Mary offers Joy and Praise

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate the connection of the visit of Mary to Elizabeth to our encounters with the Holy Spirit that reveal the Presence of God.

Joy of the Presence

The reading from the Book of Zephaniah is a Song of Joy about God’s Presence with Israel. The response from the Prophet Isaiah calls us to sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously.

* [12:1–6] Israel’s thanksgiving to the Lord, expressed in language like that of the Psalms. (Isaiah, CHAPTER 12, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Mary Visits Elizabeth and proclaims a Song of Praise.

* [1:46–55] Although Mary is praised for being the mother of the Lord and because of her belief, she reacts as the servant in a psalm of praise, the Magnificat. Because there is no specific connection of the canticle to the context of Mary’s pregnancy and her visit to Elizabeth, the Magnificat (with the possible exception of v. 48) may have been a Jewish Christian hymn that Luke found appropriate at this point in his story. Even if not composed by Luke, it fits in well with themes found elsewhere in Luke: joy and exultation in the Lord; the lowly being singled out for God’s favor; the reversal of human fortunes; the fulfillment of Old Testament promises. The loose connection between the hymn and the context is further seen in the fact that a few Old Latin manuscripts identify the speaker of the hymn as Elizabeth, even though the overwhelming textual evidence makes Mary the speaker. (Luke, CHAPTER 1, n.d.)

Eileen Wirth comments that the gift of Ignatian imaginative prayer helps her picture this beautiful scene of women supporting each other through a time of crisis for both. She loves the lessons that these two amazing women teach us.

From Mary we learn to seek the gift of other people that God has given us. From Elizabeth we learn to give others the gift of unconditional love and support when they need it most – a concrete expression of God’s unconditional love for us. Frequently we are called to play each role. Mary and Elizabeth inspire us to risk loving others unconditionally no matter what the circumstances and to reach out to others to give them this same opportunity. (Wirth, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “John prophecies from the womb,” by Maximus of Turin (died between 408-423 AD).

"Not yet born, already John prophesies and, while still in the enclosure of his mother's womb, confesses the coming of Christ with movements of joy - since he could not do so with his voice. As Elizabeth says to holy Mary, 'As soon as you greeted me, the child in my womb exulted for joy.' John exults, then, before he is born. Before his eyes can see what the world looks like, he can recognize the Lord of the world with his spirit. In this regard, I think that the prophetic phrase is appropriate: 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you came forth from the womb I sanctified you' (Jeremiah 1:5). Thus we ought not to marvel that after Herod put him in prison, he continued to announce Christ to his disciples from his confinement, when even confined in the womb he preached the same Lord by his movements." (excerpt from SERMON 5.4) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us comments that this scene is more than a happy family reunion. It’s two women, sisters in the Lord, rejoicing over God’s work in them. Not only has each of them conceived miraculously, but they have both been privileged to play a pivotal role in God’s plan of salvation.

How has God lifted you up? Maybe he has helped you overcome a particular sin. Maybe his mercy has delivered you from shame or fear. Maybe he has healed you or spoken just the right word at just the right time or accompanied you during a season of suffering. Whatever it is, give praise to the Lord for it today. Join Mary in rejoicing in God, your Savior! “Lord, my spirit rejoices in your saving power!” (Meditation: Luke 1:39-5, 2022)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the joy of Jerusalem in the understanding of the Presence of God with them. The three months of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth connects to the three months the Ark of the Covenant was kept in the region during the time of David. Friar Jude reminds us of the status of Mary as the New Ark of the Covenant. 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM,  shares the work of Diana Butler Bass, who speaks about seeing Christianity in a fresh way. In her book, Freeing Jesus, Bass describes our relationship with Jesus as a dynamic opportunity to see God and ourselves perpetually anew.

If we think that being with Jesus means getting the right answers from a creed or remembering points of doctrine from a sermon, we probably will not manage to truly know Jesus. We will only succeed in keeping the right responses scribbled on some back page of our memory. “Who are you, Lord?” [Acts 9:3–5] is the question of a lifetime, to be asked and experienced over and over again. That query frees Jesus to show up in our lives over and over again, and entails remembering where we first met, how we struggled with each other along the road, and what we learned in the process. [1] (Rohr, 2022)

Mary is the New Ark of the Covenant who calls us to joy and praise in the blessing of God among us.

References

Isaiah, CHAPTER 12. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved May 31, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/12?2 

Luke, CHAPTER 1. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved May 31, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/1?39 

Meditation: Luke 1:39-5. (2022, May 31). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved May 31, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/05/31/397214/ 

Rohr, R. (2022, May 31). Seeing Jesus Again — Center for Action and Contemplation. Daily Meditations Archive: 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/seeing-jesus-again-2022-05-31/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved May 31, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=may31a 

Wirth, E. (n.d.). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved May 31, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/053122.html

Conquering Spirit of Peace

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary invite us to communicate with those with whom we share our journey about the Way of full life in relationship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit.

