Rejection of Full Life

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today connect us to the omnipresence and omniscience of God as the Spirit prompts us to review our acceptance of God’s love.

Connection to Full Life

The reading from the Book of Job reveals how the Lord answers Job and his response to God.

* [38:1] Now the Lord enters the debate and addresses two discourses (chaps. 38–39 and 40–41) to Job, speaking of divine wisdom and power. Such things are altogether beyond the capacity of Job. Out of the storm: frequently the background of the appearances of the Lord in the Old Testament; cf. Ps 18; 50; Na 1:3; Hb 3:2–15.

* [40:4–5] Job’s first reaction is humble, but also seemingly cautious. (Job, CHAPTER 38, n.d.)

Psalm 139 praises the Inescapable God.

* [Psalm 139] A hymnic meditation on God’s omnipresence and omniscience. The psalmist is keenly aware of God’s all-knowing gaze (Ps 139:1–6), of God’s presence in every part of the universe (Ps 139:7–12), and of God’s control over the psalmist’s very self (Ps 139:13–16). Summing up Ps 139:1–16, 17–18 express wonder. There is only one place hostile to God’s rule—wicked people. The psalmist prays to be removed from their company (Ps 139:19–24). (Psalms, PSALM 139, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus expresses woes to unrepentant cities.

* [10:13–16] The call to repentance that is a part of the proclamation of the kingdom brings with it a severe judgment for those who hear it and reject it.

* [10:15] The netherworld: the underworld, the place of the dead (Acts 2:27, 31) here contrasted with heaven; see also note on Mt 11:23. (Luke, CHAPTER 10, n.d.)

Tom Quinn comments that we have begun to explore the abyss, comprehend the breadth of the earth, and we have even changed its face. But we all realize that we cannot control all aspects of nature. It will continue to “take hold of the ends of the earth and shake it, and dawn will come to show darkness its place." God will continue to create, move, protect, and be the most understanding Lord of creation; we will always be humbled by His power. The more that we explore and learn about the universe, the more we find that we do not understand. We are simply humbled and challenged to pay attention to details; to find God in all things.

The Pagans of Tyre and Sidon who had not yet witnessed Jesus’ message would be better off at the judgement than the people of Capernaum who knew him and rejected him. “...whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.” Are we more like the people of Capernaum, Chorizon, and Bethsaida? How often do we hear, "I was raised Christian, now I do not follow any religion. I do not know what to believe." Jesus’ message is available to more people than ever, yet we see and hear its rejection every day. Millions of people around the world have now heard the words of Our Lord, Jesus. They know of his life and miracles. Jesus continues to live among us, but in our hearts are we as motivated to follow his way to redemption as we need to be? (Quinn, 2022)

Don Schwager quotes “Christ speaks through the disciples,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"Christ gives those who love instruction the assurance that whatever is said concerning him by the holy apostles or evangelists is to be received necessarily without any doubt and to be crowned with the words of truth. He who hears them, hears Christ. For the blessed Paul also said, 'You desire proof that Christ is speaking in me' (2 Corinthians 13:3). Christ himself somewhere also said to the holy disciples, 'For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaks in you' (Matthew 10:20). Christ speaks in them by the consubstantial Spirit. If it is true, and plainly it is, that they speak by Christ, how can they err? He affirms that he who does not hear them, does not hear Christ, and that he who rejects them rejects Christ, and with him the Father."(excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 63) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Psalm 139:1-3, 7-10, 13-14 comments that Job is reduced to silence. Realizing that he has spoken out of turn, he is humbled and repents. He comes to understand that, as the psalmist said, no matter where he flees, no matter how low he sinks, “even there your hand shall guide me, and your right hand hold me fast” (Psalm 139:10). Job’s heart is changed.

God knows us too, inside and out. He understands our thoughts from afar (see Psalm 139:2). He knows the ways we are following him faithfully, and he knows where we are missing the mark. It might not seem like fun to invite God to probe your heart. But seeing his love in the face of your failings can help you appreciate how he holds you fast no matter what. You’ll also see how this “probing” can prepare your heart for the blessings he has in store for you. This is what happens to Job at the end of his story. And if you look back over your own life, you’ll probably see how God has blessed you too.

