Freedom from Hatred

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today offer contrasting views of jubilation, justice and deadly betrayal.

Changes for the better?

 

The reading from the Book of Leviticus describes the Year of Jubilee.

* [25:8–17] The fiftieth year is the jubilee, determined by counting off “seven weeks of years.” It is sacred, like the sabbath day. Specifically, in it indentured Israelites return to their own households and land that has been sold returns to its original owner. Different laws are found in Ex 21:1–6; Dt 15:1–3, 12–18 (cf. Jer 34:8–22).1

 

In Psalm 67, the Nations are called to praise God.

* [67:2] May God be gracious to us: the people’s petition echoes the blessing pronounced upon them by the priests, cf. Nm 6:22–27.2

 

The Gospel of Matthew describes the death of John the Baptist.

* [14:1–12] The murder of the Baptist by Herod Antipas prefigures the death of Jesus (see Mt 17:12). The Marcan source (Mk 6:14–29) is much reduced and in some points changed. In Mark Herod reveres John as a holy man and the desire to kill him is attributed to Herodias (Mk 6:19, 20), whereas here that desire is Herod’s from the beginning (Mt 14:5).3

 

Today we honor the life and memory of St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus. Through his inspiration we have the Spiritual Exercises, a book of reflections on God’s love for us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. Tom Shanahan, S.J. shares one of his experiences in following these exercises.

What a blessing this day is for the many who have grown spiritually in love of God and Jesus’ life portrayed in the gospels.  The Exercises has been a guide for so many who have opened themselves to the wonders of God through the gift of St. Ignatius’ work.  And for me on a personal note, I extend my deep gratitude for the Late Joe Diamond, S.J., gifted director of women’s and men’s hearts and mentor to me those glorious days at Oshkosh.4 

Don Schwager quotes “Integrity is a hardship for the morally corrupt,” by Peter Chrysologus (400-450 AD).

"John aroused Herod by his moral admonitions, not by any formal accusation. He wanted to correct, not to suppress. Herod, however, preferred to suppress rather than be reconciled. To those who are held captive, the freedom of the one innocent of wrongdoing becomes hateful. Virtue is undesirable to those who are immoral; holiness is abhorrent to those who are impious; chastity is an enemy to those who are impure; integrity is a hardship for those who are corrupt; frugality runs counter to those who are self-indulgent; mercy is intolerable to those who are cruel, as is loving-kindness to those who are pitiless and justice to those who are unjust. The Evangelist indicates this when he says, "John said to him, 'It is not lawful for you to have the wife of your brother Philip.'" This is where John runs into trouble. He who admonishes those who are evil gives offense. He who repudiates wrongdoers runs into trouble. John was saying what was proper of the law, what was proper of justice, what was proper of salvation and what was proper certainly not of hatred but of love. And look at the reward he received from the ungodly for his loving concern!" (excerpt from SERMONS 127.6-7)5 

The Word Among Us Meditation on Leviticus comments that ancient Jubilee tradition sounds attractive. The truth is, we can experience the blessings of the Jubilee just as Israel did. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus has ushered in a new Jubilee—our redemption—that we can experience here and now.

You don’t have to wait for heaven; you don’t even have to wait fifty years! Jesus is your source of restoration and rest—today. He has given all of us the grace to live in the freedom of the children of God! “Thank you, Jesus, for fulfilling God’s promise of Jubilee!”6 

Barbara Holmes affirms that stillness is important for all who want to transform their pain instead of transmitting it: “Stillness is a state of wholeness, an antidote to the fragmentation of BIPOC people that comes with marginalization. . . . Sitting in stillness may allow the pieces of us to reassemble.” [1] Fr Richard Rohr, OFM, comments.

Each day at the CAC we begin our morning sit by repeating a line from Psalm 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God.” With each repetition, we drop a word f rom the verse until we finally say only “Be,” before entering the silence together. It is a reminder that no matter how we arrive that day, we are called to be, and be still, before God.7

 

We are opened to deeper understanding through contemplation in spiritual exercises.

