Preparation and Lament

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today urge us to assess the preparation we need to be servant leaders in sharing the mission of Jesus.

Preparing to Serve

The reading from the Letter to the Ephesians describes the Whole Armour of God and exhorts us to Constant Prayer.

* [6:10–20] A general exhortation to courage and prayer. Drawing upon the imagery and ideas of Is 11:5; 59:16–17; and Wis 5:17–23, Paul describes the Christian in terms of the dress and equipment of Roman soldiers. He observes, however, that the Christian’s readiness for combat is not directed against human beings but against the spiritual powers of evil (Eph 6:10–17; cf. Eph 1:21; 2:2; 3:10). Unique importance is placed upon prayer (Eph 6:18–20).

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ephesians/6?10 (Ephesians, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 144 is a prayer for National Deliverance and Security.

* [Psalm 144] The Psalm may reflect a ceremony in which the king, as leader of the army, asked God’s help (Ps 144:1–8). In Ps 144:9 the poem shifts abruptly from pleading to thanksgiving, and (except for Ps 144:11) shifts again to prayer for the people. The first section (Ps 144:1–2) is a prayer of thanks for victory; the second (Ps 144:3–7a), a humble acknowledgment of human nothingness and a supplication that God show forth saving power; the third (Ps 144:9–11), a promise of future thanksgiving; the fourth (Ps 144:12–15), a wish for prosperity and peace. A prayer for deliverance from treacherous foes serves as a refrain after the second and third sections (Ps 144:7b–8, 11). Except for its final section, the Psalm is made up almost entirely of verses from other Psalms. (Psalms, PSALM 144 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Luke presents Herod’s Desire to Kill Jesus and His Lament over Jerusalem.

* [13:32] Nothing, not even Herod’s desire to kill Jesus, stands in the way of Jesus’ role in fulfilling God’s will and in establishing the kingdom through his exorcisms and healings.

* [13:33] It is impossible that a prophet should die outside of Jerusalem: Jerusalem is the city of destiny and the goal of the journey of the prophet Jesus. Only when he reaches the holy city will his work be accomplished. (Luke, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB, n.d.)

Jeanne Schuler (2002) asks Where do they struggle for justice?  Where do they proclaim peace?  Where do they resist the cry for war?

Am I with them?  God, give me the courage to hold my faith high.

The death threats continued.  Jesus was a marked man who would not be silenced.  Still he healed the sick, drove out evil spirits, and prophesized against the leaders of Jerusalem: you who will kill me in due time do not see the destruction bearing down upon you.  Even your mighty temple will fall.

Searching for expression of his love for us, Jesus found the mother bird.  Don’t you see how deeply I long for you?  Seek shelter under my wings.  Come home.

The evils of our day will not separate us from the love of God. (Schuler, 2024)

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus foreshadows his triumphant entrance into Jerusalem,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"'And I tell you,' he says, 'you will not see me until you say, 'Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.' What does this mean? The Lord withdrew from Jerusalem and left as unworthy of his presence those who said, 'Get away from here.' And after he had walked about Judea and saved many and performed miracles which no words can adequately describe, he returned again to Jerusalem. It was then that he sat upon a colt of a donkey, while vast multitudes and young children, holding up branches of palm trees, went before him, praising him and saying, 'Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord' (Matthew 21:9). Having left them, therefore, as being unworthy, he says that when the time of his passion has arrived, he will then barely be seen by them. Then again he went up to Jerusalem and entered amidst praises, and at that very time endured his saving passion in our behalf, that by suffering he might save and renew to incorruption the inhabitants of the earth. God the Father has saved us by Christ."(excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 100)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Ephesians 6:10-20 comments that even as we keep watch, we can be filled with peace. We can draw “strength from the Lord and from his mighty power” as we take up “the armor of God” (Ephesians 6:10, 11, 13).

How can we be so confident? Because Jesus has already conquered sin, death, and darkness. Because we received a share of his victory when we were baptized into his death and resurrection. So we triumph over the evil one by surrendering to God’s strength, not by fighting with our own. In our struggles, we can face the forces of darkness with open hands rather than clenched fists, trusting that the Lord will fight for us.

So be alert! When you face temptation or notice the lies of the evil one, don’t confront them on your own. Instead, take a breath and call on the name of Jesus. Say it out loud! Welcome his presence, arm yourself with the victory he has won for you, and trust in his strength. This is the path to peace and victory. This is the way you can overcome every “struggle” (Ephesians 6:12).

