The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with our human tendency to be slow to fully acquire the meaning as we encounter live events and “nudges” in our journey that may lead to fullness of life.
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| Listening for Love |
The reading from the Letter of James emphasizes that hearing the Word must be followed by doing the Word.
* [1:19–25] To be quick to hear the gospel is to accept it readily and to act in conformity with it, removing from one’s soul whatever is opposed to it, so that it may take root and effect salvation (Jas 1:19–21). To listen to the gospel message but not practice it is failure to improve oneself (Jas 1:22–24). Only conformity of life to the perfect law of true freedom brings happiness (Jas 1:25).1
In Psalm 15, the Israelite wishing to be admitted had to ask the Temple official what conduct was appropriate to God’s precincts.
* [Psalm 15] The Psalm records a liturgical scrutiny at the entrance to the Temple court (cf. Ps 24:3–6; Is 33:14b–16). The Israelite wishing to be admitted had to ask the Temple official what conduct was appropriate to God’s precincts. Note the emphasis on virtues relating to one’s neighbor.2
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus cures a blind man in two stages at Bethsaida.
* [8:22–26] Jesus’ actions and the gradual cure of the blind man probably have the same purpose as in the case of the deaf man (Mk 7:31–37). Some commentators regard the cure as an intended symbol of the gradual enlightenment of the disciples concerning Jesus’ messiahship.3
Michael Kavan notes that James asks us to be slow to anger... When we get angry while interacting with others our brain responds with an alarm system referred to as diffuse physiological arousal (DPA), which results in tunnel vision and tunnel hearing. Ever been in a heated argument with your partner and you can’t understand why he/she is so illogical? It’s because of DPA – our brains shut off and are not able to listen and process logically. So, take a deep breath, relax, reflect, and put yourself in the right frame of mind to listen to others and to God’s words.
Now, as difficult as these are, my fourth takeaway from James is even more challenging – and that is to not only be “hearers,” but more importantly, to be “doers.” As we see from our second reading today from Mark, like the blind man whose sight is restored, we are blessed to have the vision and the opportunity to act and to do the right thing according to the teachings of Jesus. We may not have opportunities to care for afflicted orphans or widows on a daily basis, but we can take measures to advocate and care for those most in need – the poor, those with medical and mental health problems, and those who are discriminated against – to name a few.
So, as we proceed with our day, I hope we can all make an effort to truly listen to not only each other, but to God, and then to become doers by following His word.4
In a SCANS course 'The Science of Mindfulness: How Mindfulness Affects our Bodies, Brains and Minds', developed and taught by Patricia McMullen of Dalhousie, we learned a STOP strategy when conflict is on the horizon (STOP, TAKE BREATHS, OBSERVE, PROCEED).
Don Schwager quotes “Through the divine word of Christ he received his sight,” attributed to Pseudo-Chrysostom, 5th century A.D.
"[Jesus] spat indeed, and put his hand upon the blind man, because he wished to show that wonderful are the effects of the Divine word added to action; for the hand is the symbol of working, but the spittle, of the word proceeding out of the mouth. Again he asked him whether he could see any thing, which he had not done in the case of any whom he had healed, thus showing that by the weak faith of those who brought him, and of the blind man himself, his eyes could not altogether be opened. There follows: 'And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees walking;' because he was still under the influence of unfaithfulness, he said that he saw men obscurely. From the commencement, however, of the return of his senses, he leads him to apprehend things by faith, and thus makes him see perfectly. He then goes on to say, After that, he put his hands again upon his eyes, and he began to see, and afterwards he adds, And he was restored, and saw all things clearly; he was perfectly healed in his senses and his intellect."(excerpt from a Commentary on Mark 8:22-25, attributed to Pseudo-Chrysostom, an early church father unknown today, but was ascribed for a time to John Chrysostom, 5th century AD)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 8:22-26 asks why would Mark include this “two step” healing in his Gospel? Maybe to show us something new about who God is and the way he works with us.
Throughout his Gospel, Mark reveals Jesus as a tireless Teacher whose disciples continually misunderstand who he is. Many scholars believe that the blind man’s progressive healing points to Jesus’ patience in helping his disciples to see. Jesus kept working with them, he kept working with the blind man, and he will keep working with us.
The same Jesus who drew the blind man aside with compassion seeks to be close to us today. He will persistently touch us, heal us, and listen to our needs. He will patiently help us to believe, until we see him face-to-face.6
Friar Jude Winkler comments that James advises us to bridle our tongue and practice learning from and listening to others as a prerequisite for action. Test gossip for truth, kindness, and helpfulness. Friar Jude reminds us that Mark deals with the confusion and rejection from encountering Jesus ”out of season” in the faith healings of this Gospel.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, quotes Thomas Keating [1] “We may think of prayer as thoughts or feelings expressed in words. But this is only one expression. . . . Prayer is the opening of mind and heart—our whole being—to God, the Ultimate Mystery, beyond thoughts, words, and emotions. Through grace we open our awareness to God whom we know by faith is within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than choosing—closer than consciousness itself. ”
Although Wisdom “work” and contemplative practice are not synonymous, I hope you can sense the resonance between the two paths. Each has the potential to open us up to greater love, compassion, and action through a conscious surrendering to greater knowing and the Great Knower. Whenever heart, mind, and body are all present and accounted for at the same time, when they are all “online” in the language of Wisdom, we can experience pure presence, a moment of deep inner connection with the pure, gratuitous Being of anything and everything. It may be experienced as a quiet leap of joy in the heart, absolute clarity in the mind, or a deep centeredness in the body.
Contemplation, like the Wisdom path, is an exercise in openness, in keeping all three spaces open long enough for us to notice other hidden material. When we can do that, we are content with the present moment and can then wait upon futures we know will be given by grace. This is “full-access knowing”—not irrational, but intuitive, both rational and trans-rational at the same time.7
The opening of mind, heart and being to Presence, particularly when conflict is anticipated, is a contemplative discipline that moves us, in steps, to modeling Jesus in our actions.
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