Encounters on our journey

The reading from the Acts of the Apostles describes the mission of  Paul in Ephesus.

* [19:1–6] Upon his arrival in Ephesus, Paul discovers other people at the same religious stage as Apollos, though they seem to have considered themselves followers of Christ, not of the Baptist. On the relation between baptism and the reception of the Spirit, see note on Acts 8:16. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 19, n.d.)

Psalm 68 is a hymn of Praise and Thanksgiving.

* [Psalm 68] The Psalm is extremely difficult because the Hebrew text is badly preserved and the ceremony that it describes is uncertain. The translation assumes the Psalm accompanied the early autumn Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth), which included a procession of the tribes (Ps 68:25–28). Israel was being oppressed by a foreign power, perhaps Egypt (Ps 68:31–32)—unless Egypt stands for any oppressor. The Psalm may have been composed from segments of ancient poems, which would explain why the transitions are implied rather than explicitly stated. At any rate, Ps 68:2 is based on Nm 10:35–36, and Ps 68:8–9 are derived from Jgs 5:4–5. The argument develops in nine stanzas (each of three to five poetic lines): 1. confidence that God will destroy Israel’s enemies (Ps 68:2–4); 2. call to praise God as savior (Ps 68:5–7); (Psalms, PSALM 68, n.d.)

In the Gospel of John, Jesus speaks plainly about His departure and peace that will come through the Advocate.

* [16:30] The reference is seemingly to the fact that Jesus could anticipate their question in Jn 16:19. The disciples naively think they have the full understanding that is the climax of “the hour” of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension (Jn 16:25), but the only part of the hour that is at hand for them is their share in the passion (Jn 16:32). (John, CHAPTER 16, n.d.)

Jay Carney shares the hope that St. Paul and Pope Francis will inspire all of us to do our own small part to evangelize in our corners of the world, building up a culture of encounter through sharing the joy of the gospel.

First, in keeping with his overall missionary spirit, Paul demonstrates a willingness to go out….  Second, for their part, the disciples of John the Baptist demonstrate a willingness to go deeper. … Third, Paul reflects a willingness to go forth to debate and dialogue with his opponents…. As Pope Francis said in Evangelii Gaudium, and has repeated many times since, “evangelization also involves the path of dialogue” (EG 238). (Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries, n.d.) 

Don Schwager quotes “In Christ we have peace,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"When [Jesus] says, 'These things have I spoken to you, that in me you might have peace,' he refers not only to what he has just said but also to what he had said all along, either from the time that he first had disciples, or since the supper, when he began this long and wonderful discourse... He declares this to be the object of his whole discourse, that is, that in him they might have peace. And this peace will have no end but is itself the end of every godly action and intention." (excerpt from TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 104.1.15) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 16:29-33 comments that faith is not static. That’s a good thing because it can keep growing in us—as it did with the disciples after Pentecost. But our faith can also be shaken in trying times—as it was when the disciples abandoned Jesus. Or our faith can become so lukewarm that it has no real impact on our lives. So how can we keep our faith growing and not waning?

Faith is a journey with lots of ruts in the road, so we shouldn’t be surprised when we stumble. But by following the example of the first disciples—recalling God’s word, asking for the grace of the Holy Spirit, and depending on our brothers and sisters—we can count on our faith to get stronger with each day. “Jesus, I believe in you. Increase my faith.” (Meditation on John 16:29-33, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the time when Apollos did not know the Baptism of the Spirit. Baptism and Confirmation confer different aspects of the Spirit. Friar Jude reminds us of the shalom that Jesus' Hour of Glory on the Cross brings us through Love to conquer the world.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares the work of Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis, who comments that religion at its best teaches us how to “see” with greater clarity, which increases our courage and capacity to love ourselves, others, even our enemies.

In its truest sense, religion should reconnect human beings—bind them again—to the creation, to one another, to the divine, to love. Religion should reveal to us how much we need one another to survive and thrive. Religion should be revelatory and revolutionary, helping us see how our biases about color, gender, sexuality, and class cause deep hurt to both body and soul. . . . The teaching of rabbi Jesus is simple: Love God. Love neighbor. Love self. Love period. . . . At a lecture in Israel, I heard one of my favorite rabbis, Donniel Hartman, say, “A life of faith isn’t just about walking with God, but how one walks with humanity. The core feature of a moral life is to see. Choosing not to see is immoral. The goal of religion is to improve our willingness and our ability to see.” A spiritual life is supposed to help us see better. The aim of Love, and any God worth worshipping, is improved sight. . . . (Rohr, 2022)

Our journey brings us to encounter opportunities to relate to people and witness to the peace of Christ in the actions of our lives.