 

References

1	(n.d.). Leviticus, CHAPTER 25 | USCCB. Retrieved July 31, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/leviticus/25
2	(n.d.). Psalms, PSALM 67 | USCCB. Retrieved July 31, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/67
3	(n.d.). Matthew, CHAPTER 14 | USCCB. Retrieved July 31, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/14
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - Online Ministries - Creighton University. Retrieved July 31, 2021, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/073121.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 31, 2021, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2021&date=jul31
6	(n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved July 31, 2021, from https://wau.org/meditations/2021/07/31/190411/
7	(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive: 2021 - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 31, 2021, from https://cac.org/crisis-contemplation-weekly-summary-2021-07-31/

Festivals and Familiarity

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with our sense, in these pandemic times, of longing for the joy and comfort of communal gatherings and celebrations, even as we are reminded of our tendency to underestimate the role of some individuals in our growth and life.

Celebrating family and individual value

 

The reading from the Book of Leviticus defines appointed Festivals and offering of first fruits.

* [23:1–44] This is paralleled by another calendar from the Priestly tradition, in Nm 28–29. Non-Priestly resumes of festal and holy observances are found in Ex 23:10–17; 34:18–24 and Dt 16:1–17.1

 

  Psalm 81 voices God’s appeal to stubborn Israel.

* [Psalm 81] At a pilgrimage feast, probably harvest in the fall, the people assemble in the Temple in accord with the Sinai ordinances (Ps 81:2–6). They hear a divine word (mediated by a Temple speaker) telling how God rescued them from slavery in Egypt (Ps 81:7–9), gave them the fundamental commandment of fidelity (Ps 81:9–11), which would bring punishment if they refused to obey (Ps 81:12–13). But if Israel repents, God will be with them once again, bestowing protection and fertility (Ps 81:14–16).2 

In the Gospel of Matthew, the rejection of Jesus at Nazareth is revealed.

* [13:54–58] After the Sermon on the Mount the crowds are in admiring astonishment at Jesus’ teaching (Mt 7:28); here the astonishment is of those who take offense at him. Familiarity with his background and family leads them to regard him as pretentious. Matthew modifies his Marcan source (Mk 6:1–6). Jesus is not the carpenter but the carpenter’s son (Mt 13:55), “and among his own kin” is omitted (Mt 13:57), he did not work many mighty deeds in face of such unbelief (Mt 13:58) rather than the Marcan “…he was not able to perform any mighty deed there” (Mt 6:5), and there is no mention of his amazement at his townspeople’s lack of faith.3 

Tom Quinn concludes that it seems that our tendency is to discount the words of a person who is well-known and seemingly equal to us. The ability to listen and to discern the truth, and to be open to positive change in our lives is necessary for growth in faith, prayer, and in our daily lives. The incentive for this may come from unexpected sources. So many people and occasions may convey God’s message each day.

We need humility to realize that we can all help each other to become stronger, and informed in our faith. Teilhard de Chardin, S.J., in his book, Hymn of the Universe, touched this point when he wrote, “ ...when we learn to break through the dividing walls of our egoism and raise ourselves up to an entirely new perspective, so that habitually and in a practical fashion, we fix our gaze on the universal realities.”4 

Don Schwager quotes “Few miracles done because of their unbelief,“ by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD).

"It seems to me that the production of miracles is similar in some ways to the case of physical things. Cultivation is not sufficient to produce a harvest of fruits unless the soil, or rather the atmosphere, cooperates to this end. And the atmosphere of itself is not sufficient to produce a harvest without cultivation. The one who providentially orders creation did not design things to spring up from the earth without cultivation. Only in the first instance did he do so when he said, 'Let the earth bring forth vegetation, with the seed sowing according to its kind and according to its likeness' (Genesis 1:11). It is just this way in regard to the production of miracles. The complete work resulting in a healing is not displayed without those being healed exercising faith. Faith, of whatever quality it might be, does not produce a healing without divine power.' (excerpt from the COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 10.19)5

 

Friar Jude Winkler shares insights into the feasts and festivals prescribed in Leviticus. Christians hold different understandings of the brothers and sisters of Jesus, as cousins, full siblings, and half siblings. Friar Jude shares the experience of seeing the flaws in those close that may inhibit our appreciation of their good qualities.

