The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite contemplation of our progress in growing in maturity in our relationship with Christ.
Spiritual food
The reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians considers divisions in the Corinthian Church and the role of God’s Ministers.
* [3:5–4:5] The Corinthians tend to evaluate their leaders by the criteria of human wisdom and to exaggerate their importance. Paul views the role of the apostles in the light of his theology of spiritual gifts (cf. 1 Cor 12–14, where the charism of the apostle heads the lists). The essential aspects of all spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12:4–6 presents them as gifts of grace, as services, and as modes of activity) are exemplified by the apostolate, which is a gift of grace (1 Cor 3:10) through which God works (1 Cor 3:9) and a form of service (1 Cor 3:5) for the common good (elsewhere expressed by the verb “build up,” suggested here by the image of the building, 1 Cor 3:9). The apostles serve the church, but their accountability is to God and to Christ (1 Cor 4:1–5).1
Psalm 33 praises the greatness and goodness of God.
* [Psalm 33] A hymn in which the just are invited (Ps 33:1–3) to praise God, who by a mere word (Ps 33:4–5) created the three-tiered universe of the heavens, the cosmic waters, and the earth (Ps 33:6–9). Human words, in contrast, effect nothing (Ps 33:10–11). The greatness of human beings consists in God’s choosing them as a special people and their faithful response (Ps 33:12–22).2
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus heals at Simon’s house and preaches in the Synagogues.
* [4:42] They tried to prevent him from leaving them: the reaction of these strangers in Capernaum is presented in contrast to the reactions of those in his hometown who rejected him (Lk 4:28–30).3
Steve Scholer comments that Paul reminds us that it is not who is presiding at the service, be it Apollos or Paul, nor how brilliant the homily, nor how beautiful the church; but rather, our willingness to let God enter our hearts and minds, that is what nourishes and grows our faith. How do we let the goodness of God grow inside us? How do we deepen our prayer so we can find God in all things?
For some, following the guideposts set by St. Ignatius might be helpful. Ignatius wanted people participating in the Spiritual Exercises to be more open to the love of God and with this greater understanding they could let God – who causes the growth – be central in their lives. For many who participated in the Spiritual Exercises, Ignatius opened the door for them to become more contemplative. He encouraged them to use all their senses to animate the readings on which they were focused, as if they were personally there with Jesus and the disciples. The long-term benefit of contemplative prayer is that the passage we focus on remains with us long after we have set aside the Daily Reflection readings. This continued presence is not just God growing in us but more importantly, is God speaking to us throughout the day, engaging our hearts and minds to become more Christ-like in our thoughts, words and deeds.4
Don Schwager quotes “Jesus the Chief Physician,” by Jerome (347-420 AD).
"'Now Simon's mother-in-law was kept in her bed sick with a fever.' May Christ come to our house and enter in and by his command cure the fever of our sins. Each one of us is sick with a fever. Whenever I give way to anger, I have a fever. There are as many fevers as there are faults and vices. Let us beg the apostles to intercede for us with Jesus, that he may come to us and touch our hand. If he does so, at once our fever is gone. He is an excellent physician and truly the chief Physician. Moses is a physician. Isaiah is a physician. All the saints are physicians, but he is the chief Physician." (excerpt from HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF MARK 75.1)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 4:38-44 notes as unique as Jesus’ life was, in many ways it was also similar to our lives. Like us, he faced many demands on his time, and he had to handle life’s bumps with grace and humility.
We should be flexible with our schedules, as Jesus was, especially when people need our love and help. He never ignored the person right in front of him. But he was just as careful not to ignore the Father, whose love sustained and strengthened him. If Jesus, who was without sin, needed time alone with God, how much more do we need it! So if your plans for quiet prayer are interrupted, don’t fret. Just look to the next opportunity. Make God a priority. Pray that you are following his will for you. He will provide the balance and peace you are seeking for your busy life.6
Friar Jude Winkler discusses how Paul contrasted the Spirit and the flesh for the people of Corinth who demonstrated immaturity in their faith. The specific knowledge of Luke about fever supports the tradition of his profession as a physician. Friar Jude connects the action of Jesus to discern the Will of God to Luke’s experience as a Stoic.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, teaches that our separate self is who we think we are, but our thinking does not make it true. It is a social and mental construct that gets us started on life’s journey. It is a set of agreements between us as individuals and our parents, families, school friends, partner or spouse, culture, and religion. It is our “container.” It is largely defined in distinction from others, precisely as our separate and unique self. It is probably necessary to get started, but it becomes problematic when we stop there and spend the rest of our lives promoting and protecting it. This small and separate self is merely our launching pad: our appearance, education, job, money, success, and so on. These are the trappings of ego that help us get through an ordinary day.
When we are able to move beyond our separate self, it will feel as if we lost nothing important at all. Of course, if we don’t know that there is anything “beyond” the separate self, the transition will probably feel like dying. Only after we have fallen into the True Self, will we be able to say with the mystic Rumi (1207‒1273), “What have I ever lost by dying?” [1] We have discovered true freedom and liberation. When we are connected to the Whole, we no longer need to protect or defend the smaller parts. We are connected to something inexhaustible and unhurtable. The True Self cannot be hurt. I said that at the National AIDS Conference one time, and it was one of the most healing lines for that crowd. I got letters for months afterward; they realized the “True You” is indestructible. All our hurts and feelings of being offended come from our separate selves. If we do not let go of our separate self/false self at the right time and in the right way, we remain stuck, trapped, and addicted. (The traditional word for that was sin.) Unfortunately, many people reach old age still entrenched in their egoic operating system. Only our True Self lives forever and is truly free in this world.7
Our preparation for growth in maturity in faith involves finding God in all things as we become open to living as our True Self.
References
No comments:
Post a Comment