The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today exhort us to claim our ancient connection to Love and Grace in our relationship with God.
The reading from the Book of Deuteronomy offers a caution against disobedience.
* [6:4–5] This passage, an expansion of the first commandment (5:6–10), contains the basic principle of the whole Mosaic law, the keynote of the Book of Deuteronomy: since the Lord alone is God, Israel must love him with an undivided heart. Jesus cited these words as “the greatest and the first commandment,” embracing in itself the whole law of God (Mt 22:37–38; Mk 12:29–30; Lk 10:27).
* [6:4] Hear, O Israel!: in Hebrew, shema yisra’el; hence this passage (vv. 4–9), containing the Great Commandment, is called the Shema. In later Jewish tradition, 11:13–21 and Nm 15:37–41 were added to form a prayer recited every evening and morning. The LORD is our God, the LORD alone: other possible translations are “the Lord our God is one Lord”; “the Lord our God, the Lord is one”; “the Lord is our God, the Lord is one.”
* [6:8] Bind them…as a sign: these injunctions were probably meant merely in a figurative sense; cf. Ex 13:9, 16. In the late postexilic period, they were taken quite literally, and devout Jews tied on their arms and foreheads “phylacteries,” boxes containing strips of parchment on which these words were inscribed; cf. Mt 23:5.
* [6:13] Him shall you serve: the verb could be translated as either “serve” or “worship” (cf. 5:9). (Deuteronomy, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 18 is a Royal Thanksgiving for Victory.
* [Psalm 18] A royal thanksgiving for a military victory, duplicated in 2 Sm 22. Thanksgiving Psalms are in essence reports of divine rescue. The Psalm has two parallel reports of rescue, the first told from a heavenly perspective (Ps 18:5–20), and the second from an earthly perspective (Ps 18:36–46). The first report adapts old mythic language of a cosmic battle between sea and rainstorm in order to depict God’s rescue of the Israelite king from his enemies. Each report has a short hymnic introduction (Ps 18:2–4, 32–36) and conclusion (Ps 18:21–31, 47–50). (Psalms, PSALM 18 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus cures a boy with a demon.
* [17:14–20] Matthew has greatly shortened the Marcan story (Mk 9:14–29). Leaving aside several details of the boy’s illness, he concentrates on the need for faith, not so much on the part of the boy’s father (as does Mark, for Matthew omits Mk 9:22b–24) but on that of his own disciples whose inability to drive out the demon is ascribed to their little faith (Mt 17:20).
* [17:15] A lunatic: this description of the boy is peculiar to Matthew. The word occurs in the New Testament only here and in Mt 4:24 and means one affected or struck by the moon. The symptoms of the boy’s illness point to epilepsy, and attacks of this were thought to be caused by phases of the moon.
* [17:17] Faithless and perverse: so Matthew and Luke (Lk 9:41) against Mark’s faithless (Mk 9:19). The Greek word here translated perverse is the same as that in Dt 32:5 LXX, where Moses speaks to his people. There is a problem in knowing to whom the reproach is addressed. Since the Matthean Jesus normally chides his disciples for their little faith (as in Mt 17:20), it would appear that the charge of lack of faith could not be made against them and that the reproach is addressed to unbelievers among the Jews. However in Mt 17:20b (if you have faith the size of a mustard seed), which is certainly addressed to the disciples, they appear to have not even the smallest faith; if they had, they would have been able to cure the boy. In the light of Mt 17:20b the reproach of Mt 17:17 could have applied to the disciples. There seems to be an inconsistency between the charge of little faith in Mt 17:20a and that of not even a little in Mt 17:20b.
* [17:18] The demon came out of him: not until this verse does Matthew indicate that the boy’s illness is a case of demoniacal possession.
* [17:20] The entire verse is an addition of Matthew who (according to the better attested text) omits the reason given for the disciples’ inability in Mk 9:29. Little faith: see note on Mt 6:30. Faith the size of a mustard seed…and it will move: a combination of a Q saying (cf. Lk 17:6) with a Marcan saying (cf. Mk 11:23). (Matthew, CHAPTER 17 | USCCB, n.d.)
Scott McClure comments that we live in a world that is guided by the false belief that everything can be controlled and managed. Therefore, if there is a broken aspect of one's life, that individual simply needs to employ a different strategy, try harder, 'skill-up' - mold the world to his or her will.
