The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today shine a light on the nature of faith as a response to the invitation of God to embark on a life journey that is the adventure that transforms our relationships to God, people and Creation.
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| The faith adventure |
The passage from the Book of Numbers illustrates God dealing with the grumblers.
* [14:28–29] God punished the grumblers by giving them their wish; cf. v. 2. Their lack of trust in God is cited in 1 Cor 10:10 and Heb 3:12–18 as a warning for Christians.1
In Psalm 106 the speaker invites national repentance by reciting from Israel’s history… instances of sin, judgment, and forgiveness.
* [Psalm 106] Israel is invited to praise the God whose mercy has always tempered judgment of Israel (Ps 106:1–3). The speaker, on behalf of all, seeks solidarity with the people, who can always count on God’s fidelity despite their sin (Ps 106:4–5). Confident of God’s mercy, the speaker invites national repentance (Ps 106:6) by reciting from Israel’s history… instances of sin, judgment, and forgiveness. The sins are the rebellion at the Red Sea (Ps 106:6–12; see Ex 14–15), the craving for meat in the desert (Ps 106:13–15; see Nm 11), the challenge to Moses’ authority (Ps 106:16–18; see Nm 16), the golden calf episode (Ps 106:19–23; see Ex 32–34),..2
The Gospel from Matthew presents the chutzpah in the Canaanite Woman’s faith.
* [15:28] As in the case of the cure of the centurion’s servant (Mt 8:10), Matthew ascribes Jesus’ granting the request to the woman’s great faith, a point not made equally explicit in the Marcan parallel (Mk 7:24–30).3
Mary Lee Brock comments that the Canaanite woman shows that by staying steadfast and grounded much can be accomplished.
We all share a desire to be heard and to be seen for who we are. I pray to be available to people who might appear to be “shouting” at me. I ask God to remind me that they feel strongly about their position and fear what might happen in the future. With God’s guidance I can develop a stance of compassion and invite the open and honest communication that I deeply value. This is a good way to “be careful.”4
Don Schwager comments that Jesus, no doubt, spoke with a smile to the Canaanite woman rather than with an insult because this woman immediately responds with wit and faith - "even the dogs eat the crumbs". He quotes “The Mother of the Gentiles,” by Epiphanius the Latin (late 5th century) as a more symbolic interpretation of this Gospel event.
"After our Lord departed from the Jews, he came into the regions of Tyre and Sidon. He left the Jews behind and came to the Gentiles. Those whom he had left behind remained in ruin; those to whom he came obtained salvation in their alienation. And a woman came out of that territory and cried, saying to him, 'Have pity on me, O Lord, Son of David!' O great mystery! The Lord came out from the Jews, and the woman came out from her Gentile territory. He left the Jews behind, and the woman left behind idolatry and an impious lifestyle. What they had lost, she found. The one whom they had denied in the law, she professed through her faith. This woman is the mother of the Gentiles, and she knew Christ through faith. Thus on behalf of her daughter (the Gentile people) she entreated the Lord. The daughter had been led astray by idolatry and sin and was severely possessed by a demon." (excerpt from INTERPRETATION OF THE GOSPELS 58)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 15:21-28 observes that the Canaanite woman dug in and asked Jesus over and over again, until she was literally begging him to heal her daughter. She wouldn’t take no for an answer, not from the disciples and not even from Jesus himself! With heroic faith, she pressed him for the miracle that she knew he could accomplish—and he did it!
Let this mother’s faith inspire you. Maybe your daughter is struggling with her faith or with a serious illness. Or a grandchild or nephew needs direction in his life, but he won’t accept your help. You can’t fix the situation, and you don’t know how to help. Don’t give up! Bring your needs to Jesus as this mother did. Refuse to take no for an answer. Don’t let other people’s pessimism bring you down. Instead, push through every doubting thought, every voice that says you’re too weak, and exercise your extreme faith.6
In March 2019, Bishop Barron was interviewed by Dr. Jordan Peterson for the Jordan B. Peterson Podcast. An interesting discussion on faith as a journey starts at about 1 hour and 30 minutes (1:30) into the podcast as Peterson and Bishop Barron focus on faith development for women and concludes with a statement of faith as accepting a journey under Providence.
Dr. Peterson has appeared on many popular podcasts and shows, including the Joe Rogan Experience (#877, #958, #1006), The Rubin Report (12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos, Free Speech, Psychology, Gender Pronouns), H3H3 (#37), and many more. He is currently working on a new book, tentatively titled 12 More Rules for Life: Beyond Mere Order, slated for publication in early 2020, and starting a company devoted to producing a universal online adaptive education system.7
Friar Jude Winkler explores the rebellion of the Israelites after the spies return. A pagan woman using chutzpah brings a faith message to Jewish Christians. Friar Jude points to being open to those we might initially reject.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares a definition from Bernard McGinn that Mysticism is a special consciousness of the presence of God that by definition exceeds description and results in a transformation of the subject who receives it. Beverly Lanzetta, a contemporary theologian and monk within universal spirituality, shares the practical implications of mysticism.
Mysticism also refers to a universal and unifying view of the world. One of the quintessential insights of the mystics through the centuries is that the entire cosmos is intersubjective—all beings are embedded in webs of relationship that are interconnected, interdependent, and constantly being co-created and reinvented. Today, mystical awareness expands to incorporate our relationships, and also our collective religious and spiritual inheritance, the whole of humanity, creation, and the cosmos. It extends to the suffering of the planet, wounding of the soul, and violence caused by religious superiority, national self-interest, poverty, homelessness, starvation, and war. The theme of oneness is so common in mystical literature that I consider it to be a fundamental attribute of consciousness.8
Our journey in pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty develops faith and may be an opportunity to experience the unity and connectedness known by the mystics.
References
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