The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary challenge us to contemplate the tension we experience between living in loving relationships and yielding to the weakness in our virtues to maintain our false self.
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| Straight and narrow |
The reading from the Book of Sirach portrays the Jewish hero, David, as one as great as any nationally prominent personage.
* [47:1–11] An idealized portrait of David; cf. 1 Chronicles.1
Psalm 18 has reports of rescue, from a heavenly perspective, and from an earthly perspective.
* [Psalm 18] A royal thanksgiving for a military victory, duplicated in 2 Sm 22. Thanksgiving Psalms are in essence reports of divine rescue. The Psalm has two parallel reports of rescue, the first told from a heavenly perspective (Ps 18:5–20), and the second from an earthly perspective (Ps 18:36–46). The first report adapts old mythic language of a cosmic battle between sea and rainstorm in order to depict God’s rescue of the Israelite king from his enemies. Each report has a short hymnic introduction (Ps 18:2–4, 32–36) and conclusion (Ps 18:21–31, 47–50).2
The Gospel from Mark relates the poor decision of Herod that led to the death of John the Baptist.
* [6:17–29] Similarities are to be noted between Mark’s account of the imprisonment and death of John the Baptist in this pericope, and that of the passion of Jesus (Mk 15:1–47). Herod and Pilate, each in turn, acknowledges the holiness of life of one over whom he unjustly exercises the power of condemnation and death (Mk 6:26–27; 15:9–10, 14–15). The hatred of Herodias toward John parallels that of the Jewish leaders toward Jesus. After the deaths of John and of Jesus, well-disposed persons request the bodies of the victims of Herod and of Pilate in turn to give them respectful burial (Mk 6:29; 15:45–46).3
Mike Cherney notes the readings spend much time on royalty (a popular media topic in recent weeks). His reflection leads him to consider how individuals respond when criticized over their actions. The two kings in today’s readings were each reminded of the sinful nature of their promiscuity by a prophet.
Looking at my own life, I recognize that I do not take correction much better. I often initially have a sense of being damaged. Depending on how justified I eventually feel the criticism is, I tend to end up carrying a grudge or I have feelings of failure in my work on this earth. I can be my own staunchest critic. I find it easy to relate to the line from the movie The Two Popes in which Cardinal Bergoglio says “It's not easy to entrust oneself to God's mercy. I know He has a very special capacity for forgetting our mistakes. God forgets, but I don't.”4
Don Schwager quotes “The Weakness of the Tyrant and the Power of the Beheaded,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).
"Note well the weakness of the tyrant compared to the power of the one in prison. Herod was not strong enough to silence his own tongue. Having opened it, he opened up countless other mouths in its place and with its help. As for John, he immediately inspired fear in Herod after his murder - for fear was disturbing Herod's conscience to such an extent that he believed John had been raised from the dead and was performing miracles (Mark 6:14-16)! In our own day and through all future time, throughout all the world, John continues to refute Herod, both through himself and through others. For each person repeatedly reading this Gospel says: 'It is not lawful for you to have the wife of Philip your brother' (Mark 6:18). And even apart from reading the Gospel, in assemblies and meetings at home or in the market, in every place... even to the very ends of the earth, you will hear this voice and see that righteous man even now still crying out, resounding loudly, reproving the evil of the tyrant. He will never be silenced nor the reproof at all weakened by the passing of time." (excerpt from ON THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD 22.8-9)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Sirach 47:2-11 asks what about David’s adultery with Bathsheba? His conspiracy to have Uriah abandoned and killed in battle? Wouldn’t this suggest a darker portrait, stained with sin? It seems as if there are two faces to David.
David truly was a “man after [God’s] own heart” (Acts 13:22). But there’s no denying that his sins had a terrible impact on himself, his family, and all of Israel. Ben Sira was a masterful portrait artist, and he knew what he was doing when he chose to highlight David’s love for God over his grievous sins. When David fell into sin, he turned back to God, and “the Lord forgave him his sins” (Sirach 47:11). David still had to live with the consequences of what he had done, but he didn’t have to do it alone. God kept his covenant with David and with Israel. The Lord never forgot his promises. Eventually, he even established Jesus—a descendant of King David—as the One to bring redemption and healing, not only to Israel, but to the whole world.
Our lives may not hold the radical contrast of light and shadow that David’s did, but we all have our bright and dark “faces.” Even so, we can all experience the mercy that David experienced. That’s because God has made provision for our waywardness. He has given us the great gift of repentance in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.6
Friar Jude Winkler explains the exclusion of Sirach from the Jewish and Protestant Bible before copies of the manuscript in Hebrew were discovered. The Gospel sets a warning against poor promises and decisions made to save face. Friar Jude explains the two relics of the head of John the Baptist allegedly in Rome.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments Franciscan alternative orthodoxy emphasized mysticism over morality. Moralism is the task of low-level religion, concerned with creating an ego identity that seemingly places us on moral high ground. But moralism is normally not a primary concern for love, the focus of mature spirituality. Scripture, Jesus, the mystics, and the saints recognized that the goal of religion is not a perfect moral stance, but union with God. Mysticism is about connection not perfection. [1] Perfectionism always leads to individualism—as if the individual could ever be perfect.
Eco-spirituality could be considered another gift of Franciscan alternative orthodoxy. Saint Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of ecology because he granted animals, elements, and the earth subjectivity, respect, and mutuality. In his Canticle of the Creatures, Francis the mystic describes a participatory universe in which God loves and cares for us through Brother Sun, Sister Moon, Brothers Wind and Air, Sister Water, Brother Fire, and “through our sister, Mother Earth.” [2] At the same time, God receives praise, honor, glory, and blessing through each of God’s creations. On the mystical level, Francis could see the transformational power of Love’s presence within all creation.
I often wonder if the one thing we all share in common—our planet—could ultimately bring us all together. We stand on this same “sister, Mother Earth” and we look up at this same Brother Sun and Sister Moon. Could it be that the Mystery of God is already hidden and revealed here? I believe so.7
Living in an intimate relationship with Christ is a Way to illuminate our path and rely on the Mystical Spirit to guide our decisions.
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