The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today celebrate restoration, vigilance, and service.
Built into a Temple
The reading from the Letter to the Ephesians celebrates access in one Spirit to the Father.
* [2:11–22] The Gentiles lacked Israel’s messianic expectation, lacked the various covenants God made with Israel, lacked hope of salvation and knowledge of the true God (Eph 2:11–12); but through Christ all these religious barriers between Jew and Gentile have been transcended (Eph 2:13–14) by the abolition of the Mosaic covenant-law (Eph 2:15) for the sake of uniting Jew and Gentile into a single religious community (Eph 2:15–16), imbued with the same holy Spirit and worshiping the same Father (Eph 2:18). The Gentiles are now included in God’s household (Eph 2:19) as it arises upon the foundation of apostles assisted by those endowed with the prophetic gift (Eph 3:5), the preachers of Christ (Eph 2:20; cf. 1 Cor 12:28). With Christ as the capstone (Eph 2:20; cf. Is 28:16; Mt 21:42), they are being built into the holy temple of God’s people where the divine presence dwells (Eph 2:21–22).1
Psalm 85 is a prayer for the restoration of God’s Favour.
* [Psalm 85] A national lament reminding God of past favors and forgiveness (Ps 85:2–4) and begging for forgiveness and grace now (Ps 85:5–8). A speaker represents the people who wait humbly with open hearts (Ps 85:9–10): God will be active on their behalf (Ps 85:11–13). The situation suggests the conditions of Judea during the early postexilic period, the fifth century B.C.; the thoughts are similar to those of postexilic prophets (Hg 1:5–11; 2:6–9).2
In the Gospel of Luke, we are urged, in a parable, to be like watchful slaves.
* [12:35–48] This collection of sayings relates to Luke’s understanding of the end time and the return of Jesus. Luke emphasizes for his readers the importance of being faithful to the instructions of Jesus in the period before the parousia.3
Mark Latta comments there should be no room for arrogance or bragging or any cause for animosity among believers as we are all saved by the compassion and kindness of God. Let us always remember to see the best in each other—to see God’s light in each other—even in the midst of our human disagreements.
The idea of recognizing God’s face in others — indeed in all of our encounters — requires that we be vigilant to those opportunities. In the Gospel reading, Luke indeed reminds us to be vigilant. Our lives, particularly now, can be very challenging and often we can never be quite fully prepared for every event in our lives. It takes a deep breath of faith to stay ready and alert for the unexpected. But we can take comfort that in our consistent faith, we have a loving master at the ready to provide for our needs even in turmoil.4
Don Schwager quotes “The true meaning of 'loins girded and lamps burning',” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).
"The girding of our loins (Luke 12:25) signifies the readiness of the mind to work hard in every thing praiseworthy. Those who apply themselves to bodily labors and are engaged in strenuous toil have their loins girded. The lamp apparently represents the wakefulness of the mind and intellectual cheerfulness. We say that the human mind is awake when it repels any tendency to slumber off into that carelessness that often is the means of bringing it into subjection to every kind of wickedness. When sunk in stupor, the heavenly light within the mind is liable to be endangered, or even already is in danger from a violent and impetuous blast of wind. Christ commands us to be awake. To this, his disciple also arouses us by saying, 'Be awake. Be watchful' (1 Peter 5:8). Further on, the very wise Paul also says, 'Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead: and Christ shall give you light' (Ephesians 5:14)." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 92)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 12:35-38 asks what does an “unlatched” heart look like? When our hearts are “latched,” or locked up, we close ourselves to the Lord.
By contrast, when our hearts are “unlatched,” we are open to the Lord. We are listening for his voice instead of becoming preoccupied with activity. As the psalmist says, “Sacrifice and offering you do not want; you opened my ears” (Psalm 40:7). We don’t forget that we have been forgiven, and therefore we trust in the One who has removed our shame. Our hearts are unlatched when we anticipate the future with hope. Jesus will come to you, speak to you, and knock on the door of your heart today. How can you keep it unlatched and ready to welcome him when he does? “Jesus, enter the gate of my heart. I welcome you in anytime.”6
Friar Jude Winkler discusses reconciliation of the division that occurs with sin. We are stones of a temple built upon the apostles and prophets. Friar Jude reminds us to be vigilant modelling the vigilance of God for our protection.
Cynthia Bourgeault shares a theme that continues in all the poems contained in The Secret Embrace that silence is not absence, but presence. It is a “something,” not a nothing. It has substantiality, heft, force. You can lean into it, and it leans back. It meets you; it holds you up.
In fact—says Thomas Keating —this “thunderous” silence is actually the most intense, concentrated “dosage” of divine presence we can bear face-to-face. In a paradoxical way, the dance of creation, beautiful and enchanting as it is, is like a veil over the face of the naked presence of God—like the veil that hides the Holy of Holies in the temple. These two faces of God—veiled and unveiled—live in symbiotic unity, and out of that unity everything pours into existence in a cascade of sheer delight. For Thomas, creativity is “the diffuse shining of God” (to borrow a striking image from that other celebrated contemporary Thomas, Thomas Merton). [1] It’s what allows us to know our Creator not only in the “thunderous” silence of [God’s] direct presence, but in the dance of life itself. Either or both ways are fine, for they spill unceasingly into one another. From this “veiled embrace” between pure silence and joyful creativity at the very heart of all creation, flows life in all its beauty, goodness, fluidity, and magical wonder.7
The silent vigil awakens our sense of Presence and presents service as a means of restoration of our relationships.
References
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