“Lord Jesus, victor over darkness, come to my aid today!” (Meditation on Ephesians 6:10-20, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler notes the passage from Ephesians describes the spiritual warfare against temptations and describes the amour we need to live in virtue. The author writes as Paul in prison who is an ambassador in chains. Herod is trying to kill Jesus and He declares He will die in Jerusalem like earlier prophets.

Brian McLaren highlights solidarity as a universal value supporting our common life. He describes the new friendships that are possible when we embrace the inclusive message of Jesus.

You will look around and feel that all are welcome here. They have come from different places, but by the same path, the path of love. Muslims have come in their caravan of love. Jews have pursued the Torah of solidarity. Buddhists have followed the noble truth of compassion. Sikhs have learned to see no stranger, and Hindus have descended into essential oneness. Atheists and agnostics have discovered in humanism a path into our common humanity….  

When you find that this option of solidarity is open to you, this option of going to the deepest and most genuine core of your Christian tradition and there finding a love that connects you to everyone and everything, everywhere … you don’t need to go anywhere else. Of course, you can if you want to. But here is a way of staying Christian that connects you to others in a quest for solidarity rather than separating you from them in a quest for innocence, dominance, or supremacy. This feels to me like the way of Christ. This feels like the way of life. (McLaren, n.d.)

We invoke the Spirit to prepare us to resist the distractions and temptations that accompany our mission to act in accord with our Baptismal anointing as priest, prophet, and leader.

References

Ephesians, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 31, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ephesians/6?10 

Luke, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 31, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/13 

McLaren, B. (n.d.). Seeking Love Through Solidarity. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 31, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/seeking-love-through-solidarity/ 

Meditation on Ephesians 6:10-20. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved October 31, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/10/31/1116183/ 

Psalms, PSALM 144 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 31, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/144?1 

Schuler, J. (2024, October 31). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved October 31, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/103124.html 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Blessed Is He Who Comes in the Name of the Lord! Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 31, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=oct31 

Respect and Rejection

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today remind us of the charity and respect that we are called to practice in our relationships as we assess the depth of our commitment to living as disciples of Christ.

The Narrow Gate

The reading from the Letter to the Ephesians provides instructions for relations between children, parents and slaves, masters.

* [5:21–6:9] Cf. notes on Col 3:18–4:1 and 1 Pt 2:18–3:7 for a similar listing of household duties where the inferior is admonished first (wives, Eph 5:22; children, Eph 6:1; slaves, Eph 6:5), then the superior (husbands, Eph 5:25; fathers, Eph 6:4; masters, Eph 6:9). Paul varies this pattern by an emphasis on mutuality (see Eph 5:20); use of Old Testament material about father and mother in Eph 6:2; the judgment to come for slave-owners (you have a Master in heaven, Eph 6:9); and above all the initial principle of subordination to one another under Christ, thus effectively undermining exclusive claims to domination by one party. Into the section on wives and husbands an elaborate teaching on Christ and the church has been woven (Eph 5:22–33). (Ephesians, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 145 praises the Greatness and the Goodness of God.

* [Psalm 145] A hymn in acrostic form; every verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Acrostic poems usually do not develop ideas but consist rather of loosely connected statements. The singer invites all to praise God (Ps 145:1–3, 21). The “works of God” make God present and invite human praise (Ps 145:4–7); they climax in a confession (Ps 145:8–9). God’s mighty acts show forth divine kingship (Ps 145:10–20), a major theme in the literature of early Judaism and in Christianity. (Psalms, PSALM 145 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus connects the Narrow Door to Salvation and Rejection.

* [13:22–30] These sayings of Jesus follow in Luke upon the parables of the kingdom (Lk 13:18–21) and stress that great effort is required for entrance into the kingdom (Lk 13:24) and that there is an urgency to accept the present opportunity to enter because the narrow door will not remain open indefinitely (Lk 13:25). Lying behind the sayings is the rejection of Jesus and his message by his Jewish contemporaries (Lk 13:26) whose places at table in the kingdom will be taken by Gentiles from the four corners of the world (Lk 13:29). Those called last (the Gentiles) will precede those to whom the invitation to enter was first extended (the Jews). See also Lk 14:15–24. (Luke, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB, n.d.)

