The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with our sense for the need to begin restoration of righteousness and peace now, as Joe Biden, 46th President of the United States, takes office today.
A need for peace and righteousness
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The reading from the Letter to the Hebrews describes the righteousness and peace connected with the Priestly Order of Melchizedek.
* [7:1–3] Recalling the meeting between Melchizedek and Abraham described in Gn 14:17–20, the author enhances the significance of this priest by providing the popular etymological meaning of his name and that of the city over which he ruled (Heb 7:2). Since Genesis gives no information on the parentage or the death of Melchizedek, he is seen here as a type of Christ, representing a priesthood that is unique and eternal (Heb 7:3).1
Psalm 110 is assurance of victory for God’s Priest-King.
* [Psalm 110] A royal Psalm in which a court singer recites three oracles in which God assures the king that his enemies are conquered (Ps 110:1–2), makes the king “son” in traditional adoption language (Ps 110:3), gives priestly status to the king and promises to be with him in future military ventures (Ps 110:4–7).2
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus has compassion for the man with a withered hand on the Sabbath.
* [3:1–5] Here Jesus is again depicted in conflict with his adversaries over the question of sabbath-day observance. His opponents were already ill disposed toward him because they regarded Jesus as a violator of the sabbath. Jesus’ question Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil? places the matter in the broader theological context outside the casuistry of the scribes. The answer is obvious. Jesus heals the man with the withered hand in the sight of all and reduces his opponents to silence; cf. Jn 5:17–18.3
Edward Morse queries whether they reflected on the implications of Jesus’ question, perhaps reordering it to ask: “Is it lawful to do evil on the sabbath rather than to do good, to destroy life rather than to save it?”
Signs can give us useful information, but so can our responses to them. If we are open to repentance, we can change our ways before we reach a bad end. But if we close our eyes to them, woe unto us. God has not left himself without witnesses. What is our response?
Lord, help us to recognize signs in our midst that reveal your mind and your work. When we stray, help us find our way back to you. When we experience anger and grief, help us to respond with signs of your love, helping, restoring, and healing. Give us faith, hope, and charity we need to persevere until that day when your Kingdom comes in fullness. Thanks be to God.4
Don Schwager quotes “The tender compassion of the Lord,” by John Chrysostom, 547-407 A.D.
"Jesus said to the man with the withered hand, 'Come here.' Then he challenged the Pharisees as to whether it would be lawful to do good on the sabbath. Note the tender compassion of the Lord when he deliberately brought the man with the withered hand right into their presence (Luke 6:8). He hoped that the mere sight of the misfortune might soften them, that they might become a little less spiteful by seeing the affliction, and perhaps out of sorrow mend their own ways. But they remained callous and unfeeling. They preferred to do harm to the name of Christ than to see this poor man made whole. They betrayed their wickedness not only by their hostility to Christ, but also by their doing so with such contentiousness that they treated with disdain his mercies to others." (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 40.1)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 3:1-6 comments the truth is, anger is not always bad. In fact, sometimes it can be good. St. Thomas Aquinas taught that righteous anger is a strong reaction to injustice, and its purpose is to move us to correct whatever wrong we have witnessed.
Jesus should be our model for the kind of anger that can spur us to positive action. In today’s Gospel, his anger moved him to take action. He didn’t allow his anger to fester, nor did he let it explode into rage. Rather, he controlled it with the grace of the Spirit and channeled it for good. Notice that Jesus also felt sadness about his enemies’ lack of compassion—Mark says he was angry and “grieved” at their hardhearted attitude (3:5). In a way, righteous anger always includes a sense of sadness over whatever injustice we are seeing.6
Friar Jude Winkler explores the connection of Christ to the priesthood of Melchizedek, and the qualities of peace and righteousness. Jesus acts immediately with compassion rather than wait until the Sabbath ends to heal the man. Friar Jude urges us to recognize good even when we see it in those who oppose our ways.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares his connection to Brazilian Archbishop Dom Hélder Câmara (1909‒1999) who was a truly saintly man and one of Fr. Richard’s heroes for the Gospel. Although many are not familiar with him today, he was well-known in his lifetime for his love for the poor and his embrace of nonviolence.
When you look at our continent [of South America], where more than two-thirds of the people live in sub-human conditions as a result of injustices, and when you see that the same situation is repeated all over the world, how can you help wanting to work towards human liberation? Just as the Father, the Creator, wants us to be co-creators, so the Son, the Redeemer, wants us to be co-redeemers. So it is up to us to continue the work of liberation begun by the Son: the liberation from sin and the consequences of sin, the liberation from egoism and the consequences of egoism. That is what the theology of liberation means to us, and I see no reason why anyone should be afraid of a true, authentic theology of liberation. [1]7
Transition to peace and righteousness is always core to our transformation as disciples of Jesus as we work to bring justice for all.
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