The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite thanksgiving for the gift of freedom that allows our open minded pursuit of truth, beauty, and goodness as a sign of our connection to Christ.
Faith trust and hope
In the reading from the Letter to the Galatians, Paul declares “For freedom Christ has set us free.”
* [5:1] Freedom: Paul stresses as the conclusion from the allegory in Gal 4:21–31 this result of Christ’s work for us. It is a principle previously mentioned (Gal 2:4), the responsible use of which Gal 5:13 will emphasize.1
Psalm 113 identifies God as the helper of the needy.
* [Psalm 113] A hymn exhorting the congregation to praise God’s name, i.e., the way in which God is present in the world; the name is mentioned three times in Ps 113:1–3. The divine name is especially honored in the Temple (Ps 113:1) but its recognition is not limited by time (Ps 113:2) and space (Ps 113:3), for God is everywhere active (Ps 113:4–5) especially in rescuing the lowly faithful (Ps 113:7–9).2
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus offers the sign of Jonah to the Scribes and Pharisees.
* [11:29–32] The “sign of Jonah” in Luke is the preaching of the need for repentance by a prophet who comes from afar. Cf. Mt 12:38–42 (and see notes there) where the “sign of Jonah” is interpreted by Jesus as his death and resurrection.3
Eileen Burke-Sullivan asks: Why do we choose unhappiness? Why do we assume the fears others want to foist on us?
In his recent encyclical “All Brothers and Sisters” (Fratelli Tutti) Pope Francis points out: “The best way to dominate and gain control over people is to spread despair and discouragement, even under the guise of defending certain values. . . hyperbole, extremism and polarization have become political tools. Employing a strategy of ridicule, suspicion and relentless criticism . . . one denies the right of others to exist or to have an opinion.” (#15 ) Why do we take on the chains of laws, expectations, and cultural norms rather than listening closely to the Heartbeat of the Beloved within whose Body we dwell? We could be acting with freedom and hope, confident of God’s mercy and the final success of God’s plan, instead of groaning in enslavement to the custom, biases, hatreds and fear that induces discouragement and even despair. Why do we resist Jesus? Of what are we afraid?4
Don Schwager quotes “The sign of Jonah,” by an anonymous early author from the Greek church.
"'What is the sign of Jonah? The stumbling block of the cross. So it is not the disputers of knowledge who will be saved but those who believe true teaching. For the cross of Christ is indeed a stumbling block to those who dispute knowledge but salvation to those who believe. Paul testifies to this: 'But we, for our part, preach the crucified Christ - to the Jews indeed a stumbling block and to the Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God' (1 Corinthians 1:23-24). Why do the Jews seek signs and the Greeks seek wisdom? God pointed to the sign of the stumbling block of the cross to both the Jews and the Greeks. Thus those who wish to find Christ not through faith but through wisdom will perish on the stumbling block of foolishness. Those who wish to know the Son of God not through faith but through a demonstration of signs will remain trapped in their disbelief, falling on the stumbling block of his death. It is no small wonder that the Jews, considering the death of Christ, thought he was merely a man, when even Christians - as they purport to be but really are not - because of his death are reluctant to declare the only begotten, the crucified, as incomparable majesty." (excerpt from INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 30, the Greek fathers).5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 11:29-32 comments that it is okay to ask God to give us a sign that will help us discern our path or confirm a decision we have already made. Just be careful that we are asking from a position of trust and faith. Give God the freedom to grant the sign we are looking for or to stay quiet and let us exercise our faith a little bit more.
Always remember that God loves you and hears your every prayer. He knows your needs, your questions, your hopes, and your fears. He would never withhold a sign from you out of spite or to punish you. So if you have asked but he hasn’t answered yet, trust him and wait patiently for his answer. “Father, I turn every uncertainty in my life over to you. Teach me how to live in faith and confidence in you.”6
Friar Jude Winkler discusses the midrash rabbinic interpretation of Scripture used by Paul in comparing the descendants of Isaac and Ishmael. The sign of Jonah can be interpreted in two ways. Friar Jude reminds us that to say we accept Jesus requires also to follow Him.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, is convinced the apostle Paul’s teaching about the nature of sin reveals his spiritual genius. For him, sin is not primarily individual fault, but the negative matrix out of which both evil and enlightenment arise. Paul (or the school of Paul) wrote in Ephesians: “You were dead through the crimes and sins that used to make up your way of life, when you were living by the principles of this world, thus obeying the ruler who dominates the very air” (2:1‒2). This compact sentence seems to be pointing to at least three sources of evil, which would eventually be called the flesh, the world, and the devil in early Catholic moral theology.
Up to now, most Christians have placed almost all of our attention on the level of the “flesh,” policing sexuality and various “unclean” acts rather than addressing the more serious and pervasive forms of corporate injustice and evil. We have had almost no education in or recognition of what Paul meant by “the principles of the world” and even less on what he meant by “the ruler who dominates the very air.” When we imagine the devil as a caricature of a red, horned figure, we are not taking evil seriously. The implications have been massive, blinding, and hugely destructive, both for the individual and for society.7
We can reflect on the “signs” we have experienced to help us navigate through difficulty on our journey and use this direction by the Spirit to continue in faith and trust.
References
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