References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 19. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved May 30, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/19?1 

Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. (n.d.). Creighton University's Online Ministries. Retrieved May 30, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/053022.html 

John, CHAPTER 16. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved May 30, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/16?29 

Meditation on John 16:29-33. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved May 30, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/05/30/396625/ 

Psalms, PSALM 68. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved May 30, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/68?2 

Rohr, R. (2022, May 30). Seeing All Things. Daily Meditations Archive: 2022. Retrieved May 30, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/seeing-all-the-things-2022-05-30/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture ... Retrieved May 30, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=may30 

Persevere in the Promise

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today exhort us to act as the Body of Christ as we meditate on Jesus' ascension into heaven.

Persevere as the Body

The reading from the Acts of the Apostles is the Promise of the Holy Spirit that accompanies the Ascension of Jesus.

* [1:1–26] This introductory material (Acts 1:1–2) connects Acts with the Gospel of Luke, shows that the apostles were instructed by the risen Jesus (Acts 1:3–5), points out that the parousia or second coming in glory of Jesus will occur as certainly as his ascension occurred (Acts 1:6–11), and lists the members of the Twelve, stressing their role as a body of divinely mandated witnesses to his life, teaching, and resurrection (Acts 1:12–26). (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 1, n.d.)

Psalm 47 praises God’s Rule over the Nations.

* [Psalm 47] A hymn calling on the nations to acknowledge the universal rule of Israel’s God (Ps 47:2–5) who is enthroned as king over Israel and the nations (Ps 47:6–9). (Psalms, PSALM 47, n.d.)

The reading from the Letter to the Ephesians describes the Church as Christ’s Body through which Jesus may give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation as we come to know him.

* [1:15–23] See note on Rom 1:8 for the thanksgiving form in a letter. Much of the content parallels thoughts in Col 1:3–20. The prayer moves from God and Christ (Eph 1:17, 20–21) to the Ephesians (Eph 1:17–19) and the church (Eph 1:22–23). Paul asks that the blessing imparted by God the Father (Eph 1:3) to the Ephesians will be strengthened in them through the message of the gospel (Eph 1:13, 17–19). Those blessings are seen in the context of God’s might in establishing the sovereignty of Christ over all other creatures (Eph 1:19–21) and in appointing him head of the church (Eph 1:22–23). For the allusion to angelic spirits in Eph 1:21, see Rom 8:38 and Col 1:16. Here, as in 1 Cor 15:24–25 and Col 2:15, every such principality and power is made subject to Christ. (Ephesians, CHAPTER 1, n.d.)

An alternate reading from the Letter to the Hebrews is a call to persevere.

* [9:28] To take away the sins of many: the reference is to Is 53:12. Since the Greek verb anapherō can mean both “to take away” and “to bear,” the author no doubt intended to play upon both senses: Jesus took away sin by bearing it himself. See the similar wordplay in Jn 1:29. Many is used in the Semitic meaning of “all” in the inclusive sense, as in Mk 14:24. To those who eagerly await him: Jesus will appear a second time at the parousia, as the high priest reappeared on the Day of Atonement, emerging from the Holy of Holies, which he had entered to take away sin. This dramatic scene is described in Sir 50:5–11. (Hebrews, CHAPTER 9, n.d.)

The Gospel of Luke proclaims the Ascension of Jesus.

* [24:50–53] Luke brings his story about the time of Jesus to a close with the report of the ascension. He will also begin the story of the time of the church with a recounting of the ascension. In the gospel, Luke recounts the ascension of Jesus on Easter Sunday night, thereby closely associating it with the resurrection. In Acts 1:3, 9–11; 13:31 he historicizes the ascension by speaking of a forty-day period between the resurrection and the ascension. The Western text omits some phrases in Lk 24:51, 52 perhaps to avoid any chronological conflict with Acts 1 about the time of the ascension. (Luke, CHAPTER 24, n.d.)

Larry Gillick, S.J. comments that at the end of our First Reading from the Acts up the Apostles, we hear of the two, who were dressed in white, asking the Apostles why they are looking up, gazing off into the blue. We can join them, if we wish, gazing into the blue of mysteries or insufficiencies. What these two messengers are saying to the Apostles is, “get on with it!” "You have seen enough, heard enough, now be enough for the Body of Christ to take flesh in you individually and corporally as The Church."

