The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today urge us to persevere as disciples of Jesus bringing the light of life to others through our community of faith.
Sharing Life
The reading from the Letter to the Hebrews is a call to persevere particularly in our relationship with our community.
* [10:19–39] Practical consequences from these reflections on the priesthood and the sacrifice of Christ should make it clear that Christians may now have direct and confident access to God through the person of Jesus (Heb 10:19–20), who rules God’s house as high priest (Heb 10:21). They should approach God with sincerity and faith, in the knowledge that through baptism their sins have been remitted (Heb 10:22), reminding themselves of the hope they expressed in Christ at that event (Heb 10:23). They are to encourage one another to Christian love and activity (Heb 10:24), not refusing, no matter what the reason, to participate in the community’s assembly, especially in view of the parousia (Heb 10:25; cf. 1 Thes 4:13–18).1
Psalm 24 is a hymn for entrance into the Temple.
* [Psalm 24] The Psalm apparently accompanied a ceremony of the entry of God (invisibly enthroned upon the ark), followed by the people, into the Temple. The Temple commemorated the creation of the world (Ps 24:1–2). The people had to affirm their fidelity before being admitted into the sanctuary (Ps 24:3–6; cf. Ps 15). A choir identifies the approaching God and invites the very Temple gates to bow down in obeisance (Ps 24:7–10).2
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus teaches a parable of a lamp under a bushel basket.
* [4:1–34] In parables (Mk 4:2): see note on Mt 13:3. The use of parables is typical of Jesus’ enigmatic method of teaching the crowds (Mk 4:2–9, 12) as compared with the interpretation of the parables he gives to his disciples (Mk 4:10–25, 33–34) to each group according to its capacity to understand (Mk 4:9–11). The key feature of the parable at hand is the sowing of the seed (Mk 4:3), representing the breakthrough of the kingdom of God into the world. The various types of soil refer to the diversity of response accorded the word of God (Mk 4:4–7). The climax of the parable is the harvest of thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold, indicating the consummation of the kingdom (Mk 4:8). Thus both the present and the future action of God, from the initiation to the fulfillment of the kingdom, is presented through this and other parables (Mk 4:26–29, 30–32).3
Eileen Burke-Sullivan shares insight into the work of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church and notes that we may not have the gift of multi-tasking for the sake of the kingdom but perhaps we do have an unusual capacity for patience, or kindness, generosity, wisdom, insight – so many of the living gifts – the real expression of divine existence that is given to persons who desire them – bring their own expansion by practice.
The Letter to the Hebrews that provides the first reading today challenges us to help one another find and exercise these gifts for one another. When that comes to pass then our mutual hope and our mutual love take us far beyond any isolated search for the good. What is truly gifting for any of us will be gifting for all of us, times infinity.4
Don Schwager quotes “Called to shine in the midst of darkness,” by Tertullian, 160-225 A.D.
"Why does the Lord call us the light of the world? Why has he compared us to a city on a hill (Matthew 5:14)? Are we not called to shine in the midst of darkness, and stand up high for those most sunk down? If you hide your lamp beneath a bushel (Matthew 5:15; Luke 8:16, 11:33), you will soon notice that you yourself will be in the dark. You will find others bumping into you. So what can you do to illumine the world? Let your faith produce good works. Be a reflection of God's light. The good is not preoccupied with darkness. It rejoices in being seen (John 3:21). It exults over the very pointings which are made at it. Christian modesty not only wishes to be modest, but also it wishes to be beheld as what it actually is." (excerpt from ON THE APPAREL OF WOMEN 2.13)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Hebrews 10:19-25 suggests that we sometimes need help seeing the open door that’s right in front of us. And that’s where brothers and sisters in Christ come in.
Sometimes they help us see where the Holy Spirit is already at work in our lives. “What a great idea!” a friend might say. “That sounds inspired. How can I help you make it work?” Or “You always seem to have a bigger perspective than I do. I really appreciate the way you help expand my vision.” Or “You’re so good at getting to the heart of a complex situation. Don’t be afraid to say it the way you see it.” Sometimes they exhort us to trust God and to believe when our faith is wavering. At other times, our faith helps them persevere through a challenging time. In all these ways and many more, we can “rouse one another” to a deeper surrender to the Lord!6
Friar Jude Winkler notes that the pattern of the author of Hebrews alternates between dogma and morality and in today’s passage calls us to witness to our belief. The Parable of the Lamp calls us to public witness as disciples of Jesus. Friar Jude reminds us that being open to the gifts of God comes from developing a generous heart.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that because we have been steeped in patriarchy, we may resist the idea of a “maternal” universe, yet the pattern it reveals—that all life is birthed, held, and nurtured within this cosmos—is undoubtedly true. He cites work by Barbara A. Holmes, and Mirabai Starr on this theme.
“Tell me what is troubling you, Mama,” you whisper, exactly as she always spoke to you when you were small and frightened and bleeding from some injury (real or imagined). “Pretty much everything, honey,” she answers. . . . “I’ll get through this,” she says. “You’re not getting rid of your old Ma so easily.” She reaches down to smooth the crease between your brows. “It’s you kids I’m worried about.” [2]7
Understanding our role in the universe is assisted by theological insight and our experience of sharing life in the generous use of our talents in our community.
References
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