The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today warn of the conditions in our environment that threaten to distract us from living as disciples of Jesus.
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| Evil in our environment |
The reading from the Prophet Joel is a call to repentance and prayer as we cry out to the Lord in prayer.
* [1:15] As in Am 5:18–20, the day of the Lord in Joel’s first speech brings punishment, not victory, for Judah. In his second speech, this event means victory for those faithful to the Lord and death for the nations who are the Lord’s enemies. Almighty: Hebrew shaddai. There is wordplay between shod (“destruction”) and shaddai.1
Psalm 9 states loosely connected themes including the rescue of the helpless poor from their enemies, God’s worldwide judgment and rule over the nations, and the psalmist’s own concern for rescue.
* [Psalms 9–10] Ps 9 and Ps 10 in the Hebrew text have been transmitted as separate poems but they actually form a single acrostic poem and are so transmitted in the Greek and Latin tradition. Each verse of the two Psalms begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet (though several letters have no corresponding stanza). The Psalm states loosely connected themes: the rescue of the helpless poor from their enemies, God’s worldwide judgment and rule over the nations, the psalmist’s own concern for rescue (Ps 9:14–15).2
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus clarifies His distance from Beelzebul and consciousness of the possibility of return of unclean spirits.
* [11:19] Your own people: the Greek reads “your sons.” Other Jewish exorcists (see Acts 19:13–20), who recognize that the power of God is active in the exorcism, would themselves convict the accusers of Jesus. See also note on Mt 12:27.3
Ronald Fussell asserts that the message is clear, we cannot be for life with Christ if our actions reveal our hearts to be confused on the matter.
I spent some time reflecting on who I am in the crowd that Jesus acknowledges in today’s reading. How often do I question the motivations of others who do good things? How might that disposition divide the houses of which I am a part? As I view today’s Gospel through these lenses, I recall those relationships in my life that may be strained, the effect that this has on those around me, and the reality that the quality of those relationships is always for something greater. Today’s Gospel teaches us to be bold and fearless, committed to the reality that our collective work is for Him and His Kingdom here on Earth.4
Don Schwager quotes “Jesus has conquered Satan,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).
"[Jesus] has conquered the ruler of this world. Having, so to speak, hamstrung him and stripped him of the power he possessed, he has given him over for a prey to his followers. He says, 'The strong man, being armed, guards his house; all his goods are in peace. But when one who is stronger than he shall come on him and overcome him, he takes away all his armor wherein he trusted and divides his spoil.' This is a plain demonstration and type of the matter depicted after the manner of human affairs... Before the coming of the Savior, he was in great power, driving and shutting up in his own stall flocks that were not his own but belonging to God over all. He was like some voracious and most insolent robber. Since the Word of God who is above all, the Giver of all might and Lord of powers attacked him, having become man, all his goods have been plundered and his spoil divided. Those of old who had been ensnared by him into ungodliness and error have been called by the holy apostles to the acknowledgment of the truth and been brought near to God the Father by faith in his Son." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 81)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Joel 1:13-15; 2:1-2 recalls in the year 2000, at the start of the new millennium, Pope St. John Paul II celebrated a special Mass for Pardon, in which he led the congregation in prayers of repentance for the sins of God’s people over the past two thousand years.
That’s the beauty and the power of intercessory prayer, and it’s not limited just to priests! Each one of us can imitate these ministers of the Temple and bridge the gap for people who might not be able or willing to come to the Lord themselves. We offer prayers of repentance, thanksgiving, or worship on behalf of a son or daughter, teacher or student, coworker or cousin who needs help or has wandered far from the Lord.6
Friar Jude Winkler fleshes out the sense of the Day of the Lord. All around us greed, gossip, and superiority are contained in an evil environment. Friar Jude reminds us of the dangers of lack of attention to moving from our evil habits.
A post by Franciscan Media about Saint John XXIII, Saint of the Day for October 11, recalls his address at the opening of the Second Vatican Council, where he criticized the “prophets of doom” who “in these modern times see nothing but prevarication and ruin.” Pope John XXIII set a tone for the Council when he said, “The Church has always opposed… errors. Nowadays, however, the Spouse of Christ prefers to make use of the medicine of mercy rather than that of severity.”
Throughout his life, Angelo Roncalli cooperated with God’s grace, believing that the job at hand was worthy of his best efforts. His sense of God’s providence made him the ideal person to promote a new dialogue with Protestant and Orthodox Christians, as well as with Jews and Muslims.7
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, quotes theologian and biblical scholar Walter Wink “They were discerning the actual spirituality at the center of the political, economic and cultural institutions of their day. . . . I use the expression ‘the Domination System’ to indicate what happens when an entire network of Powers becomes integrated around idolatrous values [like greed and superiority].” [1] . . .
Wink writes: “The Powers are good. The Powers are fallen. The Powers must be redeemed.” [2] While recognizing the demonic in each of the institutions (mayor and bishop) involved, Francis also acknowledged the source of their creation and sought to restore them to the God-given purpose for which they were created. . . . Wink sees the Gospel as the alternative power to the Domination System. Francis brought this Gospel alternative to new life. . .8
Some institutional values in our society may need the kind of renewal initiated by Saint John XXIII to prevent them from leading us away from the Spirit and the example of Jesus.
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