 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, tells of an encounter with a mystic, one of the ex-abbots had been a recluse, a hermit’s hermit, for years, when he was on retreat in Thomas Merton’s Kentucky hermitage, who stressed to him that God is not ‘out there.’ Barbara Holmes understands mysticism as the “putting together” of our own divided lives, providing hope for oppressed people and people everywhere and of all times. She calls it “cosmic rebirthing”.

Cosmic rebirthing requires a reclamation of everyday mysticism. . . . I was born into a family of shamans, root workers, and healers. These women and men saw beyond the veil and mediated the realms of life after life. They knew how to cure you of what ailed you, spiritually and in the natural world. The mystics that I knew could get a prayer through, birth a baby, and bring you a message or warning from the other side. They were amazing and sometimes a little bit scary. . . Mysticism reminds us that the boundaries between this life and the life beyond are permeable, and that our power is not seeded in what is bestowed by politicians and society, but to everyone willing and ready to recognize the moves of an active Holy Spirit. . . . By being receptive to the things that we don’t understand, we fling open the center of our being to the mysteries of the Divine. [2]7 

Our growth to fullness of life is enriched by celebrating our relationship with God in community and our attention to the prompting of the Spirit to accept love and wisdom from those close to us.

 

References

1	(n.d.). Leviticus, CHAPTER 23 | USCCB. Retrieved July 30, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/leviticus/23
2	(n.d.). Psalms, PSALM 81 | USCCB. Retrieved July 30, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/81
3	(n.d.). Matthew, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. Retrieved July 30, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/13
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - Online Ministries - Creighton University. Retrieved July 30, 2021, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/073021.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 30, 2021, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2021&date=jul30
6	(n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved July 30, 2021, from https://wau.org/meditations/2021/07/30/190408/
7	(n.d.). 2021 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 30, 2021, from https://cac.org/god-is-right-here-2021-07-30/

Trust the Relationship

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate counter cultural action in our relationship with God.

Aware of the Presence

 

The reading from the Book of Exodus describes the Cloud and the Glory experienced by Moses.

36 Whenever the cloud rose from the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out on their journey.

37 But if the cloud did not lift, they would not go forward; only when it lifted did they go forward.1 

Psalm 84 praises the joy of worship in the Temple.

 [Psalm 84] Israelites celebrated three pilgrimage feasts in Jerusalem annually. The Psalm expresses the sentiments of the pilgrims eager to enjoy the divine presence.2

 

In the Gospel of John, Jesus proclaims the Resurrection and the Life.

* [11:1–44] The raising of Lazarus, the longest continuous narrative in John outside of the passion account, is the climax of the signs. It leads directly to the decision of the Sanhedrin to kill Jesus. The theme of life predominates. Lazarus is a token of the real life that Jesus dead and raised will give to all who believe in him. Johannine irony is found in the fact that Jesus’ gift of life leads to his own death. The story is not found in the synoptics, but cf. Mk 5:21 and parallels; Lk 7:11–17. There are also parallels between this story and Luke’s parable of the rich man and poor Lazarus (Lk 16:19–31). In both a man named Lazarus dies; in Luke, there is a request that he return to convince his contemporaries of the need for faith and repentance, while in John, Lazarus does return and some believe but others do not.3 

Luis Rodriguez, S.J. comments on oblique communication. Are we free enough to “complain” to Jesus directly about his presence in our lives, or do we take it on the people Jesus places in our lives? Do we rather obliquely blame our children, family, bosses, fellow workers or community for the difficulties we experience in our relating to Jesus?

