The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to recognize the gifts we have received on our journey that the Holy Spirit enables for the service of others.
The reading from the Book of Proverbs asserts that justice toward one’s neighbor brings blessing.
Verses 27–35 are arranged according to a clear order. Serving God requires serving one’s neighbor through kindness (vv. 27–28), maintaining peace with the good (vv. 29–31), having no envy of the wicked (v. 31), because the Lord’s friendship and kindness are with the just, not with the wicked. Matching the six exhortations of vv. 1–12, vv. 27–34 contain six prohibitions. The righteous/wicked contrast is progressively developed: in contrast to the wicked, the righteous are in God’s inner circle, their houses are blessed, they deal with a merciful God, and obtain honor. (Proverbs, CHAPTER 3, n.d.)
Psalm 15 asks who shall abide in God’s Sanctuary?
* [Psalm 15] The Psalm records a liturgical scrutiny at the entrance to the Temple court (cf. Ps 24:3–6; Is 33:14b–16). The Israelite wishing to be admitted had to ask the Temple official what conduct was appropriate to God’s precincts. Note the emphasis on virtues relating to one’s neighbor. (Psalms, PSALM 15, n.d.)
The Gospel of Luke advises against placing a lamp under a jar.
* [8:16–18] These sayings continue the theme of responding to the word of God. Those who hear the word must become a light to others (Lk 8:16); even the mysteries of the kingdom that have been made known to the disciples (Lk 8:9–10) must come to light (Lk 8:17); a generous and persevering response to the word of God leads to a still more perfect response to the word. (Luke, CHAPTER 8, n.d.)
Eileen Wirth is thinking of a tragic friend, a generally good person who made some terrible decisions years ago that eventually caught up with him. His decisions devastated his wife and family.
I have no idea what drove my friend to make his bad decisions – probably a form of sickness – but the moral of his tale is clear. When we lie, harshly criticize, cheat, take advantage of someone, violate vows etc. we hurt others, certainly. However we risk living with consequences that are far worse than anything our victims could impose on us. Please, dear readers, pray for my friend. He needs it. (Wirth, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “The Word of God is like a lamp to guide us,” by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD).
"Scripture does not say this about a tangible lamp but about a comprehensible one. One does not 'light' the lamp and conceal it 'with a vessel' or put it 'under a bed, but on the lamp stand' within himself. The vessels of the house are the powers of the soul. The bed is the body. 'Those who go in' are those who hear the teacher... He calls the holy church a 'lamp stand.' By its proclamation, the Word of God gives light to all who are in this world and illuminates those in the house with the rays of the truth, filling the minds of all with divine knowledge. (excerpt from FRAGMENTS ON LUKE 120, 122) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 8:16-18 comments that it is not only through the Scriptures that the Lord speaks to us; he may also use another person to communicate something important. Ask the Holy Spirit if it was a word that the Lord wanted considered.
When Jesus told us to “take care” how we hear, he wasn’t speaking only to those who were listening to him that day; he meant it for us as well. But he didn’t leave us on our own. Instead, he gave us an indispensable helper: the Holy Spirit, the best “hearing aid” we could ever have!
“Holy Spirit, I’m listening! Help me to hear and understand God’s word.” (Meditation on Luke 8:16-18, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler compares the wisdom sayings of Proverbs to “folk” wisdom. The Israelites understood that learning to live in peace with the community was a parallel to living in relationship with God. Friar Jude reminds us to be aware of the witness we give with our lives to the community.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, describes the conscious attention and intention necessary to “fall upward” into a purposeful second half of life.We probably have to have met at least one true elder to imagine this could be true. Fr. Richard has met enough radiant people to know that it is possible. They have come to their human fullness, often against all odds, usually by suffering personally or vicariously and empathetically. As Jesus describes such a person, “from their breasts flow fountains of living water” (John 7:38). They are models and goals for our humanity, much more than the celebrities and politicians whose actions we seem to care so much about today. Jesuit theologian and scientist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881–1955) prayed to allow his life to unfold in full confidence of God’s presence until the very end.
When the signs of age begin to mark my body (and still more when they touch my mind); when the ill that is to diminish me or carry me off strikes from without or is born within me; when the painful moment comes in which I suddenly awaken to the fact that I am ill or growing old; and above all at that last moment when I feel I am losing hold of myself and am absolutely passive within the hands of the great unknown forces that have formed me; in all those dark moments, O God, grant that I may understand that it is You (provided only my faith is strong enough) who are painfully parting the fibres of my being in order to penetrate to the very marrow of my substance and bear me away within Yourself. [1] (Rohr, 2022)
We ponder the occasions on our journey when our gifts were amplified through acting in accord with the prompting of the Spirit.
References
Luke, CHAPTER 8. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/8?16
Meditation on Luke 8:16-18. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/09/19/491633/
Proverbs, CHAPTER 3. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/proverbs/3?27
Psalms, PSALM 15. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/15?2
Rohr, R. (2022, September 19). The Second Journey — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-second-journey-2022-09-19/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Every Secret Shall Come to Light. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=sep19
Wirth, E. (n.d.). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/091922.html
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