The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to follow the prompting of the Spirit that reveals the weakness in our vision of the meaning of full life.
The reading from the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians presents Paul’s boast and his Labours that show his weakness.
* [11:16–29] The first part of Paul’s boast focuses on labors and afflictions, in which authentic service of Christ consists.
* [11:16–21] These verses recapitulate remarks already made about the foolishness of boasting and the excessive toleration of the Corinthians. They form a prelude to the boast proper. (2 Corinthians, CHAPTER 11, n.d.)
Psalm 34 offers praise for Deliverance from Trouble.
* [Psalm 34] A thanksgiving in acrostic form, each line beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In this Psalm one letter is missing and two are in reverse order. The psalmist, fresh from the experience of being rescued (Ps 34:5, 7), can teach the “poor,” those who are defenseless, to trust in God alone (Ps 34:4, 12). God will make them powerful (Ps 34:5–11) and give them protection (Ps 34:12–22). (Psalms, PSALM 34, n.d.)
In the Sermon on the Mount, in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches concerning treasures and the sound eye.
* [6:19–34] The remaining material of this chapter is taken almost entirely from Q. It deals principally with worldly possessions, and the controlling thought is summed up in Mt 6:24: the disciple can serve only one master and must choose between God and wealth (mammon). See further the note on Lk 16:9.
* [6:22–23] In this context the parable probably points to the need for the disciple to be enlightened by Jesus’ teaching on the transitory nature of earthly riches.
(Matthew, CHAPTER 6, n.d.)
Larry Gillick, S.J. (2015) comments that the ‘black-eye’ or the ‘hungry eye’ sees what it wants to see and gives the information that what it sees is what it really is. It sees shape, color and sends that information to the hungry ego which is always singing the old song with Elvis, “It’s now or never.” The ego is never satisfied and so says to the eye-of-darkness, “Keep looking, and keep your eye out for some thing or person which will be ‘all I’ll ever need’.”
The Light, Who is Jesus, speaks to the inner-eye, the heart. The “eye-heart” holds fast to what any one thing or person really is and sees them for what they are; gifts to be reverenced now for how they lead to the Holy-Then. The heart loves what a thing and a person is and also loves what things and person cannot be. They cannot be aids to establish their own little personal kingdoms, but rather some kind of “daily bread” to nourish the heart for the establishment of the Kingdom of Light. So Jesus puts it this way. The eyes-of-light are “sacramental-eyes.” The eyes-of-darkness are “sacrilegious-eyes.” Matthew’s Gospel is set up for the on-going conversion of the hearts of the disciples. We long to be disciples, and we will be, as long as we keep our eyes on our hearts. (Gillick, 2023)
Don Schwager quotes “Seeking the right intention,” by Augustine of Hippo, 430-543 A.D.
"We know that all our works are pure and pleasing in the sight of God if they are performed with a single heart. This means that they are performed out of charity and with an intention that is fixed on heaven. For 'love is the fulfillment of the law'(Romans 13:10). Therefore in this passage we ought to understand the eye as the intention with which we perform all our actions. If this intention is pure and upright and directing its gaze where it ought to be directed, then unfailingly all our works are good works, because they are performed in accordance with that intention. And by the expression 'whole body,' Christ designated all those works that he reproves and that he commands us to put to death. For the apostle also designates certain works as our 'members.' 'Therefore,' Paul writes, 'mortify your members which are on earth: fornication, uncleanness, covetousness' (Colossians 3:5), and all other such things." (excerpt from SERMON ON THE MOUNT 2.13.45) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on 2 Corinthians 11:18, 21-30 comments that Paul was always a passionate man, so it shouldn’t surprise us that he was so extreme in his argument. He was also a shrewd man: he hoped that by speaking in such extremes, he could shock the Corinthians back to their senses. Remember, this is the same man who once wrote that he would do whatever it took to bring people to Jesus (1 Corinthians 9:22). Paul’s words show us that sometimes we have to fight for the sake of the gospel. Sometimes we have to show a little passion and shake people up a bit. And that can sound as if we are boasting.
Of course, our Christian witness should never involve prideful boasting, but there are certainly times when we need to be direct and forthright. There are also times when we need to be gentle and compassionate. In every situation, God wants us to be flexible, resourceful, and creative as we reach out with his wisdom and love. That’s how we, like Paul, can do whatever it takes to bring the good news to the people we see every day.
“Jesus, I want to share your good news. Teach me how to be as shrewd as a serpent and as gentle as a dove (Matthew 10:16).” (Meditation on 2 Corinthians 11:18, 21-30, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the “angry letter” of Paul as the apostle compares his ministry to that of the Gnostic preachers. Paul is not claiming superiority but boasts of his trials and persecution. Friar Jude reminds us of the access that our eyes provide to our body and hearts and provide the opportunity to see with the eyes of Christ.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, stresses both the challenge and great gifts that come from working with our shadow self. He recalls Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2011).
The gift of shadowboxing is in the seeing of the shadow and its games in ourselves, which takes away much of the shadow’s hidden power. No wonder Teresa of Ávila said that the mansion of true self-knowledge was the necessary first mansion on the spiritual journey. [3] Once we have faced our own hidden or denied self, there is not much to be anxious about anymore, because there is no fear of exposure. We are no longer afraid to be seen—by ourselves or others. The game is over—and we are free. We finally are who we are, and can be who we are, without disguise or fear. [4] (Rohr, 2023)
In our struggle to accept the transformation of the passions of our ego to enthusiasm and action as disciples of Christ we have the Spirit to help us see with the eyes of Christ.
References
Gillick, L. (2023, June 23). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved June 23, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/062323.html
Matthew, CHAPTER 6. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 23, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/6?19
Meditation on 2 Corinthians 11:18, 21-30. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved June 23, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/06/23/713765/
Psalms, PSALM 34. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 23, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/34?2
Rohr, R. (2023, June 23). The Gift of Self-Acceptance — Center for Action and Contemplation. Daily Meditations Archive: 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-gift-of-self-acceptance-2023-06-23/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Lay up Treasure in Heaven. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 23, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=jun23
2 Corinthians, CHAPTER 11. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 23, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2corinthians/11?18
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