“Lord, thank you that you are the One who knows me the best and who loves me the most!” (Meditation on Psalm 139:1-3, 7-10, 13-14, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler shares the mystery of suffering in life as marked by Job confronting God and receiving a response. We truly witness to our faith when things are going wrong. Friar Jude reminds us of the message of Luke underlining the faith of Gentiles who are welcomed by Jesus into the people of Israel.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, was invited by Carmelite priest Bob Colaresi on a pilgrimage to St. Thérèse of Lisieux’s community in France. Before she died, Thérèse promised to spend her heaven doing good on earth. [1] Whether we believe in miracles of the saints or not, it seems like everybody who loves Thérèse has some miraculous story. She gets involved in our lives. There is something beautiful happening through this woman who said she wanted to perfect “the science of love.” [2]

My own experience in her convent felt like an affirmation of what I truly believe and what has been a lot of my message. The little way is the spirituality of imperfection; we come to God not by doing it right, but by doing it wrong. It’s not a matter of doing great things. Whenever we act in conscious love, this is the little way. And I think whatever we do in conscious union and love is prayer. So many of our Catholic saints are examples of heroic martyrdom; the message they give is, “If I am perfect, then God will love me.” Because I was so programmed to think that way, I really needed to be released from that pursuit of perfection. Thank God both Thérèse and Francis of Assisi did that for me! (Rohr, 2022)

We are nudged by the Spirit to seek greater experience of the Presence of God in the events of our journey.

References

Job, CHAPTER 38. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 30, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/job/38?1 

Luke, CHAPTER 10. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 30, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/10?13 

Meditation on Psalm 139:1-3, 7-10, 13-14. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved September 30, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/09/30/499071/ 

Psalms, PSALM 139. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 30, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/139?1 

Quinn, T. (2022, September 30). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved September 30, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/093022.html 

Rohr, R. (2022, September 30). Acting In Conscious Love — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 30, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/acting-in-conscious-love-2022-09-30/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture ... Retrieved September 30, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=sep30 

Angels of Triumph

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate the connection to angels as servants of God in our Christian heritage.

Connection to Angels

The reading from the Book of Daniel is a vision of Judgement before the Ancient One.

* [7:9–10] A vision of the heavenly throne of God (the Ancient of Days), who sits in judgment over the nations. Some of the details of the vision, depicting the divine majesty and omnipotence, are to be found in Ezekiel 1. Others are paralleled in 1 Enoch, a contemporary Jewish apocalypse.

* [7:13–14] One like a son of man: In contrast to the worldly kingdoms opposed to God, which are represented as grotesque beasts, the coming Kingdom of God is represented by a human figure. Scholars disagree as to whether this figure should be taken as a collective symbol for the people of God (cf. 7:27) or identified as a particular individual, e.g., the archangel Michael (cf. 12:1) or the messiah. The phrase “Son of Man” becomes a title for Jesus in the gospels, especially in passages dealing with the Second Coming (Mk 13 and parallels). (Daniel, CHAPTER 7, n.d.)

The reading from the Book of Revelation shares the vision of how Michael defeats the Dragon.

* [12:7–12] Michael, mentioned only here in Revelation, wins a victory over the dragon. A hymn of praise follows.

* [12:7] Michael: the archangel, guardian and champion of Israel; cf. Dn 10:13, 21; 12:1; Jude 9. In Hebrew, the name Michael means “Who can compare with God?”; cf. Rev 13:4. (Revelation, CHAPTER 12, n.d.)

Psalm 138 is a hymn of Thanksgiving and Praise.

* [Psalm 138] A thanksgiving to God, who came to the rescue of the psalmist. Divine rescue was not the result of the psalmist’s virtues but of God’s loving fidelity (Ps 138:1–3). The act is not a private transaction but a public act that stirs the surrounding nations to praise God’s greatness and care for the people (Ps 138:4–6). The psalmist, having experienced salvation, trusts that God will always be there in moments of danger (Ps 138:7–8). (Psalms, PSALM 138, n.d.)

The Gospel of John introduces Nathanael, a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him.

* [1:47] A true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him: Jacob was the first to bear the name “Israel” (Gn 32:29), but Jacob was a man of duplicity (Gn 27:35–36).

* [1:48] Under the fig tree: a symbol of messianic peace (cf. Mi 4:4; Zec 3:10).

* [1:49] Son of God: this title is used in the Old Testament, among other ways, as a title of adoption for the Davidic king (2 Sm 7:14; Ps 2:7; 89:27), and thus here, with King of Israel, in a messianic sense. For the evangelist, Son of God also points to Jesus’ divinity (cf. Jn 20:28). (John, CHAPTER 1, n.d.)

Molly Mattingly shares some etymology. The word “angel” comes from the Hebrew word “messenger.” The angels in scripture are messengers for God, or their appearance points people to God and Christ. The ones who are named, like the archangels of today’s feast, communicate something about God in their names. Michael is the protector of Israel in Daniel and the leader of heaven’s armies in today’s reading from Revelation. And yet, for such a powerful being, Michael does not claim power. His name points beyond himself to God in a rhetorical question: “Who is like God?” Raphael appears as Tobiah’s traveling companion in the book of Tobit. Raphael – “God heals” – leads Tobiah not just to cure his father Tobit’s optical blindness, but to healing relationships through his journey. Finally, Gabriel most clearly acts as a messenger, interpreting prophecies of Daniel and announcing the births of both John the Baptist and Jesus. In Islamic tradition, Gabriel also dictated the Qur’an to Muhammad. But Gabriel’s name means “God is my strong one” or “God is my hero,” pointing to dependence on God. I find it especially beautiful that “God is my strong one” receives Mary’s “yes” to complete dependence on God, and that he announces God’s arrival as an infant, utterly dependent on human parents, not strong at all. It lays the foundation for Paul’s line: “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). 

