The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to contemplate our willingness to surrender to the wisdom and guidance of the Spirit in our journey as followers of Christ.
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The reading from the Prophet Isaiah expresses exhortations to the exiles in Babylon.
Psalm 1 describes the Two Ways.
* [Psalm 1] A preface to the whole Book of Psalms, contrasting with striking similes the destiny of the good and the wicked. The Psalm views life as activity, as choosing either the good or the bad. Each “way” brings its inevitable consequences. The wise through their good actions will experience rootedness and life, and the wicked, rootlessness and death. (Psalms, PSALM 1, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches that wisdom is vindicated.
* [11:7–19] Jesus’ rebuke of John is counterbalanced by a reminder of the greatness of the Baptist’s function (Mt 11:7–15) that is followed by a complaint about those who have heeded neither John nor Jesus (Mt 11:16–19). (Matthew, CHAPTER 11, n.d.)
Tamora Whitney comments about her students that they make their own choices about whether to come to class, how much to study, whether to do their homework. If only they would listen to her, they would have success in class.
God teaches us the right way, gives us the commandments as the path to follow. Wants us to prosper, wants us to learn. If we follow the right path, our success will be assured. If we follow God we will be like the tall healthy tree, but if we don’t we will be like the chaff. In the Gospel Jesus reiterates that the foundation is given us, but we have to accept it. We are given the joyful music, but we have to dance. We are given the syllabus, and we have to do our homework. We have to follow the commandments. But he can’t physically make us. If only we follow the commandments we will have the spiritual life we should, and we will have our reward in heaven. (Whitney, 2022)
Don Schwager quotes “The river of forgiveness washes us clean,” by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.
"This water is good, then. I mean here the grace of the Spirit. Who will give this Fountain to my heart? Let it spring up in me, let that which gives eternal life flow on me. Let that Fountain overflow on us and not flow away. For Wisdom says, 'Drink water out of your own vessels and from the fountains of your own wells, and let [not] your waters flow abroad in your streets' (Proverbs 5:15-16). How shall I keep this water so that it does not seep out or glide away? How shall I preserve my vessel, lest any crack of sin penetrating it should let the water of eternal life exude? Teach us, Lord Jesus, teach us as you taught your apostles, saying, 'Lay not up for yourselves treasures on the earth, where rust and moth destroy and where thieves break through and steal (Matthew 6:19)...
"If you seek Jesus, forsake the broken cisterns, for Christ did not make it his custom to sit by a pool but by a well. There that Samaritan woman (John 4:6) found him, she who believed, she who wished to draw water. Although you ought to have come in early morning, nevertheless if you come later, even at the sixth hour, you will find Jesus wearied with his journey. He is weary, but it is because of you, because he has long looked for you, your unbelief has long wearied him. Yet he is not offended if you only come now. He asks to drink who is about to give. But he drinks not the water of a stream flowing by, but your salvation. He drinks your good dispositions. He drinks the cup, that is, the passion that atoned for your sins, that you, drinking of his sacred blood, might quench the thirst of this world." (excerpt from ON THE HOLY SPIRIT 1.16.182-84) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 11:16-19 comments that Jesus’ short saying, “Wisdom is vindicated by her works” (Matthew 11:19), carries a lot of punch and is a truth that applies to the whole of our lives. His entire life, especially his cross and resurrection, proved that his gospel message is the truth. And now he calls us to respond to that message by letting its wisdom rule our lives.
We are beloved sons and daughters of God. He will put his arms around us during times of difficulty. He will spur us on when we are disheartened. He will revitalize us when we are weary. How can we be sure of this? Because God never changes. Because once he makes a promise, he keeps it. Because he is always faithful to fulfill his purposes and intentions in our lives. And because his wisdom will always be vindicated in those who cling to him!
“Lord Jesus, help me to rely upon your wisdom so that I can remain faithful to you.” (Meditation on Matthew 11:16-19, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler explains how the role of “goel” in the Hebrew culture resonates in the description of the Messiah to the exiles in Babylon by the text from Deutero-Isaiah. The use of the first person pronoun in the passage from Isaiah underlines the proclamation the “I”, God will be with the people. Friar Jude reminds us that Jesus' parable comparing his critics to children underlines our reliance on fixed ideas of the action of God in our lives.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces contemplative activist and Episcopal priest Adam Bucko, who gained deeper faith and trust in God’s presence after facing limits of what he could do alone.
What I began discovering is that every time I allowed myself to feel at a loss in the face of the pain I witnessed, every time I touched my own irrelevance, there was this energy of God that would begin to emerge in our midst. All I had to do was say yes to it. The presence of God was there, always ready to pick up the broken pieces from the floor and re-assemble them into something good. . . . When that happened, I realized that my skills were not useless. I just needed to first surrender them to God, so God could use them however God wished. So right words could come. So right ways of being present could manifest. . . . It was often not clear who was helping whom. Because in each of those sacred moments I received just as much as I was giving, if not more. (Rohr, n.d.)
We cling to our expectations of how to make change and influence good even as the Spirit prompts us to let go, and let God.
References
Isaiah, CHAPTER 48. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 9, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/48?17
Matthew, CHAPTER 11. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 9, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/11?16
Meditation on Matthew 11:16-19. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved December 9, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/12/09/551203/
Psalms, PSALM 1. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 9, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/1?1
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 9, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/faith-in-divine-presence-2022-12-09/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). The Lord Will Lead You in the Way You Should Go. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 9, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=dec9
Whitney, T. (2022, December 9). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved December 9, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/120922.html
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