The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary, today, proclaim abundant life that accompanies followers of Christ in good times and bad.
The reading from 2 Corinthians describes God’s Indescribable Gift.
* [9:8–10] The behavior to which he exhorts them is grounded in God’s own pattern of behavior. God is capable of overwhelming generosity, as scripture itself attests (2 Cor 9:9), so that they need not fear being short. He will provide in abundance, both supplying their natural needs and increasing their righteousness. Paul challenges them to godlike generosity and reminds them of the fundamental motive for encouragement: God himself cannot be outdone. (2 Corinthians, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 112 praises the blessings of the Righteous.
* [Psalm 112] An acrostic poem detailing the blessings received by those who remain close to God by obedience to the commandments. Among their blessings are children (Ps 112:2), wealth that enables them to be magnanimous (Ps 112:3, 5, 9), and virtue by which they encourage others (Ps 112:4). The just person is an affront to the wicked, whose hopes remain unfulfilled (Ps 112:10). The logic resembles Ps 1; 111. (Psalms, PSALM 112 | USCCB, n.d.)
The Gospel of John declares life through death.
* [12:24] This verse implies that through his death Jesus will be accessible to all. It remains just a grain of wheat: this saying is found in the synoptic triple and double traditions (Mk 8:35; Mt 16:25; Lk 9:24; Mt 10:39; Lk 17:33). John adds the phrases (Jn 12:25) in this world and for eternal life.
* [12:25] His life: the Greek word psychē refers to a person’s natural life. It does not mean “soul,” for Hebrew anthropology did not postulate body/soul dualism in the way that is familiar to us. (John, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)
Nancy Shirley comments that we will not ever be free from tragedy and hurt while we walk this earth, but we will never have to face that hurt alone.
We are always in the arms of our Father and comforted by our loving Mother and the numerous angels on earth. The ordinary people who cross our lives, share their stories, listen to ours, and together our lives are changed forever . . . (Shirley, 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 2 Corinthians 9:6-10 comments that St. Lawrence shows us something important about what our treasure really is and how we should use it. He teaches us to see our life in this world as a treasure. But it’s a treasure we are meant to give away, not hold on to. Each of us has a storehouse of blessings that God has given us. We have our individual talents and strengths. We have our material belongings. And we have the gift of each new day, with all the potential for love and service that it brings. These are the treasures God wants us to share as generously as we can.
Everyone’s treasure is different. And “sowing bountifully” will mean something different for each person. So ask the Lord how he is calling you to be generous in sharing yourself with the people around you. Know that as you do, you will reap bountifully, just as Lawrence did.
Your life is a treasure. You are a gift to be given. So how can you give the precious gift that is your life?
“Lord, thank you for all the treasures you have sown into my life! Help me to share them with everyone around me.”(Meditation on 2 Corinthians 9:6-10, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler reflects on the texts of today.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares the weekly summary of Suffering and Survival.
We journey in life through times of trouble and times of triumph and express gratitude for the Presence of the Spirit during all the seasons of life.
References
John, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 10, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/12?24
Psalms, PSALM 112 | USCCB. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 10, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/112?1
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 10, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=aug10
Shirley, N. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. OnlineMinistries. Retrieved August 10, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/081024.html
2 Corinthians, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 10, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2corinthians/9?6
Meditation on 2 Corinthians 9:6-10. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved August 10, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/08/10/1045034/
No comments:
Post a Comment