The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate the level of confidence we have in experiencing full life through our relationship with Christ.
Sharing Joy in Life
The reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians urges our vigilance in anticipation of the Day of the Lord.
* [5:5] Children of the light: that is, belonging to the daylight of God’s personal revelation and expected to achieve it (an analogous development of imagery that appears in Jn 12:36).1
Psalm 27 is a triumphant song of confidence.
* [27:13] In the land of the living: or “in the land of life,” an epithet of the Jerusalem Temple (Ps 52:7; 116:9; Is 38:11), where the faithful had access to the life-giving presence of God.2
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus heals the man with an unclean spirit.
* [4:34] What have you to do with us?: see note on Jn 2:4. Have you come to destroy us?: the question reflects the current belief that before the day of the Lord control over humanity would be wrested from the evil spirits, evil destroyed, and God’s authority over humanity reestablished.3
Tamora Whitney comments that they are starting back to school at Creighton with everyone vaccinated, but we still don’t know for sure what’s going to happen. The plan is to be in school in person like normal. She hopes that works out. But she still needs to be on guard, be careful, and do her best to stay safe.
Like we need to be alert and on guard for the return of the Lord. We don’t know when it will happen or what it will look like. “The day of the Lord will come like a thief at night.” The Thessalonians thought it would be any minute. They expected the return, like, that year. It’s been 2000 years and we’re still waiting, but we can’t slack off. We need to stay alert and stay positive. We didn’t expect this past year, and we don’t know what the next will bring. We don’t know what will happen or when, but we need to be alert, do what’s right, and be ready to respond.4
Don Schwager quotes “New creation begins on the Sabbath,” by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.
"He describes the works of divine healing begun on the sabbath day, to show from the outset that the new creation began where the old creation ceased. He showed us that the Son of God is not under the law but above the law, and that the law will not be destroyed but fulfilled (Matthew 5:17). For the world was not made through the law but by the Word, as we read: 'By the Word of the Lord were the heavens established' (Psalm 33:6). Thus the law is not destroyed but fulfilled, so that the renewal of humankind, already in error, may occur. The apostle too says, 'Stripping yourselves of the old man, put on the new, who was created according to Christ' (Colossians 3:9-10, Ephesians 4:22,24). He fittingly began on the sabbath, that he may show himself as Creator. He completed the work that he had already begun by weaving together works with works. (excerpt from EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 4.58)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6, 9-11 comments that we can end up thinking, acting, and praying as if God has destined us for wrath and not for salvation. Even when we aren’t fully aware of it, we might sometimes imagine God as a severe judge who is in the business of condemning people. We hear a harsh voice in our heads saying, “You keep messing up—what’s wrong with you?” Or “I know you’re not really a good person; it’s just a façade.” And if we’re not careful, we mistake this for the voice of God.
Are there times you have struggled with that harsh voice in your head and think that’s how God sees you? Imagine the Father as he really is: the God who wraps his arms around you and says, “You are my precious child. I love you and I forgive you.” “Father, when I hear that negative voice in my head, remind me that it’s not coming from you.”6
Friar Jude Winkler explains the concern of the Thessalonians about the Day of the Lord. Children of God, living a good lifestyle, are welcomed by Jesus. Friar Jude contrasts the awe and wonder of the people in Capernaum with Jesus' rejection in Nazareth.
Barbara Holmes shares the contemplative practices she learned from her family and ancestors.
On occasion, there were stories brought back from the “betwixt and between” regions where the ill dwell. These stories of a reality where healing became a tangible activity included their awareness not just of Aunt Becky’s herbal ministrations and the prayers of the community but also of the spirits of the ancestors and divine messengers. Thus, the community received spiritual witness to their beliefs about the multivalent aspects of reality and the multiple conduits to this transcendent space. In these small communities, contemplation was an everyday practice that included nurture of the body and the spirit.7
Our contemplation of Christ during the challenges of life builds our courage as His disciples and our confidence in His enduring Presence.
References
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