The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to fight against indifference towards our relationship with God in which we are energized to full life and we rest from the tensions in the world around us.
Energy and rest for our life
The reading from the Letter to the Hebrews reminds us of the rest that God promised.
* [3:7–4:13] The author appeals for steadfastness of faith in Jesus, basing his warning on the experience of Israel during the Exodus… In Heb 4:1–11, the symbol of rest is seen in deeper dimension: because the promise to the ancient Hebrews foreshadowed that given to Christians, it is good news; and because the promised land was the place of rest that God provided for his people, it was a share in his own rest, which he enjoyed after he had finished his creative work (Heb 3:3–4; cf. Gn 2:2). The author attempts to read this meaning of God’s rest into Ps 95:7–11 (Heb 3:6–9). The Greek form of the name of Joshua, who led Israel into the promised land, is Jesus (Heb 3:8). The author plays upon the name but stresses the superiority of Jesus, who leads his followers into heavenly rest.1
Psalm 78 contrasts God’s goodness and Israel’s ingratitude.
* [Psalm 78] A recital of history to show that past generations did not respond to God’s gracious deeds and were punished by God making the gift into a punishment. Will Israel fail to appreciate God’s act—the choosing of Zion and of David? The tripartite introduction invites Israel to learn the lessons hidden in its traditions (Ps 78:1–4, 5–7, 8–11); 2
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus heals a paralytic lowered through the roof to Him.
* [2:5] It was the faith of the paralytic and those who carried him that moved Jesus to heal the sick man. Accounts of other miracles of Jesus reveal more and more his emphasis on faith as the requisite for exercising his healing powers (Mk 5:34; 9:23–24; 10:52).3
David Crawford comments that Jesus, in a few short sentences, touches on multiple points. He recognizes the caring efforts of the ones who opened up a roof to lower a man so he could be healed. He looks at the paralyzed man and sees not just what everyone else sees – a person in need of physical restoration – but also the deeper need for forgiveness. He understands the doubts and limitations of people who want to know God better but keep getting in their own way.
So, as I imagine myself as one of the carriers, I notice that I should be willing to love my neighbors by helping those in need; and my willingness must be persistent and filled with hope. As the injured soul, I should be willing to accept help, and I absolutely must be immediately obedient to Christ’s commands. The scribe in me has to be aware of – and must resist – a wrongheaded tendency to make myself the arbiter of what God can or cannot do. Ultimately, I must be ready to offer love and forgiveness as Jesus would have me do.4
Don Schwager quotes “Reverse your relation with sickness,” by Peter Chrysologus (400-450 AD).
"Take up your bed. Carry the very mat that once carried you. Change places, so that what was the proof of your sickness may now give testimony to your soundness. Your bed of pain becomes the sign of healing, its very weight the measure of the strength that has been restored to you." (excerpt from HOMILY 50.6)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Hebrews 4:1-5, 11 comments that it’s true that we imitate our Creator when we do our own work well and with a good conscience. But God also wants us to imitate him by taking time to rest on the Sabbath as he did. Taking a regular break from work can remind us that God has more in store for us than even our best efforts can produce.
For many of us, Sunday has become a shopping day, a sports day, or a yardwork day. For some it has become a necessary work day. None of this is wrong in and of itself. For someone stuck in an office all week, a day out in the sun can be very refreshing. And God wouldn’t expect us to give up work on Sundays if we have no other option. What he does want is for us to carve out some time to rest with him, whether at Mass, with a little more time in prayer and Scripture, or by enjoying the company of loved ones.6
Friar Jude Winkler points out the words used in Hebrews connect with the land of milk and honey, Sabbath rest, and eternal rest. Today, we might answer Jesus' question about the easier path differently. Friar Jude reminds us that Jesus' physical miracle follows the spiritual miracle of healing a broken heart.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, considers what Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone call “Active Hope” and what Beatrice Bruteau, the contemplative Christian scholar, calls “radical optimism.” These ideas are keys to the flourishing of a new story. This new story honors the Good Story of our good God and the goodness of all creation, but also gives us the faith and courage to face the difficult realities that are being unveiled in our times.
The deepest truth is our union with the Absolute, Infinite Being, with God. That’s the root of our reality. And it is from that root that my optimism is derived. . . . I believe this radical optimism is the good news of the gospel and I propose that we take it seriously. . . . Optimism, like pessimism, tends to be a self-justifying outlook. The more pessimistic you are, the more you are likely to fail and thus justify your pessimism. And similarly, the more optimistic you are, the more apt you are to succeed and justify your optimism. However, my optimism is not merely pragmatic. I also believe that it is ultimately, metaphysically, true because of its being radical optimism, coming from the root of our being, securely held in the Absolute Being. [3]7
Indifference had been flagged by Pope Francis as a very troubling aspect of modern society. Action in the Spirit and rest in God are signs that indifference is being treated by the Great Physician.
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