The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to live in a discipline of uprightness, faith and empathy.
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| Lest we forget |
This disposition is well suited to our contemplation of “Lest We Forget” on Remembrance Day.
The reading from the Book of Wisdom is an exhortation to uprightness that is portrayed as the key to life.
* [1:1] Righteousness: not merely the cardinal virtue of justice (cf. 8:7), but the universal moral quality which is the application of wisdom to moral conduct. You who judge: “judges” and “kings” (cf. 6:1) are addressed in accordance with the literary customs of the times and with the putative Solomonic authorship, but the real audience is the Jewish community.1
Our remembrance of the sacrifices of war connects with the inescapable God proclaimed in Psalm 139.
* [Psalm 139] A hymnic meditation on God’s omnipresence and omniscience. The psalmist is keenly aware of God’s all-knowing gaze (Ps 139:1–6), of God’s presence in every part of the universe (Ps 139:7–12), and of God’s control over the psalmist’s very self (Ps 139:13–16). Summing up Ps 139:1–16, 17–18 express wonder. There is only one place hostile to God’s rule—wicked people. The psalmist prays to be removed from their company (Ps 139:19–24).2
In the Gospel of Luke some sayings of Jesus inform our temptations to sin and our need of Faith.
* [17:3] Be on your guard: the translation takes Lk 17:3a as the conclusion to the saying on scandal in Lk 17:1–2. It is not impossible that it should be taken as the beginning of the saying on forgiveness in Lk 17:3b–4.3
Nancy Shirley did some reading about mustard trees and found some interesting aspects about them.
Mustard trees grow extremely large from that very tiny seed – they grow in a variety of climates – dry, hot climate or wet, cool climate. As a symbol of faith, it can be seen to survive in all circumstances, to rejuvenate even after the driest of times. It is said that even if the mustard tree is cut down to the trunk, it will regrow and be even stronger. Similarly, our faith can regain strength after being severely “pruned” and be even greater than before. The challenges that face us in our faith are not unlike the challenges that face all growing things. If we do align our faith journey with the mustard seed and its impressive tree, we will see that the tiniest seed will grow mighty and be able to survive various trials.4
Don Schwager quotes “To increase faith is to strengthen it by the Holy Spirit,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD) and Schwager notes that while Jesus warns against the danger of giving bad example and causing scandal, he also demonstrates the power of faith for overcoming obstacles and temptation to sin and wrongdoing.
"They ask, 'Add faith to us.' They do not ask simply for faith, for perhaps you might imagine them to be without faith. They rather ask Christ for an addition to their faith and to be strengthened in faith. Faith partly depends on us and partly is the gift of the divine grace. The beginning of faith depends on us and our maintaining confidence and faith in God with all our power. The confirmation and strength necessary for this comes from the divine grace. For that reason, since all things are possible with God, the Lord says that all things are possible for him who believes (Mark 9:23). The power that comes to us through faith is of God. Knowing this, blessed Paul also says in the first epistle to the Corinthians, 'For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit, and to another faith in the same Spirit' (1 Corinthians 12:8). You see that he has placed faith also in the catalogue of spiritual graces. The disciples requested that they might receive this from the Savior, contributing also what was of themselves. By the descent upon them of the Holy Spirit, he granted it to them after the fulfillment of the dispensation. Before the resurrection, their faith was so feeble that they were liable even to the charge of being 'little of faith'." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILIES 113-16)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 17:1-6 comments that all it takes is a mustard seed of faith to start forgiving.
But very often, it’s the little, everyday things that we need to forgive—the driver who cuts us off in traffic or the child who keeps leaving his laundry all around the house. That’s exactly where we can make progress! Take the faith that you have—even if it seems too small for the task—and do what you can. Take just one small step today. And then take another step tomorrow. And the next day. Eventually, your grip will loosen, and you’ll be able to let go. Just keep on praying, “Jesus, I don’t want to forgive, but I want to make a start and trust that you’ll help me over time.”6
Friar Jude Winkler explains the absence of the Book of Wisdom in the Hebrew and Reformed Canon. The Greek sense of God at the end of the universe is a theme connected to Wisdom. Friar Jude observes the perfect number 7 in the Gospel of Luke indicates our call to forgive an infinite number of times.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, presents the experience of Diana L. Hayes who truly knew a sword is piercing her heart in empathy with her son. Fr Richard often puzzled by the frequent use of heart imagery among our saints and in our art. Paintings of the “Sacred Heart of Jesus” and the “Immaculate Heart of Mary” are known to Catholics worldwide.
The lines above from Diana Hayes suggest an answer. Visual art speaks to us on a deeper level than our intellectual mind. Artists use color, form, line, and texture to bypass our normal defenses, stirring emotions that transcend language, explanation, time, and space. The blazing heart of Mary is undeniably united with the heart of her son. Even if we feel distanced from the divine suffering of Jesus, who cannot draw near to the parent of a suffering child? Humans are made to feel empathy, but sometimes fear or self-interest blocks the flow of love in us. Art can help us reconnect with our humanness.7
As we connect our hearts to the images of Remembrance today, we are challenged not to forget the enormous price paid by those who have sacrificed all to maintain “the true North, strong and free.”
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