The “men of Galilee” went back up to Jerusalem.   As with the "Viri Galille choir," they sang at times humilified with the more than scoffing listeners. They sang and their song continues when we are His Body revealing His Presence. We can be tempted that we are not ever enough. The Holy Spirit, Who inspired and guided that early Galilean band continues creating life in the Church and the world through such singers as ourselves. Don’t forget the words!!! (Gillick, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus ascends to heaven in his body - divine and human nature,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"You heard what came to our ears just now from the Gospel: 'Lifting up his hands, he blessed them. And it happened, while he was blessing them he withdrew from them, and was carried up to heaven.' Who was carried up to heaven? The Lord Christ was. Who is the Lord Christ? He is the Lord Jesus. What is this? Are you going to separate the human from the divine and make one person of God, another of the man, so that there is no longer a trinity of three but a quaternary of four? Just as you, a human being, are soul and body, so the Lord Christ is Word, soul and body. The Word did not depart from the Father. He both came to us and did not forsake the Father. He both took flesh in the womb and continued to govern the universe. What was lifted up into heaven, if not what had been taken from earth? That is to say, the very flesh, the very body, about which he was speaking when he said to the disciples, 'Feel, and see that a spirit does not have bones and flesh, as you can see that I have' (Luke 24:39). Let us believe this, brothers and sisters, and if we have difficulty in meeting the arguments of the philosophers, let us hold on to what was demonstrated in the Lord's case without any difficulty of faith. Let them chatter, but let us believe." (excerpt from Sermon 242,6) (The Lord Jesus Was Taken up Into Heaven, 2022)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 24:46-53 comments that like the disciples, we might wonder how to follow Jesus since he is no longer walking the earth. But the answer remains the same: Stay in the city. Stay close to your brothers and sisters in the Lord. When hard times come, we may feel distant from God or uncertain about what to do next. Confusion, hurt, or disillusionment can undermine our trust in the Lord and one another. In these situations, our first instinct is often to withdraw. We might avoid seeing people or even stop going to church. But Jesus encourages us: Stay in the city.

Jesus promises to give us the power we need to live as his people. He urges us, Stay close to your brothers and sisters. Stay close to me. Keep praying. I will fill you with my Spirit. “Jesus, help me to stay close to you and to your people, even when I don’t understand what you’re doing.” (Meditation on Luke 24:46-53, 2022)

Friar Jude Winkler notes that Luke dedicates the Acts of the Apostles to Theopolis that could be a symbolic name for all lovers of God. Luke states the mission to be witnesses to the end of the world, the political centre of Rome. Friar Jude reminds us that the third revelation of Jesus in Luke mirrors our usual journey of the revelation of Christ to us through Scripture, Word and Sacrament, and ultimately face to face in faith.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, describes his spiritual development as a “pilgrim’s progress,” with God using the circumstances of his life—particularly his international ministry and travel—to expand his vision, heart, and mind.

Soon there was a much bigger world for me than the United States and the Roman Catholic Church, which I eventually realized also contained paradoxes. The e pluribus unum (“out of many, one”) on American coinage did not include very many of its own people (women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ people, poor folks, people with disabilities, and so many more). As a Christian I finally had to be either Roman or catholic, and I continue to choose the catholic end of that spectrum—remember, catholic means universal. Either Jesus is the “savior of the world” (John 4:42), or he is not much of a savior at all. Either America treats the rest of the world and its own citizens democratically, or it does not really believe in democracy at all. That’s the way I see it. But this slow process of transformation and the realizations that came with it were not either-or decisions; they were great big both-and realizations. None of it happened without much prayer, self-doubt, study, and conversation. The journey itself led me to a deepening sense of holiness, freedom, and wholeness. Although I didn’t begin thinking this way, I now hope and believe that a kind of second simplicity is the very goal of mature adulthood and mature religion. (Rohr, 2022)

The liturgy of the Ascension prepares us to be prepared to accept the prompting of the Spirit to bring Christ to the ends of the earth in our acts of love, mercy, and compassion.

References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 1. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved May 29, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/1 

Ephesians, CHAPTER 1. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved May 29, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ephesians/1?17 

Gillick, L. (n.d.). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved May 29, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Ascension-2022.html 

Hebrews, CHAPTER 9. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved May 29, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/hebrews/9 

The Lord Jesus Was Taken up into Heaven. (2022, May 26). Daily Scripture net. Retrieved May 29, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=may26 

Luke, CHAPTER 24. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved May 29, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/24?46 

Meditation on Luke 24:46-53. (2022, May 29). Word Among Us. Retrieved May 29, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/05/29/395828/ 

Psalms, PSALM 47. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved May 29, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/47?2 

Rohr, R. (2022, May 29). Ever-Widening Circles. Daily Meditations Archive: 2022. Retrieved May 29, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/ever-widening-circles-2022-05-29/