The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today encourage us to celebrate our blessings especially when we journey through difficult times and misunderstanding of our Way.
The reading from the Letter to the Ephesians proclaims our Spiritual Blessings in Christ.
* [1:3–14] While a Pauline letter usually continues after the greeting with a prayer of thanksgiving, as in Eph 1:15–23 below, Ephesians first inserts a blessing of God for the blessings Christians have experienced, as in 2 Cor 1:3–4 and 1 Pt 1:3–12. The blessing here, akin to a Jewish berakah, is rich in images almost certainly drawn from hymns and liturgy. Many ideas here are also found in Col 1:3–23. Certain phrases are frequently repeated, such as in Christ (Eph 1:3, 10, 12) or in him (Eph 1:4, 7, 9, 11, 13) or in the beloved (Eph 1:6) and (for) the praise of (his) glory (Eph 1:6, 12, 14). Some terms like chose (Eph 1:4) and destined (Eph 1:5) reflect Old Testament theology (Dt 7:7; 9:4–6; 23:5) or Pauline themes (redemption, Eph 1:7, 14; grace, Eph 1:6, 7) or specific emphases in Colossians (forgiveness, Col 1:14). A triadic structure is discernible in Eph 1:3–14: God the Father (Eph 1:3–6, 8, 11), Christ (Eph 1:3, 5, 7–10, 12), and the Spirit (Eph 1:13–14). The spiritual blessings Christians have received through Christ (Eph 1:3) are gratefully enumerated: the call to holiness (Eph 1:4; cf. Col 1:22); the gift of divine adoption establishing a unique spiritual relationship with God the Father through Christ (Eph 1:5; cf. Gal 4:5); liberation from sin through Christ’s sacrificial death (Eph 1:7); revelation of God’s plan of salvation in Christ (Eph 1:9; cf. Eph 3:3–4; Rom 16:25); the gift of election and faith in Christ bestowed upon Jewish Christians (see note on Eph 1:12, we who first hoped in Christ); and finally, the same gift granted to Gentiles (Eph 1:13, you also). In the Christ-centered faith and existence of the Christian communities the apostle sees the predetermined plan of God to bring all creation under the final rule of Christ (Eph 1:4–5, 9–10) being made known (Eph 1:9) and carried through, to God’s glory (Eph 1:6, 12, 14).
* [1:3] In the heavens: literally, “in the heavenlies” or “in the heavenly places,” a term in Ephesians for the divine realm.
* [1:9] Mystery: as in Rom 16:25; Col 1:26, 27 and elsewhere, a secret of God now revealed in the plan to save and sum up all things in Christ (Eph 1:10); cf. Eph 3:3–6. (Ephesians, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 98 praises the Judge of the World.
* [Psalm 98] A hymn, similar to Ps 96, extolling God for Israel’s victory (Ps 98:1–3). All nations (Ps 98:4–6) and even inanimate nature (Ps 98:7–8) are summoned to welcome God’s coming to rule over the world (Ps 98:9).
* [98:1] Marvelous deeds…victory: the conquest of all threats to the peaceful existence of Israel, depicted in the Psalms variously as a cosmic force such as sea, or nations bent on Israel’s destruction, or evildoers seemingly triumphant. His right hand and holy arm: God is pictured as a powerful warrior. (Psalms, PSALM 98 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus concludes the Denunciation of the Pharisees and Scholars of the Law.
* [11:49] I will send to them prophets and apostles: Jesus connects the mission of the church (apostles) with the mission of the Old Testament prophets who often suffered the rebuke of their contemporaries.
* [11:51] From the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah: the murder of Abel is the first murder recounted in the Old Testament (Gn 4:8). The Zechariah mentioned here may be the Zechariah whose murder is recounted in 2 Chr 24:20–22, the last murder presented in the Hebrew canon of the Old Testament. (Luke, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB, n.d.)
Nancy Shirley reflects on seeing so much sadness and grieving lately: not only friends passing away but children of friends passing away, friends and relatives currently on hospice, widowed friends and relatives whose broken hearts are on their sleeves, young children being left with only one parent, her grandson struggling with the demon of addiction and losing She finds it a challenge to keep a positive attitude.
