The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to contemplate how our words and actions both reveal our acceptance of humility as our attitude when we encounter people on our journey.
Humble Service Opportunity
In the reading from the Book of Ruth, Ruth Meets Boaz.
* [2:20] For the first time, the story uses the Hebrew word go’el, “redeemer,” for the responsibilities of the circle of kinship surrounding Naomi and Ruth and their deceased relatives. Involved are the recovery or retention of family land (Lv 25:25; 27:9–33; Jer 32:6–25), release of a relative from voluntary servitude to pay debts (Lv 25:47–55), and “redeeming blood” or vengeance, attested in passages which regulate such vengeance. No explicit connection is made elsewhere in the Bible between marriage responsibilities and redeeming.1
Psalm 128 praises the happy home of the Faithful.
* [Psalm 128] A statement that the ever-reliable God will bless the reverent (Ps 128:1). God’s blessing is concrete: satisfaction and prosperity, a fertile spouse and abundant children (Ps 128:2–4). The perspective is that of the adult male, ordinarily the ruler and representative of the household to the community. The last verses extend the blessing to all the people for generations to come (Ps 128:5–6).2
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus denounces the Scribes and Pharisees.
* [23:2–3] Have taken their seat…Moses: it is uncertain whether this is simply a metaphor for Mosaic teaching authority or refers to an actual chair on which the teacher sat. It has been proved that there was a seat so designated in synagogues of a later period than that of this gospel. Do and observe…they tell you: since the Matthean Jesus abrogates Mosaic law (Mt 5:31–42), warns his disciples against the teaching of the Pharisees (Mt 14:1–12), and, in this speech, denounces the Pharisees as blind guides in respect to their teaching on oaths (Mt 23:16–22), this commandment to observe all things whatsoever they (the scribes and Pharisees) tell you cannot be taken as the evangelist’s understanding of the proper standard of conduct for his church. The saying may reflect a period when the Matthean community was largely Jewish Christian and was still seeking to avoid a complete break with the synagogue. Matthew has incorporated this traditional material into the speech in accordance with his view of the course of salvation history, in which he portrays the time of Jesus’ ministry as marked by the fidelity to the law, although with significant pointers to the new situation that would exist after his death and resurrection (see note on Mt 5:17–20). The crowds and the disciples (Mt 23:1) are exhorted not to follow the example of the Jewish leaders, whose deeds do not conform to their teaching (Mt 23:3).3
Steve Scholer comments that to practice what we preach sounds easy, but it is so, so hard to do. What can we do to make this important task more manageable, as part of our daily lives and how we interact with others?
Maybe like the Olympic athletes we just watched; we should get a coach to help keep us focused on our goals. And what better coach could we have than the Lord, for he is with us in times of strength and in times of weakness, and when we are searching for solace in his warm daily embrace of each and everyone of us. Through the Holy Spirit, God is present and ready to shape and mold us into the type of persons we all desperately want to be. Always prodding us to strive for the Magis, to become better in each and everything we do. As we reflect on our shortcomings, do not despair, for we have the best set of coaches any athlete could ever hope for. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are there to help us achieve our aspirational goals.4
Don Schwager quotes “God is our father and teacher,” by Jerome (347-420 AD).
"No one should be called teacher or father except God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. He alone is the Father, because all things are from him. He alone is the teacher, because through him are made all things and through him all things are reconciled to God. But one might ask, 'Is it against this precept when the apostle calls himself the teacher of the Gentiles? Or when, as in colloquial speech widely found in the monasteries of Egypt and Palestine, they call each other Father?' Remember this distinction. It is one thing to be a father or a teacher by nature, another to be so by generosity. For when we call a man father and reserve the honor of his age, we may thereby be failing to honor the Author of our own lives. One is rightly called a teacher only from his association with the true Teacher. I repeat: The fact that we have one God and one Son of God through nature does not prevent others from being understood as sons of God by adoption. Similarly this does not make the terms father and teacher useless or prevent others from being called father."(excerpt from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 23:1-12 observes that Jesus saw that Israel’s spiritual leaders were still teaching the Torah, the “precious gold,” with admirable devotion. Jesus knew that many of them were not practicing what they preached, but that didn’t negate their message. He was able to look through their hypocrisies to see the “gold” of their genuine love for God’s laws.
But if we try to listen with an open mind and generous heart, we’ll discover that often, other people have something to say that’s worth hearing. This doesn’t mean we have to agree with everything they say or do. But if we ask for the Spirit’s help and we keep our eyes open, we can find all around us “golden nuggets” that are true, good, and beautiful. Even in unlikely places! Try this the next time you have a disagreement: ask for grace to see the other person as the Lord sees him. Let his grace soften your heart and make it easier to see the “gold” that person can offer you. “Lord, give me the grace to see everyone with a generous heart.”6
Friar Jude Winkler connects the offering of water to Ruth with marriage “proposals at the well” in Scripture. The ancestor of David is a virtuous and heroic member of the Moab people. Friar Jude reminds us that we need to try to be the most humble in our relationships with other people.
Franciscan Media comments that the second of 10 children in a poor Italian family, Joseph Sarto became Pius X at age 68. He was one of the 20th century’s greatest popes. Ever mindful of his humble origin, Pope Pius stated, “I was born poor, I lived poor, I will die poor.” He was embarrassed by some of the pomp of the papal court. “Look how they have dressed me up,” he said in tears to an old friend. To another, “It is a penance to be forced to accept all these practices. They lead me around surrounded by soldiers like Jesus when he was seized in Gethsemani.”
His humble background was no obstacle in relating to a personal God and to people whom he loved genuinely. Pius X gained his strength, his gentleness and warmth for people from the source of all gifts, the Spirit of Jesus. In contrast, we often feel embarrassed by our backgrounds. Shame makes us prefer to remain aloof from people whom we perceive as superior. If we are in a superior position, on the other hand, we often ignore simpler people. Yet we, too, have to help “restore all things in Christ,” especially the wounded people of God.7
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that the Christ Mystery refuses to be vague or abstract. It is always concrete and specific. When we choose to “behold” things instead of begrudging them, we begin to see that everything is a revelation of the Divine—from rocks to rocket ships, from a Rembrandt to a Rothko. Our incapacity to see stems from our own lack of fascination, humility, curiosity, awe. The only thing needed is a willingness to surrender to the naked now, which God always inhabits, where the Incarnation always takes place and is always mysterious, where God, in every moment, is perfectly hidden and, at the same time, perfectly revealed. Hold that paradox. Those who have eyes to see can allow both to be true. If Christ is that by which we see, Christ is also what we see in the material world. Fr Richard invites us to proclaim this call and response prayer with the larger CAC community today.
Our humble attitude opens our being to experience the gifts of God in all people.
References
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