The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to consider the full impact of Christ life, death, and resurrection on our relationship with God and the people we encounter on our journey.
The reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians declares the centrality of the Resurrection of the Dead to our relationships in Christ.
* [15:12–19] Denial of the resurrection (1 Cor 15:12) involves logical inconsistencies. The basic one, stated twice (1 Cor 15:13, 16), is that if there is no such thing as (bodily) resurrection, then it has not taken place even in Christ’s case.
* [15:17–18] The consequences for the Corinthians are grave: both forgiveness of sins and salvation are an illusion, despite their strong convictions about both. Unless Christ is risen, their faith does not save. (1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 15, n.d.)
Psalm 17 is a prayer for deliverance from persecutors.
* [Psalm 17] A lament of an individual unjustly attacked. Confident of being found innocent, the psalmist cries out for God’s just judgment (Ps 17:1–5) and requests divine help against enemies (Ps 17:6–9a). Those ravenous lions (Ps 17:9b–12) should be punished (Ps 17:13–14). The Psalm ends with a serene statement of praise (Ps 17:15). The Hebrew text of Ps 17:3–4, 14 is uncertain. (Psalms, PSALM 17, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Luke some women who accompany Jesus are identified.
* [8:1–3] Luke presents Jesus as an itinerant preacher traveling in the company of the Twelve and of the Galilean women who are sustaining them out of their means. These Galilean women will later accompany Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem and become witnesses to his death (Lk 23:49) and resurrection (Lk 24:9–11, where Mary Magdalene and Joanna are specifically mentioned; cf. also Acts 1:14). The association of women with the ministry of Jesus is most unusual in the light of the attitude of first-century Palestinian Judaism toward women. The more common attitude is expressed in Jn 4:27, and early rabbinic documents caution against speaking with women in public. (Luke, CHAPTER 8, n.d.)
Mary Lee Brock comments that Paul states: For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. Paul’s clarification is profound. We have the gift of the Eucharist to be grounded in the resurrection of Christ. The gospel today from Luke is a simple account of Jesus traveling from one village to another preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. Luke mentions the disciples and women traveling with Jesus.
As I picture Jesus and his companions, I am reminded what a good teacher Jesus was and how he so skillfully taught using stories and metaphors. This helps me more deeply appreciate the responsibility Paul had teaching the early Christians.
As I experience autumn with all of my senses, I ask that the seasonal changes become a metaphor for our dying and resurrection. I pray to stay focused on my baptismal promises. I pray in gratitude for the beauty I see around me. I pray for the grace when at liturgy to more deeply engage with the prayers we pray as community and to fully embrace the wonder of the Eucharist. (Brock, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “Everyone has something to give,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Frankly, even the poor have something they can share with others. Let one lend feet to the lame, another become the eyes of the blind, another visit the sick, and another bury the dead. These are the things that everyone can do. Lastly, bear one another's burdens, and so you shall fulfill the law of Christ." (excerpt from Sermon 41,9) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 8:1-3 notes that Joanna was so moved by Jesus that she willingly embraced a difficult and dangerous life in order to follow him. She had already experienced his healing touch (Luke 8:3), but it wasn’t enough just to be restored and set free. She wanted to learn from him. She wanted to know God the way he did. She probably had many opportunities to go back and resume her old life, but she remained steadfast. Even when the disciples deserted Jesus in Gethsemane, Joanna stayed; she was one of a very small number of disciples who followed him all the way to Calvary (23:55).
In a way, we are all like Joanna. We may not want to give up our comfort in order to pray or to help the people around us. We may feel ill-equipped to be a true disciple. We may feel as if we don’t fit in. But as Jesus welcomed Joanna and made a place for her, he will do the same for you. You might tell him, It’s hard to follow you, but he responds, I know; let me help you. You might say, I don’t belong, but he answers, You are always welcome in my house. Always.
“Jesus, thank you for welcoming me as your disciple.” (Meditation on Luke 8:1-3, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler fleshes out the Greek idea of the soul being prisoner in the body as background to the teaching of Paul on the resurrection of the dead. The good things of the earth will be available to our resurrected body. Friar Jude notes the tendency of Luke to emphasize the important role of women in Jesus Ministry.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, writes of the power of Jesus’ teachings and lived example of forgiveness. Among the most powerful of human experiences is to give or to receive forgiveness. Fr Richard suggests that two-thirds of the teaching of Jesus is directly or indirectly about this mystery of forgiveness: God’s breaking of God’s own rules. That’s not surprising, because forgiveness is probably the only human action that reveals three goodnesses simultaneously! When we forgive, we choose the goodness of the other over their faults, we experience God’s goodness flowing through ourselves, and we also experience our own goodness in a way that surprises us. That is an awesome coming together of power, both human and divine.
An eagerness and readiness to love is the ultimate freedom and future. When we’ve been included in the spaciousness of divine love, there is just no room for human punishment, vengeance, rash judgment, or calls for retribution. We certainly see none of this small-mindedness in the Risen Christ after his own rejection, betrayal, and cruel death; we don’t see it even from his inner circle, or in the whole New Testament. I really cannot imagine a larger and more spacious way to live. Jesus’ death and resurrection event was a game changer for history.
The Crucified and Risen Christ uses the mistakes of the past to create a positive future, a future of redemption instead of retribution. He does not eliminate or punish mistakes. He uses them for transformative purposes. (Rohr, 2022)
We are nudged by the Spirit to contemplate our response to Jesus' invitation to join the community who support His Work of peace, mercy and forgiveness.
References
Brock, M. L. (n.d.). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved September 16, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/091622.html
Luke, CHAPTER 8. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 16, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/8?1
Meditation on Luke 8:1-3. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved September 16, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/09/16/489553/
1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 15. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 16, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/15?12
Psalms, PSALM 17. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 16, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/17?1
Rohr, R. (2022, September 16). The Power of Forgiveness — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 16, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-power-of-forgiveness-2022-09-16/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture ... Retrieved September 16, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=sep16
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