The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to consider the wisdom we cultivate on our journey of building relationships with God and others.
The reading from the Book of Proverbs offers wisdom of how the Lord weighs the heart.
* [21:4] Heart and eyes depict, respectively, the inner and the outer person. “Haughty eyes” peering out from a “proud heart” show a thoroughly arrogant person. How can such a person flourish! Their lamp, which signifies life, will go out.
* [21:5] The antitheses are diligent and impetuous. The metaphor characterizing each type is taken from the world of commerce. Planning is important; bustle leads to waste. (Proverbs, CHAPTER 21, n.d.)
Psalm 119 praises the Glories of God’s Law
* [Psalm 119] This Psalm, the longest by far in the Psalter, praises God for giving such splendid laws and instruction for people to live by. The author glorifies and thanks God for the Torah, prays for protection from sinners enraged by others’ fidelity to the law, laments the cost of obedience, delights in the law’s consolations, begs for wisdom to understand the precepts, and asks for the rewards of keeping them. (Psalms, PSALM 119, n.d.)
The Gospel of Luke explains the True Kindred of Jesus
* [8:21] The family of Jesus is not constituted by physical relationship with him but by obedience to the word of God. In this, Luke agrees with the Marcan parallel (Mk 3:31–35), although by omitting Mk 3:33 and especially Mk 3:20–21 Luke has softened the Marcan picture of Jesus’ natural family. Probably he did this because Mary has already been presented in Lk 1:38 as the obedient handmaid of the Lord who fulfills the requirement for belonging to the eschatological family of Jesus; cf. also Lk 11:27–28. (Luke, CHAPTER 8, n.d.)
Scott McClure comments that the road is vector-like, having both magnitude and direction when animated by the one who journeys. The road can, therefore, also encompass the one who journeys and all her/his dispositions, preconceptions, decisions, and baggage (of both the literal and figurative sorts).
Whether we conceive of this road as being straight or winding, inclining or declining, treacherous or easy, hidden by darkness, fog or mist - or illuminated with the clarity of sunlight, does not so much matter. Indeed, the road can take any of these forms at different points of the journey. What does matter, I think, is that the road is made for us. God has labored and continues to labor to make sure this road is available to us. Let us be the mothers, brothers and sisters who journey it. (McClure, 2018)
Don Schwager quotes “Those who listen and obey God's word become true children of God,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).
"The present lesson teaches us that obedience and listening to God are the causes of every blessing. Some entered and spoke respectfully about Christ's holy mother and his brothers. He answered in these words, 'My mother and my brothers are they who hear the word of God and do it.' Now do not let any one imagine that Christ scorned the honor due to his mother or contemptuously disregarded the love owed to his brothers. He spoke the law by Moses and clearly said, 'Honor your father and your mother, that it may be well with you' (Deuteronomy 5:16). How, I ask, could he have rejected the love due to brothers, who even commanded us to love not merely our brothers but also those who are enemies to us? He says, 'Love your enemies' (Matthew 5:44).
"What does Christ want to teach? His object is to exalt highly his love toward those who are willing to bow the neck to his commands. I will explain the way he does this. The greatest honors and the most complete affection are what we all owe to our mothers and brothers. If he says that they who hear his word and do it are his mother and brothers, is it not plain to every one that he bestows on those who follow him a love thorough and worthy of their acceptance? He would make them readily embrace the desire of yielding themselves to his words and of submitting their mind to his yoke, by means of a complete obedience." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 42) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 8:19-21 comments that when we listen to and obey the Lord, we participate, even if only in some small way, in his plan to redeem the world.
The best example of this is, ironically, Jesus’ closest blood relative, Mary. When the word of God came to her through the angel Gabriel, it found fertile soil in her heart. Mary was already a person of deep prayer who was also steeped in the Hebrew Scriptures. So when she heard the startling news that would turn her life upside down, she did not react with hardness, anger, or self-pity. Instead, she embodied the kind of discipleship that God desires: “I am the handmaid of the Lord,” she told the angel. “May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).
Through your baptism, you are already part of God’s family. But you can deepen your relationship with your heavenly Father by imitating your mother, Mary. Immerse yourself in prayer and Scripture, as she did, so that you can hear God when he is speaking to you. Then act on what you hear. Know that even when you can’t see the consequences of your actions, you are in some way bearing Christ to the world as Mary did.
“Lord Jesus, give me the grace to hear your word and act on it.” (Meditation on Luke 8:19-21, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the sayings of how a king should behave that were likely influenced by Egyptian folk sayings. In the Aramaic language, “brothers” often includes cousins. Roman, Orthodox, and Protestant understanding of Jesus' brothers and sisters differ somewhat. Friar Jude reminds us of the complete surrender of Mary to the will of God.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces contemplative elder and Benedictine Sister Joan Chittister writes of the humility we must cultivate if we hope to grow in love and compassion as we age. She invites us to consider aging as an opportunity to grow into our true and larger selves.
Can we begin to see ourselves as only part of the universe, just a fragment of it, not its center? Can we give ourselves to accepting the heat and the rain, the pain and the limitations, the inconveniences and discomforts of life, without setting out to passively punish the rest of the human race for the daily exigencies that come with being human?
Can we smile at what we have not smiled at for years? Can we give ourselves away to those who need us? Can we speak our truth without needing to be right and accept the vagaries of life now—without needing the entire rest of the world to swaddle us beyond any human justification for expecting it? Can we talk to people decently and allow them to talk to us? . . .
Now, this period, this aging process, is the last time we’re given to be more than all the small things we have allowed ourselves to be over the years. But first, we must face what the smallness is, and rejoice in the time we have left to turn sweet instead of more sour than ever. (Chittister, n.d.)
We are nudged by the Spirit to accept the example of people in our lives who have modelled sincere relationships of love, compassion, and surrender to the will of God.
References
Chittister, J. (2018, December 5). What Kind of Person Are We Becoming? Daily Meditations Archive: 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/what-kind-of-person-are-we-becoming-2022-09-20/
Luke, CHAPTER 8. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 20, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/8
McClure, S. (2018, December 5). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. Creighton University's Online Ministries. Retrieved September 20, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/092022.html
Meditation on Luke 8:19-21. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved September 20, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/09/20/492526/
Proverbs, CHAPTER 21. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 20, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/proverbs/21?1
Psalms, PSALM 119. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 20, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/119?1
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture ... Retrieved September 20, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=sep20
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