After seeing Jesus exorcise the demon, his disciples are confounded that they, themselves could not do this. Jesus met their Why? not with a charge to employ more self-reliance. Quite the opposite, actually. Jesus implores them to have faith. He refers to this mountain as if he is looking at it or standing on it at this moment. This is no abstract charge.
As Moses implored to the Israelites of old, let us take to heart these words, teach them to our children, proclaim them to the world and model them. Take to heart, also, that you are enough. Have faith. (McClure, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “Faith as a grain of mustard seed,” by Origen of Alexandria 185-254 AD.)
"The mountains here spoken of, in my opinion, are the hostile powers that have their being in a flood of great wickedness, such as are settled down, so to speak, in some souls of various people. But when someone has total faith, such that he no longer disbelieves in anything found in holy Scripture and has faith like that of Abraham, who so believed in God to such a degree that his faith was reckoned to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6), then he has all faith like a grain of mustard seed. Then such a man will say to this mountain - I mean in this case the deaf and dumb spirit in him who is said to be epileptic - 'Move from here to another place.' It will move. This means it will move from the suffering person to the abyss. The apostle, taking this as his starting point, said with apostolic authority, 'If I have all faith, so as to remove mountains' (1 Corinthians 13:2). For he who has all faith - which is like a grain of mustard seed - moves not just one mountain but also more just like it. And nothing will be impossible for the person who has so much faith. Let us examine also this statement: 'This kind is not cast out except through prayer and fasting' (Mark 9:29). If at any time it is necessary that we should be engaged in the healing of one suffering from such a disorder, we are not to adjure nor put questions nor speak to the impure spirit as if it heard. But [by] devoting ourselves to prayer and fasting, we may be successful as we pray for the sufferer, and by our own fasting we may thrust out the unclean spirit from him." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 13.7.19) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Deuteronomy 6:4-13 comments that just as the Israelites found their identity in their love for God, so we also draw our identity from loving the Lord with our whole heart, soul, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5). As we give ourselves to the Lord in this way, we discover who we truly are: sons and daughters of our heavenly Father and brothers and sisters to Christ. From this core identity flows everything else—our decisions regarding how to live, what to value, and how to care for one another.
Today, imitate the Israelites by pausing once or twice to declare your love for God. Then be still and receive the love he has for you. Make this a daily habit, and you will never forget who you are and what you were made for!
“Father, let me never lose sight of who I really am: your beloved son or daughter.” (Meditation on Deuteronomy 6:4-13, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler notes that the passage from Deuteronomy begins with the Shema Israel, a credal formula traditionally recited by Jews twice a day. He cites the mezuzah, on Jewish doorposts that remind us of the fidelity of God, a Deuteronomy theme. Friar Jude reminds us of the recommendation for prayer and fasting in the account of this healing in Mark’s Gospel.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces a prayer practice of “putting the mind into the heart”.
Next time a resentment, negativity, or irritation comes into your mind, and you want to play it out or attach to it, move that thought or person literally into your heart space because such commentaries are almost entirely lodged in your head. There, surround it with silence (which is much easier to do in the heart). There, it is surrounded with blood, which will often feel warm like coals. In this place, it is almost impossible to comment, judge, create story lines, or remain antagonistic. You are in a place that does not create or feed on contraries but is within the natural organ of life, embodiment, and love. Love lives and thrives in the heart space. It has kept me from wanting to hurt people who have hurt me. It keeps me every day from obsessive, repetitive, or compulsive head games. It can make the difference between being happy and being miserable and negative.
Could this be what we are really doing when we say we are praying for someone? Yes, we are holding them in our heart space. Do it in an almost physical sense, and you will see how calmly and quickly it works. (Rohr, 2023)
We consider how we respond to reminders of the Love of God and our experiences of rescue from despair through responding to the prompting of the Spirit.
References
Deuteronomy, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 12, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/deuteronomy/6?4
Matthew, CHAPTER 17 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 12, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/17?
McClure, S. (n.d.). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved August 12, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/081223.html
Meditation on Deuteronomy 6:4-13. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved August 12, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/08/12/756988/
Psalms, PSALM 18 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 12, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/18?2
Rohr, R. (2023, August 12). Immortal Diamond: Weekly Summary — Center for Action and Contemplation. CAC Daily Meditations 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/immortal-diamond-weekly-summary-2023-08-12/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Nothing Will Be Impossible to You. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 12, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=aug12
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