The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today exhort us to be visible as followers of Christ in our generosity and love for all.
The reading from the Second Letter to the Corinthians is encouragement to be generous.
* [8:1–9:15] Paul turns to a new topic, the collection for the church in Jerusalem. There is an early precedent for this project in the agreement mentioned in Gal 2:6–10. According to Acts, the church at Antioch had sent Saul and Barnabas to Jerusalem with relief (Acts 11:27–30). Subsequently Paul organized a project of relief for Jerusalem among his own churches. Our earliest evidence for it comes in 1 Cor 16:1–4—after it had already begun (see notes there); by the time Paul wrote Rom 15:25–28 the collection was completed and ready for delivery. 2 Cor 8–9 contain what appear to be two letters on the subject. In them Paul gives us his fullest exposition of the meaning he sees in the enterprise, presenting it as an act of Christian charity and as an expression of the unity of the church, both present and eschatological. These chapters are especially rich in the recurrence of key words, on which Paul plays; it is usually impossible to do justice to these wordplays in the translation. (2 Corinthians, CHAPTER 8, n.d.)
Psalm 146 is praise for God’s Help.
* [Psalm 146] A hymn of someone who has learned there is no other source of strength except the merciful God. Only God, not mortal human beings (Ps 146:3–4), can help vulnerable and oppressed people (Ps 146:5–9). The first of the five hymns that conclude the Psalter. (Psalms, PSALM 146, n.d.)
In the Sermon on the Mount, in the Gospel of Matthew , Jesus teaches Love for Enemies.
* [5:43–48] See Lv 19:18. There is no Old Testament commandment demanding hatred of one’s enemy, but the “neighbor” of the love commandment was understood as one’s fellow countryman. Both in the Old Testament (Ps 139:19–22) and at Qumran (1QS 9:21) hatred of evil persons is assumed to be right. Jesus extends the love commandment to the enemy and the persecutor. His disciples, as children of God, must imitate the example of their Father, who grants his gifts of sun and rain to both the good and the bad. (Matthew, CHAPTER 5, n.d.)
For Mary Lee Brock, the concept of conflict engagement comes to mind when she hears Jesus share these words with his disciples: “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.”
This teaching is very challenging to put into practice. When we are hurt, shamed, challenged or scared, the last thing we want to do is pray for the person. Perhaps in the moment that is impossible, but as I open my heart to Jesus, I realize through prayer I can heal and learn from those painful situations. There may not be resolution to a conflict, but by praying for the grace to be generous, I can embrace conflict engagement and learn to live with those I perceive to be my enemies. Jesus is not asking us to tolerate hateful words or actions. We do not need to compromise our safety or the safety of those we love. But perhaps we can feel compassion for those who we see as the enemy.
In the Spiritual Exercises St. Ignatius offers some practical tips for us to avoid falling into the trap of perpetuating conflict by assuming negative intent of the other person: It should be presupposed that every good Christian ought to be more eager to put a good interpretation on a neighbor’s statement than to condemn it. Further, if he cannot interpret it favorably, one should ask how the other means it. If that meaning is wrong, one should correct the person with love; and if this is not enough, one should search out every appropriate means through which, by understanding the statement in a good way, it may be saved (SE 22). (Brock, 2023)
Don Schwager quotes “Pray for those who persecute you,” by John Chrysostom, 347-407 A.D.
"For neither did Christ simply command to love but to pray. Do you see how many steps he has ascended and how he has set us on the very summit of virtue? Mark it, numbering from the beginning. A first step is not to begin with injustice. A second, after one has begun, is not to vindicate oneself by retaliating in kind. A third, to refuse to respond in kind to the one who is injuring us but to remain tranquil. A fourth, even to offer up one's self to suffer wrongfully. A fifth, to give up even more than the wrongdoer wishes to take. A sixth, to refuse to hate one who has wronged us. A seventh, even to love such a one. An eighth, even to do good to that one. A ninth, to entreat God himself on our enemy's behalf. Do you perceive how elevated is a Christian disposition? Hence its reward is also glorious. (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 18.4) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on 2 Corinthians 8:1-9 comments that Jesus set aside his glory so that he could give us unlimited forgiveness, access to heaven, and the ability to know God personally. Now, because of the riches of his grace, we can walk with him and love other people as fully as he did.
