Called for righteousness

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to accept the role of healer as Jesus models. The reading from the First Book of Samuel describes the events leading to Saul being chosen to be King. The first part of Psalm 21 is a thanksgiving. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus Calls Levi. Ronald Fussell comments that there is no doubt that the times in which we live now are challenging. Certainly, we should always be looking to strengthen Catholic culture.  Today’s Gospel passage inspired him to reflect on how we, as Christians, set out to build Catholic culture in contemporary society. Don Schwager quotes “No physician can avoid the arena of sickness,” by Gregory of Nazianzus (330 - 390 AD). The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 2:13-17 asks how could Jesus be sharing a table with tax collectors and other “undesirables”? Doesn’t he believe the teachings of the Torah that call Israelites to separate themselves from the unclean? Friar Jude Winkler comments on the path of Saul from anointed as king to his failure to exercise authority in a godly way. The Pharisees are inhibited by an ethic of the contagion of sin. Friar Jude reminds us of our mission to love those who most need it. Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that our human senses of hearing, seeing, tasting, smelling, and touching are five distinct ways of knowing or experiencing the same thing, but in very different “languages.” True spirituality always brings us back to the original bodily knowing that is unitive experience. We cannot do all our thinking with our minds! During times of stress, remembering how to come back to our bodies can be tremendously beneficial. The following practice from meditation teacher Lorin Roche helps us connect with each of our senses and encounter something through each. As disciples of Jesus we need to prepare to respond to the needs of others with loving action.