The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today urge that we meditate broadly on our experience of God rather than be overcome by the fears of the moment.
Consider fear and love
The reading from the Prophet Ezekiel follows the use of the image of the Two Sticks to precede the declaration: “I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
* [37:15–22] The symbolic action of joining two sticks into one continues Ezekiel’s description of God’s future saving action: the unification of Judah and Israel under an ideal ruler.1
The Prophet Jeremiah praises the Good News of the Return of the exiles when God will turn their mourning into joy.
* [31:2–3] Jeremiah describes the exiles of the Northern Kingdom on their way home from the nations where the Assyrians had resettled them (722/721 B.C.). The favor they discover in the wilderness is the appearance of the Lord (v. 3) coming to guide them to Jerusalem. Implicit in these verses is the presentation of the people’s return from captivity as a second exodus, a unifying theme in Second Isaiah (chaps. 40–55).2
In the Gospel of John, the plot to kill Jesus arises out of fear of the Romans.
* [11:48] The Romans will come: Johannine irony; this is precisely what happened after Jesus’ death. * [11:49] That year: emphasizes the conjunction of the office and the year. Actually, Caiaphas was high priest A.D. 18–36. The Jews attributed a gift of prophecy, sometimes unconscious, to the high priest.3
Gladyce Janky comments that, like Caiaphas and the other Jews, we can slip into setting expectations for how God should be working and how quickly the work will finish.
When this happens, we can become blind to God’s tireless laboring to end the pandemic, systemic racism, environmental degradation, and other inequities. Spending time each day in prayerful reflection, such as the Examen, can open our eyes to God’s presence in all things, and enable us to see God’s invitation to become co-creators of a better future for all persons and the planet. We do not need to surrender to blindness or despair. God selects the work to be done and how to accomplish it. We are each uniquely called to join in the work. We only need to trust that God toils night and day on our behalf and in His eternal promise to guide and guard us. “The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.” (Jeremiah 31:10d)4
Don Schwager quotes “The crucifixion is always lived,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"The crucifixion is something that must continue throughout our life, not for forty days only, although Moses, Elijah, and Christ fasted forty days. We are meant to learn from them not to cling to this present world or imitate what it says, but to nail our unregenerate selves to the cross." (excerpt from Sermon 205,1)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on John 11:45-56 comments that it was far better for one man—specifically Jesus—to die rather than risk further loss and humiliation for the whole people of God. Yes, it was good that this one man—this pure, innocent, wonder-working man—give up his life so that his people could receive the fulfillment of their covenant with God.
Throughout the Scriptures, we see God doing new things—things that sometimes seem illogical or even foolish—but in the end prove to be very wise indeed. Whether it’s the meek inheriting the earth (Matthew 5:5), God being at his most powerful when he uses our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9), or God casting down the mighty to lift up the lowly (Luke 1:52), he often works in ways that diverge from what we expect. So keep your eyes open. God just might do something new today! “Lord, I never want to underestimate your grace. Help me to see your hand at work in unexpected places.”6
Friar Jude Winkler connects the passages before the readings today to the new Spirit in the people of Israel and the response of the people of Jerusalem to the work of Jesus. The chief priest feared a rebellion as hundreds of thousands of people came to Jerusalem at Passover. Friar Jude notes the Sanhedrin were wondering if Jesus would come to Passover.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares the work of David Frenette, a spiritual director and longtime teacher of centering prayer. He was a longtime friend and advisor of Father Thomas Keating. In today’s practice, Fr. Richard shares his suggestions to help us deepen our centering prayer practice.
Perhaps when you reflect on who or what God is, you find that you are spiritually dry and resistant even to opening to a mystery you can no longer conceive of. This is still not necessarily a problem when your intention is vast and nuanced. For in these situations, your intention can be to simply surrender yourself to the unknown. Remember, in centering prayer you are saying yes both to God’s presence and God’s action. God’s action includes the purification and transformation of your idea of who God is, your felt ability to say yes to God, and sometimes even your capacity to pray. In the unknowing, the pure consent and the surrender of your ability to pray, you are brought to deep receptivity, so that the Spirit prays in you.7
In our meditation, centered on the place of God in our lives, we are nudged to appreciate how fear and love are opposite states.
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