The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we persevere in contemplative prayer and generous giving.
The reading from the Letter of Paul to the Galatians contrasts living by the Law with Faith.
* [3:1] Stupid: not just senseless, for they were in danger of deserting their salvation.
* [3:2] Faith in what you heard: Paul’s message received with faith. The Greek can also mean “the proclamation of the faith” or “a hearing that comes from faith.”
* [3:3] On the contrast of Spirit and flesh, cf. Rom 8:1–11. Having received the Spirit, they need not be circumcised now.
* [3:4] Experience so many things: probably the mighty deeds of Gal 3:5 but possibly the experience of sufferings. (Galatians, CHAPTER 3, n.d.)
The response is from the Canticle of Zechariah.
* [1:68–79] Like the canticle of Mary (Lk 1:46–55) the canticle of Zechariah is only loosely connected with its context. Apart from Lk 1:76–77, the hymn in speaking of a horn for our salvation (Lk 1:69) and the daybreak from on high (Lk 1:78) applies more closely to Jesus and his work than to John. Again like Mary’s canticle, it is largely composed of phrases taken from the Greek Old Testament and may have been a Jewish Christian hymn of praise that Luke adapted to fit the present context by inserting Lk 1:76–77 to give Zechariah’s reply to the question asked in Lk 1:66. (Luke, CHAPTER 1, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus urges perseverance in prayer, expecting an answer to prayer.
* [11:1–13] Luke presents three episodes concerned with prayer. The first (Lk 11:1–4) recounts Jesus teaching his disciples the Christian communal prayer, the “Our Father”; the second (Lk 11:5–8), the importance of persistence in prayer; the third (Lk 11:9–13), the effectiveness of prayer.
* [11:13] The holy Spirit: this is a Lucan editorial alteration of a traditional saying of Jesus (see Mt 7:11). Luke presents the gift of the holy Spirit as the response of the Father to the prayer of the Christian disciple. (Luke, CHAPTER 11, n.d.)
Edward Morse comments that often we look back and recognize our behavior was stupid, foolish, immature, and selfish. Time and distance, coupled with a little humility and wisdom gained from experience, often produces maturity and a measure of understanding greater than we might have been capable of beforehand. Gratitude may flow from that understanding as we take steps to repent and live in light of our newfound insights. We are works in progress.
In today’s gospel, our Lord speaks rather frankly about the importance of persistence. Persistence requires humility. If we are so important, we could simply bark out a command. If we are so winsome, surely our persuasive words will carry the day. But instead, we come as needy persons, who cannot command or persuade. We are the needy ones, who depend upon you, Lord, to help us. We are to persist in prayer in this posture. Keep asking, seeking, knocking. Indeed, you will find what you were seeking after, but perhaps not exactly what you thought you wanted. The rest of the teaching reminds us that the Father will give good gifts to His children when they ask. But the gift the Father has for you may be unexpectedly better than what you thought you needed – if indeed you are open to see it.
Lord, teach us to pray persistently. Let us not lose heart when things do not go our way. Give us the humility to keep asking you for what we need, as well as to learn from our past to conform the desires we have to the good that you want for us. Let us know the power of your love to guide us when we feel lost, and even when we think we know the way ourselves. Thanks be to God. (Morse, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “Ask by praying, seek by proper living, knock by persevering,” by Bede the Venerable, 672-735 A.D.
"Desiring that we arrive at the joys of the heavenly kingdom, our Lord and Savior taught us to ask these joys of him and promised that he would give them to us if we asked for them. 'Ask,' he said, 'and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.' Dearly beloved..., we earnestly and with our whole heart must ponder these words of our Lord. He bears witness that the kingdom of heaven is not given to, found by and opened to those who are idle and unoccupied but to those who ask for it, seek after it and knock at its gates. The gate of the kingdom must be asked for by praying. It must be sought after by living properly. It must be knocked at by persevering." (excerpt from HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 2.51.20) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 11:5-13 comments that when it comes to prayer, we are not dealing with Lucy. God is good. He is a father in the most perfect, loving sense of the word. He’s not going to “pull the ball away” and leave us flat. As Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel, if human fathers know how to take care of their children and give them good things, how much more does your heavenly Father want to give you only the best—even if you can’t see it right away?
So whatever your needs are, don’t be afraid to bring them before your heavenly Father. He loves you more than you can imagine. And even when you feel like you’re not getting an answer from him, you can count on him to give you what you need. So don’t give up! Keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking on heaven’s door—and let him show you that he is worthy of your trust.
“Father, sometimes it’s hard to trust. Help me see your love today and put my trust in your faithfulness.” (Meditation on Luke 11:5-13, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler suggests that Paul is almost cruel in his attack on those who insist on observing the customs of Jewish Law. The heat of the day made night time travel a wise choice in Palestine. Friar Jude reminds us that the Father addresses our needs and, as Luke declares, the Holy Spirit guides our journey.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that Franciscan mystical theologian Bonaventure (1221–1274) used dynamic, creation-centered metaphors to describe God. Theologian and Franciscan sister Dawn Nothwehr summarizes how all created things are the expression of the divine Artist.
God is like the expansive deep oceans that are like the vast depth of God’s faithful love. Like a song—where all of the notes in a carefully crafted order must be heard for the song to be known—so too, in its wide diversity, the various dynamic cosmic elements make up the interrelated cosmos. God’s self-revelation is like a book: it is first “written” within the consciousness of God . . . and then becomes the book “written without” as the whole creation—all created things are the expression of the divine Artist. . . . (Rohr, n.d.)
Ilia Delio writes that contemplation naturally leads to compassionate care for the earth.
The Franciscan path to God calls us to gaze on the crucified Christ and to see there the humble love of God so that we may, like Francis, learn to see and love the presence of God’s overflowing goodness hidden, and yet revealed, in the marvelous diversity of creation. The one who contemplates God knows the world to be charged with the grandeur of God. Contemplation leads to a solidarity with all creation whereby all sorrows are shared in a heart of compassionate love, all tears are gathered in a womb of mercy, all pain is healed by the balm of forgiveness. The contemplative sees the threads of God’s overflowing love that binds together the whole of creation in a web of infinite love. We are called to see deeply that we may love greatly. And in that great love, rejoice in the overflowing goodness of God. [2] (Rohr, n.d.)
We exercise our faith as we trust the Spirit to conform our desires to the needs the Father desires us to address.
References
Galatians, CHAPTER 3. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/galatians/3?1
Luke, CHAPTER 1. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/1?69
Luke, CHAPTER 11. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/11?5
Meditation on Luke 11:5-13. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/10/06/506318/
Morse, E. (n.d.). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/100622.html
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-web-of-infinite-love-2022-10-06/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=oct6
No comments:
Post a Comment