The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite contemplation of the concept of God’s time as different from ours as we often find when expecting help.
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| Waiting for Grace |
The reading from the First Book of Kings describes how Elijah meets God at Horeb and experiences a theophany and receives a commission.
* [19:1–21] The story of Elijah’s journey to Mount Horeb begins as a flight from danger, but takes a surprising turn. The prophet makes his solitary way to the mountain where the Lord had appeared to Moses and the Israelites (“Horeb” is an alternate name for “Sinai”). Like Moses on the holy mountain, Elijah experiences a theophany and receives a commission.1
Psalm 27 urges us to wait for the Lord.
* [Psalm 27] Tradition has handed down the two sections of the Psalm (Ps 27:1–6; 7–14) as one Psalm, though each part could be understood as complete in itself. Asserting boundless hope that God will bring rescue (Ps 27:1–3), the psalmist longs for the presence of God in the Temple, protection from all enemies (Ps 27:4–6). In part B there is a clear shift in tone (Ps 27:7–12); the climax of the poem comes with “I believe” (Ps 27:13), echoing “I trust” (Ps 27:3).2
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus' teaching concerning adultery and divorce often leaves us seeking more.
* [5:31–32] See Dt 24:1–5. The Old Testament commandment that a bill of divorce be given to the woman assumes the legitimacy of divorce itself. It is this that Jesus denies. (Unless the marriage is unlawful): this “exceptive clause,” as it is often called, occurs also in Mt 19:9, where the Greek is slightly different. There are other sayings of Jesus about divorce that prohibit it absolutely (see Mk 10:11–12; Lk 16:18; cf. 1 Cor 7:10, 11b), and most scholars agree that they represent the stand of Jesus.3
Nancy Shirley asks “How often have we asked, why me?”... perhaps we are better served to ask “what am I to learn from this, what strength am I to gain from this struggle?”
Nothing is a mistake; there are no coincidences with God. I am not denying that at times our willfulness and selfishness may lead us away from God. It is through opening our hearts and souls that we can find new meanings in our challenges.
The gospel truly challenges us in our everyday life to face our sins and our shortcomings. We need to take that "moral and fearless inventory" that those in 12-step programs know so well. We need to hold that mirror in front of ourselves and see the whole image there. Not easy for any of us. Certainly, we would all find flaws and shortcomings. The difference with this inventory is the opportunity to change what is at hand. As we take count of stock, we can not only recognize what is there but embrace what could be there. If we do not like what we see, we can, with the love and support of our Lord, change it. We can repent and amend our lives. The Act of Contrition is a beautiful prayer that allows us to call our sins to mind and to vow to change.4
Don Schwager quotes “The fuel of adultery,” by Chromatius (died 406 AD).
"Because adultery is a serious sin and in order to uproot it, lest our conscience be defiled, he [Jesus] forbade even lust, which is the fuel of adultery. According to the words of blessed James in his epistle, 'Lust when it has conceived gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown brings forth death' (James 1:15). The Holy Spirit speaks concerning this to David: 'Happy shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock' (Psalm 137:9). The symbolism here is that the blessed and truly evangelical person roots out the desires and lust of the flesh arising from human weakness. He does this immediately before they grow, at the onset, through faith in Christ who has been described as a rock" (1 Corinthians 10:4) (excerpt from TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 23.1.6–7)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Kings 19:9, 11-16 comments that over the course of our lives, God will speak to us in many different ways: in the events of the day, in the Scriptures and teachings of the Church, in the words and actions of friends, and, yes, in powerful manifestations of his presence. Our challenge is learning how to discern his voice in each of these situations.
So how do we begin? It’s really quite simple. Jesus once said, “By their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:16). We typically apply this verse to how we think about other people, but it applies to our spiritual lives as well. For instance, if a thought in your mind helps you love God more or be a little kinder to someone, it’s probably from the Lord. But if something makes you anxious, fearful, angry, or resentful, it’s probably not coming from God or his Spirit.
Never doubt that God wants to speak to you. In fact, he’s probably trying to tell you something right now. Take a moment to quiet your heart and listen.
“Holy Spirit, open the ears of my heart. Teach me to hear you clearly so that I can follow your plan for my life.”6
Friar Jude Winkler fleshes out the background for the theophany to Elijah on Mt Horeb. Our lust may raise questions of our commitment to our present lives. Friar Jude reminds us to pray for the efforts of Pope Francis to improve pastoral care for separated and divorced Catholics.
Dr. Barbara Holmes describes the contemplative dimension present in the marching feet of civil rights activists.The sacred act of walking together toward justice was usually preceded by a pre-march meeting that began with a prayer service, where preaching, singing, and exhortation prepared the people to move toward the hope they all held. This hope was carefully explicated by the leadership as a fulfillment of God’s promises. As a consequence, the movement that spilled from the churches to the streets was a ritual enactment of a communal faith journey toward the basileia [realm] of God.
The end result was that a purportedly Christian nation was forced to view its black citizens as a prototype of the suffering God, absorbing violence into their own bodies without retaliation. By contrast, stalwart defenders of the old order found themselves before God . . . with fire hoses, whips, and ropes in their hands. The crisis created by contemplative justice-seeking guaranteed the eventual end of overt practices of domination, for domination could not withstand the steady gaze of the inner eye of thousands of awakened people.
The killing of George Floyd reminds us that cries for justice and equity continue today; awakened hearts and active bodies are needed to join the cause. Holmes affirms new, creative approaches today in the Movement for Black Lives and other groups led by young people, women, and people of color. I, Richard—like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.—believe that “the arc of the universe bends toward justice,” [1] but it depends upon our participation. What is your work to do today to bend the universe a little more towards justice?7
The waiting time is an opportunity to allow rational thought and contemplation of the plan of God to interrupt our passion responses from our primitive brain areas.
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