We join the choirs of angels and the communion of saints in praising God every time we participate in the Eucharistic liturgy. “In the sight of the angels [we] will sing your praises, Lord!” (Psalm 138:1) Today, I invite you to consider how you might follow in the archangels’ paths of praise. How might you point beyond yourself, giving God the glory even for the things you do? How might you offer or ask for God’s healing – for your own wounds, for our Church, for the world? How might you practice dependence on God, letting God be your strong one?

Calling All Angels (The Wailin’ Jennies) (Mattingly, 2022)

Don Schwager quotes “The Lord of Angels,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).

"Do you see how he [Jesus] leads him [Nathanael] up little by little from the earth and causes him no longer to imagine him as merely a man? For one to whom angels minister and on whom angels ascend and descend, how could he be a man? This is why he said, 'You shall see greater things than these.' And to prove this, he introduces the ministry of angels. What he means is something like this: Does this, O Nathanael, seem to you a great matter, and have you for this confessed me to be King of Israel? What then will you say when you see 'angels ascending and descending on me'? He persuades him by these words to receive him as Lord also of the angels. For on him as on the king's own son, the royal ministers ascended and descended, once at the season of the crucifixion, again at the time of the resurrection and the ascension, and before this also, when they 'came and ministered to him' (Matthew 4:11). They also ascended and descended when they proclaimed the good news of his birth and cried, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace' (Luke 2:14), when they came to Mary and also when they came to Joseph... Our Lord made the present a proof of the future. After the powers he had already shown, Nathanael would readily believe that much more would follow." (excerpt from the Homilies On the Gospel of John 21.1) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 1:47-51 comments that we can celebrate the work that these archangels have done on our behalf and strive to follow their example of quick obedience and love for God.

These three archangels are always ready to hear God’s mission for them and fulfill it immediately. May we follow their example and make ourselves instruments of God’s grace to everyone he sends us to.

“Sts. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, help me follow your example of service to God in all that I do.” (Meditation on John 1:47-51, n.d.)

The article from Franciscan Media discusses the role Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael as messengers from God. Angels appear frequently in Scripture, but only Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are named.

Each of the archangels performs a different mission in Scripture: Michael protects; Gabriel announces; Raphael guides. Earlier belief that inexplicable events were due to the actions of spiritual beings has given way to a scientific world-view and a different sense of cause and effect. Yet believers still experience God’s protection, communication, and guidance in ways which defy description. We cannot dismiss angels too lightly. (Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler discusses the authority Israel receives over the nations in the passage from Daniel where the Son of Man is attended by angels. The defeat of the dragon by Michael in Revelation connects us to the Blood of the Lamb and our personal connection to martyrdom. Friar Jude reminds us of the value of wrestling with God in the stories of Jacob and Nathanael.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares how the teachings of Thérèse of Lisieux have supported his own spiritual journey. He introduces Brené Brown, a contemporary teacher who extols the gifts of imperfection. He quotes a line from Leonard Cohen’s song “Anthem” that serves as a reminder when . . .trying to control everything and make it perfect.

The line is, “There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” [3] . . . This line helps me remember the beauty of the cracks (and the messy house and the imperfect manuscript and the too-tight jeans). It reminds me that our imperfections are not inadequacies; they are reminders that we’re all in this together. Imperfectly, but together. [4] (Rohr, 2022)

We are open to intervention in our lives in the service of the Will of God that challenges us to deeper relationships with God and others.

References

Daniel, CHAPTER 7. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 29, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/daniel/7?9 

John, CHAPTER 1. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 29, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/1?47 

Mattingly, M. (2022, September 29). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved September 29, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/092922.html 

Meditation on John 1:47-51. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved September 29, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/09/29/498565/ 

Psalms, PSALM 138. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 29, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/138?1 

Revelation, CHAPTER 12. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 29, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/revelation/12?7 

Rohr, R. (2022, September 29). Accepting Our Imperfections — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 29, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/accepting-our-imperfections-2022-09-29/ 

Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. (n.d.). Franciscan Media. Retrieved September 29, 2022, from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saints-michael-gabriel-and-raphael 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture ... Retrieved September 29, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=sep29a