The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with our need to ponder our role on our life journey and the faith, hope, and charity we hope will be our legacy for the future.
The reading from the Book of Wisdom confirms the Destiny of the Righteous
* [3:1–12] The author affirms that, for the righteous, sufferings are not punishments but purification and opportunities to show fidelity, whereas for the wicked suffering is truly a punishment.
* [3:6] Offerings: the image is that of the burnt offering, in which the victim is completely consumed by fire.
* [3:7] Judgment: the Greek episkopē is God’s loving judgment of those who have been faithful to him; the same word is used in 14:11 for the punishment of the wicked at God’s judgment. Cf. also v. 13. (Wisdom, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB, 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 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus exhorts the attitude of a servant.
* [17:7–10] These sayings of Jesus, peculiar to Luke, which continue his response to the apostles’ request to increase their faith (Lk 17:5–6), remind them that Christian disciples can make no claim on God’s graciousness; in fulfilling the exacting demands of discipleship, they are only doing their duty. (Luke, CHAPTER 17, n.d.)
Edward Morse comments that the disposition that puts the Lord’s needs first is not easy. We like to be served more than to serve. We like to be honored more than to honor. We like to receive gratitude more than to be grateful. The contrary disposition that Jesus is teaching us to follow can also be costly in a world where others find it foolish and easy to exploit. Can we trust God to follow him in those times?
Lord, like the apostles, we cry out to you, “please increase our faith.” We are prone to forget and to lose hope, particularly in the midst of tough times and struggles. Save us from envy. And help us to encourage one another, remembering that “Grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with his elect.” Thanks be to God. (Morse, 2023)
Don Schwager quotes “We are called to humble service,” by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.
"You do not say to your servant, 'Sit down,' but require more service from him and do not thank him. The Lord also does not allow only one work or labor for you, because so long as we live we must always work.
"Know that you are a servant overwhelmed by very much obedience. You must not set yourself first, because you are called a son of God. Grace must be acknowledged, but nature not overlooked. Do not boast of yourself if you have served well, as you should have done. The sun obeys, the moon complies (Joshua 10:12-13; Baruch 6:60), and the angels serve... Let us not require praise from ourselves nor prevent the judgment of God and anticipate the sentence of the Judge but reserve it for its own time and Judge." (excerpt from EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 17.7-10) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Wisdom 2:23–3:9 comments that we may struggle to believe in eternal life, for our loved ones or for ourselves. But this struggle is familiar to Jesus. His prayer in Gethsemane reveals his anguish as he faced the cross (Matthew 26:36-45). But trusting the Father, he offered himself up to death. After passing through this refiner’s fire, Jesus arose and shone forth, “as sparks through stubble” (Wisdom 3:7).
So bring him your heartaches, confusion, and pain. He will walk beside you and your loved ones through the valley of the shadow of death until the day when his victory will be your own, and “the faithful shall abide with him in love” (Wisdom 3:9).
“Lord, help me to trust you in this life so that I may rejoice with you in eternity.” (Meditation on Wisdom 2:23–3:9, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the theme of the passage from Wisdom to address the question of the Greeks about eternal life. The Greek influence in the Book of Wisdom is evident in the concept of the separation of the soul and body in eternal life. Friar Jude recalls the Baltimore Catechism as he reminds us of our participation in the Love of the Father and the Son as we take up the Cross of service.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, and the CAC Staff share about the mission of the Christian Contemplative Movement.
Our dream is that Contemplative Christianity will be a robust movement of spiritual transformation that millions of people can participate in meaningfully and thoroughly. Social science research suggests it takes 3.5% of a population to create a seismic shift in attitudes on any given subject. Therefore, as an organization founded by Franciscan Fr. Richard Rohr, rooted in Christian traditions of action and contemplation, and positioned on the edge of the inside of the world’s largest religion, we seek to contribute to a movement of contemplative renewal in service to a great spiritual turning. Our aim is to support the conditions necessary for the catalytic growth of a contemplative Christian path for at least 3.5% of people in our national and international landscape. (Rohr, 2021)
We seek the Wisdom of the Holy Spirit as we come to understand our role as servants of the Lord and the people who we encounter daily in the hope that mercy, patience, and compassion will accompany our action and reflect Christ.
References
Luke, CHAPTER 17. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 14, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/17?7
Meditation on Wisdom 2:23–3:9. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved November 14, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/11/14/829984/
Morse, E. (2023, November 14). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved November 14, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/111423.html
Psalms, PSALM 34 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved November 14, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/34?2
Rohr, R. (2021, September 22). Christian Contemplative Movement. CAC Daily Meditations 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-special-note-from-fr-richard-the-christian-contemplative-movement-2023-11-14/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved November 14, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=nov14
Wisdom, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved November 14, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/wisdom/3
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