Why live like a pauper when Jesus has made you wealthy? Don’t be afraid to ask him for more—more mercy, more forgiveness, more wisdom, more joy. Jesus doesn’t want to see you living as if you’re bankrupt. Because you’re not. He gave up everything—for you!
“Jesus, thank you for your immense generosity. Help me accept all the riches you have offered me.” (Meditation on 2 Corinthians 8:1-9, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the appeal of Paul to the Corinthians to be as generous as the Macedonians in their support of the poor in Jerusalem. We surrender our riches for the sake of others as followers of Christ. Friar Jude reminds us of the teaching of Augustine that evil is the absence of love and is defeated by our sharing in love.
Fr Jack Mahoney SJ, Emeritus Professor of Moral and Social Theology in London University and a former Principal of Heythrop College, University of London, looks at the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel, describing how the structure of the sermon can help us to understand what Jesus wanted to tell his disciples.
Finally, the Old Testament lex talionis, or legal provision for due compensation for injury in terms of ‘eye for eye, tooth for tooth’ etc. (Ex 21:24), which was probably originally aimed at keeping retribution and vendetta within bounds, is rejected by Jesus in favour of total non-resistance towards ‘an evil-doer.’ Here are to be found the famous phrases about turning the other cheek, and going the extra mile. In short, we are to be totally ungrudging to others: ‘give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you’ (5:38-42). In fact, Jesus continues, the old maxim about loving your neighbour – but being allowed to hate your enemy – is now totally subverted for his disciples as they try to live under God’s rule. The term ‘enemy’ is expelled from the Christian vocabulary, the universal rule now being to love even one’s enemies, going well beyond worldly standards (5:43-47). Later theologians and spiritual writers were to take up the following words of Jesus and remove them from their context to construct a whole spirituality and library of religious ‘perfection,’ built on the exhortation of Jesus to his followers to, ‘Be perfect [teleios], therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect’ (5:48).[3] In fact, as the ‘therefore’ confirms, he was simply instructing his disciples to take after their Father in being all-embracing – that is, non-discriminatory and non-partisan – in their love, just as God sends his weather on everyone without exception, however righteous or unrighteous they may happen to be! (Mahoney, 2011)
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces author Connie Zweig who writes about shifting our emphasis from our “roles” to our “souls” as we age, and how shadow-work allows us to discover a deeper identity. Father Richard acknowledges that the shadow work of moving beyond identification with our roles and personas takes a lifetime.
I’m sorry to report that shadowboxing continues until the end of life, the only difference being that we’re no longer surprised by our surprises or so totally humiliated by our humiliations! As we age, we come to expect various forms of half-heartedness, deceit, vanity, or illusion from ourselves. But now we can see through them, which destroys most of their game and power.
We all identify with our persona so strongly when we are young that we become experts at denial and learn to eliminate or deny anything that doesn’t support it. Our shadow self makes us all into hypocrites on some level, someone playing a role rather than being “real.” We’re all in one kind of closet or another and are even encouraged by society to play our roles. Usually everybody else can see our shadow, so it is crucial that we learn what everybody else knows about us—except us! [2] (Rohr, 2023)
We are sidetracked from the prompting of the Spirit by ideas of giving as “investment” and moral perfection as a desirable goal.
References
Brock, M. L. (2023, June 20). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved June 20, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/062023.html
Mahoney, J. (2011, July 13). The Shape of the Sermon on the Mount. Thinking Faith. Retrieved June 20, 2023, from https://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/20110713_1.htm
Matthew, CHAPTER 5. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 20, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/5?43
Meditation on 2 Corinthians 8:1-9. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved June 20, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/06/20/711742/
Psalms, PSALM 146. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 20, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/146?2
Rohr, R. (2023, June 20). The Grace of Aging — Center for Action and Contemplation. Cac.org. Retrieved June 20, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-grace-of-aging-2023-06-20/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Love Your Enemies and Pray for Them. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 20, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=jun20
2 Corinthians, CHAPTER 8. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 20, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2corinthians/8?1
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