Martha, who on that occasion used oblique communication, grew in trust and felt more and more assured in that friendship. After her brother dies, she “complains” to Jesus directly, rather than complaining obliquely by addressing his disciples. In more polite words than these, she effectively tells Jesus: How come you did not come here, when we sent you our message? Martha is not sure about the extent of that friendship, yet she adds: But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of God. She was not sure, but she was assured. There will be situations in our lives, when we are not sure either of ourselves or of the meaning of our experience in our relationship to God. We are invited to be assured, even when we are not sure.4 

Don Schwager quotes “The voice of life and joy that awakens the dead,“ by Athanasius of Alexandria (295-373 AD).

"I am the voice of life that wakens the dead. I am the good odor that takes away the foul odor. I am the voice of joy that takes away sorrow and grief.... I am the comfort of those who are in grief. Those who belong to me are given joy by me. I am the joy of the whole world. I gladden all my friends and rejoice with them. I am the bread of life" (John 6:35). (excerpt from HOMILY ON THE RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS)5

 

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 11:19-27 notes that today’s Gospel gives us another view of Martha’s “no-holds-barred” relationship with Jesus. Grieving the death of her brother, Lazarus, she runs to Jesus as a friend but also as a devout believer. In a moment of complete honesty, she gently upbraids him for not coming in time. But she also shares her unquestioning faith when she proclaims him as “the Christ, the Son of God” (John 11:27). This statement is one of the most complete professions of faith we have in the Bible. In both cases,(see Luke 10.38-42) Martha didn’t mince her words. She felt free to speak directly from her heart, giving voice both to her sadness and to her faith.

What better way to honor St. Martha than to emulate her open, honest friendship with Christ? And what better way to grow closer to the Lord than to be completely transparent with him about our trials and complaints as well as our faith? It’s not a sign of disrespect to tell him exactly what we’re thinking. On the contrary, we honor Jesus when we let him see what’s in our hearts. It’s our way of opening ourselves to him and inviting him to live in us as our Lord and Savior. “Lord, help me to be bold and transparent in my love for you!”6 

Friar Jude Winkler shares the experience of the Israelites of the “shekinah” God’s Presence in the tent and the cloud. In the prologue to John’s Gospel and the Cloud of the Spirit over Mary in Luke we connect to the “shekinah”. Friar Jude reminds us that we live in the life of Jesus as soon as we develop a relationship with Him.

 

Fr Richard Rohr, OFM, shares that in his Franciscan tradition, joy comes from an inner realization of true experiential union with God … Authentic joy, however, takes place through our pain… There is much covering up, escaping, or denying our suffering in unhealthy religion. God calls us, instead, to the whole paschal mystery—passion, death, and resurrection. CAC teacher Barbara Holmes knows that such joy is for both the individual and the community, providing sustaining, life-giving power for marginalized people.

Performing joy offers healing from our addictive engagement with domination systems. We are not required to fight for our reality; we can just live it. . . . We are being invited to awaken to our true nature as spirit beings, energy sharers, and prophets of potential. The joy spoken of in Holy Scripture is accessible, but also has a certain “beyondness” to it: The world didn’t give it and the world can’t take it away. As we hear from Jesus in John 16:22: “So you have pain now; but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.” [2]7 

In our pain and disappointment we may miss the joy of consolation in our connection to the Presence of Christ.

 

References

1	(n.d.). Exodus, CHAPTER 40 | USCCB. Retrieved July 29, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/exodus/40
2	(n.d.). Psalms, PSALM 84 | USCCB. Retrieved July 29, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/84
3	(n.d.). John, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB. Retrieved July 29, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/11
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - Online Ministries - Creighton University. Retrieved July 29, 2021, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/072921.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 29, 2021, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2021&date=jul29
6	(n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved July 29, 2021, from https://wau.org/meditations/2021/07/29/190402/
7	(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 29, 2021, from https://cac.org/crisis-contemplation-and-joy-2021-07-29/