The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to examine our understanding of the Will of God for our interactions with humanity and Nature.
The reading from the Book of Revelation describes the vision of the Scroll and the Lamb.
* [5:1–14] The seer now describes a papyrus roll in God’s right hand (Rev 5:1) with seven seals indicating the importance of the message. A mighty angel asks who is worthy to open the scroll, i.e., who can accomplish God’s salvific plan (Rev 5:2). There is despair at first when no one in creation can do it (Rev 5:3–4). But the seer is comforted by an elder who tells him that Christ, called the lion of the tribe of Judah, has won the right to open it (Rev 5:5). Christ then appears as a Lamb, coming to receive the scroll from God (Rev 5:6–7), for which he is acclaimed as at a coronation (Rev 5:8–10). This is followed by a doxology of the angels (Rev 5:11–12) and then finally by the heavenly church united with all of creation (Rev 5:13–14). (Revelation, CHAPTER 5, n.d.)
Psalm 149 offers praise for God’s Goodness to Israel.
* [Psalm 149] A hymn inviting the people of Israel to celebrate their God in song and festive dance (Ps 149:1–3, 5) because God has chosen them and given them victory (Ps 149:4). The exodus and conquest are the defining acts of Israel; the people must be ready to do again those acts in the future at the divine command (Ps 149:6–9). (Psalms, PSALM 149, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus weeps over Jerusalem.
* [19:41–44] The lament for Jerusalem is found only in Luke. By not accepting Jesus (the one who mediates peace), Jerusalem will not find peace but will become the victim of devastation.
* [19:43–44] Luke may be describing the actual disaster that befell Jerusalem in A.D. 70 when it was destroyed by the Romans during the First Revolt. (Luke, CHAPTER 19, n.d.)
Mary Lee Brock asks does Jesus weep for us today because we do not know what makes for peace? The expressed anger, fear, frustration, and threats that emerge every day in our lives can feel very overwhelming.
In his recent essay Blessed Hope, America Magazine editor in chief Matt Malone, S.J. explores hope. He writes:
“Faith and politics are not merely complimentary; they are inextricably intertwined. Each needs the other to be fully what is meant to be. For the raison dêtre of all political questions is hope that the world can change; in Christian terms that it can be saved, that the world is in fact worth saving. That political hope finds its motive force in my ultimate hope, my faith in the one we call “our blessed hope,” the one who has already saved the world and thus conclusively demonstrated it is worth saving.”
It is this hope that Jesus gave us that should orient our lives to a better future, to salvation. I ask for God’s grace to remind me what makes for peace. I realize there are several ways I can focus on hope and abandon the sense of doom. Next time I reach for my phone to look at social media, I can instead call up the Examen app from Mark Thibodeaux S.J. that offers dozens of relevant and rich prompts for the Examen prayer. I can switch off the news and instead listen deeply to friends and family. When I encounter someone who holds views that are opposed to mine, I can stay curious to learn more about what experiences and values inform those views. I welcome the sense of hope as what makes peace is no longer hidden from my eyes. (Brock, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “Jesus fulfills the beatitude for those who weep,” by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD).
"When our Lord and Savior approached Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept... By his example, Jesus confirms all the Beatitudes that he speaks in the Gospel. By his own witness, he confirms what he teaches. 'Blessed are the meek,' he says. He says something similar to this of himself: 'Learn from me, for I am meek.' 'Blessed are the peacemakers.' What other man brought as much peace as my Lord Jesus, who 'is our peace,' who 'dissolves hostility' and 'destroys it in his own flesh' (Ephesians 2:14-15). 'Blessed are those who suffer persecution because of justice.'
"No one suffered such persecution because of justice as did the Lord Jesus, who was crucified for our sins. The Lord therefore exhibited all the Beatitudes in himself. For the sake of this likeness, he wept, because of what he said, 'Blessed are those who weep,' to lay the foundations for this beatitude as well. He wept for Jerusalem and said,'If only you had known on that day what meant peace for you! But now it is hidden from your eyes,' and the rest, to the point where he says, 'Because you did not know the time of your visitation'" (excerpt from HOMILY ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 38.1-2) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 19:41-44 comments that at times we may find ourselves mourning as Jesus did. We mourn when we see so many people who don’t acknowledge him. We mourn when we see the consequences that inevitably come from turning away from him. We mourn for the times we have also turned away from God. And in all those times, our weeping is appropriate.
But we don’t want our mourning to overshadow the joy we are called to have as disciples of Christ. We especially don’t want to become angry or bitter. We can instead let our sorrow move us to fall on our knees and intercede for all those who don’t yet know the Lord. And as we pray, we can unite our hearts with the heart of our Father, who wants nothing more than for everyone to recognize the time of his Son’s visitation.
“Jesus, today I weep for all those who don’t know you. May they open their eyes to your saving love.” (Meditation on Luke 19:41-44, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler explains the structure of the Roman will, likely in the vision from Revelation, that would allow sequential opening of seals as it is unfolded. The Scroll to be opened by the Lamb, who was slain, with the eyes of the gift of the Spirit contains God's plan for creation. Friar Jude notes that the details in the passage of Luke about the siege of Jerusalem indicate text that was written after the actual event.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares that God’s unconditional love is itself a movement that transforms us.
Up to the time of the Babylonian exile in the sixth century BCE, the Jewish people believed—as so many of us do today—in retributive justice. “Tit for tat,” we might say. It went something like this: mistake –> punishment –> conversion –> consolation/salvation. Most people accept that logic to this day because it makes God and the world feel fair and just. Reward and retribution are in our hardwiring. They are the plot line for almost everything—except for the evolving biblical story, beginning with the Torah and evolving through the prophets.
During and after the exile, the prophets started seeing a clearly different pattern at work in God’s dealing with people. The new pattern looks like this: mistake –> consolation/salvation –> conversion. It is a total turnaround of consciousness! As Isaiah is able to hear from God, “The shame of your youth you shall forget . . . My love shall never fall away from you” (Isaiah 54:4, 10). It seems that inside the Divine logic the answer to failure is, in fact, more love!
Divine Love is the interpretive key to everything. Unloved people do bad things. Loved people do good things. It is that simple. (Rohr, 2022)
We seek to be open to the Spirit that reveals the path of love and peace on our journey that better aligns us with the Will of God.
References
Brock, M. L. (n.d.). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved November 17, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/111722.html
Luke, CHAPTER 19. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 17, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/19?41
Meditation on Luke 19:41-44. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved November 17, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/11/17/535928/
Psalms, PSALM 149. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 17, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/149?1
Revelation, CHAPTER 5. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 17, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/revelation/5?1
Rohr, R. (2022, November 17). A Movement of Divine Love — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved November 17, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-movement-of-divine-love-2022-11-17/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture ... Retrieved November 17, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=nov17
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