Larry Gillick, S.J. (October 31, 2018) comments on the celebration of those who divested, who took off pretendingness and lived the Treat of the simple holy life.

Jesus’ reply to the one asking about being saved is wondering if he/she is carrying enough accreditation and self-affirming actions. Jesus images a “narrow Gate” through which only the costumeless, the stripped can pass through. Those who obtained their identity from what they did, would be unknown by the Master. They are pictured by Jesus as knocking on the door like Trick-or Treaters and the Master would say twice, that He did not know where they were from.

These costumed pretenders would not be receiving the treats of heaven, but the results of tricking themselves by dressing up in false identities and not receiving their reality and truth from their Creator and Savior. What the Master is saying to them is that He does not know where they are from, because they have refused to accept that they are from God and are on their journey of returning back through the narrow gate of believing their origin and destiny.

Please enjoy the life-long process of de-costuming and living our sainthood. (Gillick, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “To enter the narrow door,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"'Wide is the door, and broad the way that brings down many to destruction.' What are we to understand by its broadness? ...A stubborn mind will not bow to the yoke of the law [the commandments of God]. This life is cursed and relaxed in all carelessness. Thrusting from it the divine law and completely unmindful of the sacred commandments, wealth, vices, scorn, pride and the empty imagination of earthly pride spring from it. Those who would enter in by the narrow door must withdraw from all these things, be with Christ and keep the festival with him."(excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 99) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 13:22-30 comments that if we want to come to knowledge of the truth, we can’t keep Jesus at the periphery of our lives. We need a life-giving relationship with him that goes deeper than simply hearing his teachings or attending Mass. He wants us to know him, and he wants to know us.

And your part? Spend time with him. Invite him in, not just to the parts of your life that anyone could know from the outside, but into every corner. Take the risk of telling him all the things you might be afraid to say. Dare to bring your hurts and your failings into his light. Tell him you’re willing to listen to whatever he has to say to you. In other words, give him permission to see where you are from. And invite him to be Lord over it all.

Jesus is longing for a deeper relationship with you. So talk to him—about everything! Just imagine the look of delight on his face when he opens the door to the Father’s house and sees you!

“Jesus, I don’t want to have a superficial relationship with you. I give you access to every part of my life.” (Meditation on Luke 13:22-30, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler notes that the passage from Ephesians extends the household instructions of the chapter to children and parents, master and slave, to emphasize mutual responsibilities. Slavery was an accepted institution in the 1st Century and the Church rationalized slavery and capital punishment in the 19th and 20th Century. Friar Jude reminds us of the focus of Luke on the Gentile Christians underlining that heritage or shallow commitment are not keys to enter the narrow door.

 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, in a 2017 homily based on this Scripture passage, reminds us of the foundational requirements of Christian living.

Is there anything happening in America today that would make you think we believe we should “love our enemies”? If Christians do not decide to finally be like Jesus, then let’s just give up on this whole Christian thing. It doesn’t mean anything! If it’s just going to church on Sunday, then we have to stop pretending we’re following Jesus, because we’re just like everybody else—we are into power and money and deceit and war. If we do not preach the gospel, if we do not begin to live the gospel now, then let’s stop pretending that we care about Jesus or about following Jesus. 

We are in a very scary position in the United States, and the whole world sees it. We are called to engage in a great mobilization, recognition, conversion, and transformation, because now the issues are too big, too real, and too right in front of us every day.  

We cannot be silent any longer. Do not expect me to be silent, and I won’t expect you to be silent, either. It’s going to take courage. It’s going take each of us making little decisions in our little worlds to love, not just our neighbors, but even to pray for our enemies, to pray for our president, to pray for our country. If we can’t do these little things, what does it all mean? (Rohr, n.d.)

We ask the Spirit to develop our deeper practice of love and compassion for all our neighbours especially those who challenge us and hold differing opinions and have different heritage.

References

Ephesians, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 30, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ephesians/6 

Gillick, L. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. OnlineMinistries. Retrieved October 30, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Archive/2018/103118.html 

Luke, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 30, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/13? 

Meditation on Luke 13:22-30. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved October 30, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/10/30/1115653/ 

Psalms, PSALM 145 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 30, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/145?10 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). The Risk of Living the Gospel. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 30, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-risk-of-living-the-gospel/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Do Not Risk Being Shut Out. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 30, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=oct30