The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate the gift of faith that we have appreciated on our journey and through which we continue to experience fullness of life today.
The reading from the Letter to the Hebrews explains the Meaning of Faith through the faith of Abraham.
* [11:1–40] This chapter draws upon the people and events of the Old Testament to paint an inspiring portrait of religious faith, firm and unyielding in the face of any obstacles that confront it. These pages rank among the most eloquent and lofty to be found in the Bible. They expand the theme announced in Heb 6:12, to which the author now returns (Heb 10:39). The material of this chapter is developed chronologically. Heb 11:3–7 draw upon the first nine chapters of Genesis (Gn 1–9); Heb 11:8–22, upon the period of the patriarchs; Heb 11:23–31, upon the time of Moses; Heb 11:32–38, upon the history of the judges, the prophets, and the Maccabean martyrs. The author gives the most extensive description of faith provided in the New Testament, though his interest does not lie in a technical, theological definition. In view of the needs of his audience he describes what authentic faith does, not what it is in itself. Through faith God guarantees the blessings to be hoped for from him, providing evidence in the gift of faith that what he promises will eventually come to pass (Heb 11:1). Because they accepted in faith God’s guarantee of the future, the biblical personages discussed in Heb 11:3–38 were themselves commended by God (Heb 11:2). Christians have even greater reason to remain firm in faith since they, unlike the Old Testament men and women of faith, have perceived the beginning of God’s fulfillment of his messianic promises (Heb 11:39–40). (Hebrews, CHAPTER 11, n.d.)
The Response from the Gospel of Luke 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 Mark, Jesus Stills a Storm.
* [4:41] Jesus is here depicted as exercising power over wind and sea. In the Christian community this event was seen as a sign of Jesus’ saving presence amid persecutions that threatened its existence. (Mark, CHAPTER 4, n.d.)
Maureen McCann Waldron (2001) asks about the winds and rains whipping around our lives so furiously, what do they represent? The real terrors that storm through our lives might be fears of acceptance, fears of ever being truly loved or of trying to overcome a terrible betrayal that has left us with scars we believe will never heal.
“Quiet. Be still,” Jesus says to us softly as he lifts his healing arms over us. This is our chance to place those fears into Jesus’ hands. We can become fear-less, perhaps not through our own confidence but by trusting in the one who loves us so infinitely in our fears.
We can trust in Jesus. With his arms outstretched over us, he instills in us his healing strength and we find ourselves ready to follow his call to live the gospel. Believing in his presence in our lives, we might be willing to stand at the edge of the boat in the storm, speaking out for the poor and disenfranchised.
“Quiet, be still,” he invites us. The waves and winds are still there, but we are stronger, more faith-filled. We steer the boat toward Jerusalem. (Waldron, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “Awakening the Christ asleep within you,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"When you have to listen to abuse, that means you are being buffeted by the wind. When your anger is roused, you are being tossed by the waves. So when the winds blow and the waves mount high, the boat is in danger, your heart is imperiled, your heart is taking a battering. On hearing yourself insulted, you long to retaliate; but the joy of revenge brings with it another kind of misfortune - shipwreck. Why is this? Because Christ is asleep in you. What do I mean? I mean you have forgotten his presence. Rouse him, then; remember him, let him keep watch within you, pay heed to him... A temptation arises: it is the wind. It disturbs you: it is the surging of the sea. This is the moment to awaken Christ and let him remind you of those words: 'Who can this be? Even the winds and the sea obey him." (excerpt from Sermons 63:1-3) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Hebrews comments that we are keenly aware of the overwhelming forces that threaten us: sickness, ruptured relationships, financial pressures, or uncertainty about the future. When circumstances like these awaken fear, it’s easy to forget that God’s love is an unseen force that’s constant and far more powerful than everything arrayed against us. At moments like these, it helps to fall back on the “evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). The disciples had plenty of evidence. Jesus cast out a demon in a synagogue. He healed Peter’s mother-in-law and cured a man with leprosy. He forgave and healed a paralyzed man lowered through the roof by his friends (Mark 1:23–2:12). There seemed to be nothing he couldn’t do for his people.
You, too, have plenty of evidence of God’s loving care for you. So today, look for some of that evidence. It might be as small as a beautiful sunset on your birthday or as big as a spouse eager to help you grow in holiness. Then, take some time to thank the Lord for this evidence of his love!age
“Lord, help me to hold firm to your faithful love every time fear threatens my faith.” (Meditation on Hebrews, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler notes the definition of faith from the Letter to the Hebrews. The example of Abraham underlines that faith has to grow in God’s time not ours. The sea was a symbol of a reservoir of evil over which Jesus takes authority. Friar Jude reminds us of the sense of awe and wonder that we find in everyday miracles.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, observes that CAC’s logo, an oval framing two intersecting arrows forming the cross of Christ, shows a collision of opposites. One arrow leads downward, preferring the truth of the humble. The other moves leftward against the grain. But all are wrapped safely inside a hidden harmony: one world, God’s cosmos, a benevolent universe. The Celtic cross also places the vertical and horizontal bars within a circle, embracing the suffering of Christ within our own human context and God’s eternal love.
Spend some time meditating on an image of the cross. Allow your body, mind, and heart to be completely present to the suffering of Christ. Welcome your own memories or sensations of pain, sorrow, grief. Hold them gently within the circle of God’s presence—God’s solidarity with human suffering. Then let go of this suffering, yours and Christ’s, and rest in faith that from every death comes new life, and in every wound there is the opportunity for healing and hope. (Rohr, 2023)
We might pause for a time to let those memories of truth, goodness, and love restore our trust in God in whom our faith makes the world new for us daily.
References
Hebrews, CHAPTER 11. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 28, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/hebrews/11?1
Luke, CHAPTER 1. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 28, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/1
Mark, CHAPTER 4. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 28, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/4?35
Meditation on Hebrews. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved January 28, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/01/28/596054/
Rohr, R. (2023, January 28). Jesus as Prophet: Weekly Summary — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved January 28, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/jesus-as-prophet-weekly-summary-2023-01-28/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Why Are You Afraid? Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 28, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=jan28
Waldron, M. (n.d.). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved January 28, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/012823.html
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