the social changes such as the Renaissance and the Reformation in particular—monasteries became less central to Catholic Christianity and were largely rejected by the Protestant churches, so in recent centuries more mystics have emerged who did not live in a cloister.

By the twentieth century, several important figures, such as Evelyn Underhill [1875–1941] and Karl Rahner [1904–1984], began to insist that mysticism was not just a special quality for the “elite” Christians found in abbeys or convents, but rather everyone is meant to be an “everyday mystic.” Indeed, Rahner, widely recognized as one of the greatest of twentieth-century theologians, famously remarked that “the Christian of the future will be a mystic or . . . will not exist at all.” [2] . . .7 

Fr Richard summarizes the reflection today sharing that our goal, therefore, is to learn . . . the curriculum of a truly spiritual life . . . grounded in love, mercy, tenderness, compassion, forgiveness, hope, trust, simplicity, silence, peace, and joy. To embody union with God is to discover these beautiful characteristics emerging from within and slowly transfiguring us.

References

1	(n.d.). Exodus, chapter 12 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved July 19, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/exodus/12
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 116 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved July 19, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/116
3	(n.d.). Matthew, chapter 12 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved July 19, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/12
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - OnlineMinistries - Creighton University. Retrieved July 19, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). 15th Week in Ordinary Time - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily .... Retrieved July 19, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/
6	(n.d.). 15th Week in Ordinary Time - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily .... Retrieved July 19, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/07/19/
7	(2019, July 19). The Mystical Heartbeat — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 19, 2019, from https://cac.org/the-mystical-heartbeat-2019-07-19/