I need to be reminded that this time on earth is transitory – there is MORE than these struggles and even the joys and delights. I was recently at the funeral of a beautiful young woman in her mid-forties, she had written something very poignant years ago when barely 30 and I want to include an excerpt from her wise words:
Relationships are eternal; separation of our bodies does not mean separation of our souls. We are healed by this knowledge because it reminds us of the oneness of our relationship . . . our relationships do not die, they only change form. Faith means knowing that no one is ever really gone. (Shirley, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “The key of knowledge that opens the kingdom of God,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).
"We consider that the key of knowledge means the law [of Moses] itself, and by faith in him, I mean justification in Christ. Although the law was in shadow and type, yet those types show to us the truth, and those shadows depict to us in many ways the mystery of Christ. A lamb was sacrificed according to the law of Moses. They ate its flesh. They anointed the lintels with its blood and overcame the destroyer. The blood of a mere sheep could not turn away death. Christ was typified under the form of a lamb. He endures to be the victim for the life of the world and saves by his blood those who are partakers of him. One might mention many other instances as well, by means of which we can discern the mystery of Christ sketched out in the shadows of the law. When speaking to the Jews, he once said, 'There is one that accuses you, even Moses, whom you trusted. For if you had believed Moses, you should have also believed me, because he wrote of me' (John 5:45-46). 'You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness to me' (John 5:39). Every word of divinely inspired Scripture looks to him and refers to him. As it has been shown, if Moses speaks, he typified Christ. If the holy prophets that you name speak, they also proclaimed to us in many ways the mystery of Christ, preaching beforehand the salvation that is by him." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 86) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 11:47-54 comments that in today’s Gospel, we see one way that Jesus reacted to all this hostility. Speaking very directly, he called out his detractors for their hypocrisy and refusal to believe. We might read this passage as Jesus finally losing his cool and railing against them in fury. But we should remember that Jesus, more than anyone else, lived out his own teachings about loving our enemies. Remember how he wept over those who had rejected him, heartbroken that they had failed to recognize the “time of [their] visitation” (Luke 19:44). Or think of how he asked his Father to forgive the very people who crucified him (23:34). Clearly, Jesus’ way is the way of love!
So how will you respond to the negative feelings that rise up when someone is hostile toward you? Will you let their words cloud your heart and move you to retaliate in kind? Or will you take these “enemies” to the Lord and ask him to give you his own love for them? It’s not always easy to forgive those who hurt you, but it is always possible. In Christ, you can live in peace!
“Lord, help me to see everyone as you do. Jesus, give me your heart of love!” (Meditation on Luke 11:47-54, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the different theology and vocabulary of the Letters to the Ephesians and the Collosians that suggest that Paul was not the author. Aquinas expresses God's desire to heal our sin and the Franciscan Duns Scotus understands that Jesus was always coming to participate in our nature out of love. Friar Jude reminds us that the responsibility of the Scribes and Pharisees to interpret the Law is portrayed as a religion of scrupulosity especially in Matthew’s Gospel.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Theologian Elizabeth Johnson who shows how our understanding of creation has evolved since Genesis. She invites us to think of God as Creator through a broad lens.
The ambling character of life’s evolutionary emergence over billions of years … is hard to reconcile with a simplistic idea of God the Creator at work…. Best to let go of the idea of God as a monarch acting upon other beings. Move your mind in the direction of the living God who is infinite holy mystery. Sit with the truth that our finite minds cannot comprehend the One who is infinite; our finite hearts cannot grasp love without limit. Look toward God not as an individual actor within the range of creatures but as the unimaginable personal Source of all beings, the very Ground of being, the Beyond in our midst, a generative ocean of love, Creator Spirit. Then begin to realize that the power of the Creator Spirit is not exercised as raw power-over but as love that empowers-with. God’s creative activity brings into being a universe endowed with the innate capacity to evolve by the operation of its own natural powers, making it a free partner in its own creation. (Rohr, n.d.)
We express gratitude for the blessings that come from our relationships with the people in our lives and with the Spirit of God that empowers us to love and respect people who are critical of our way.
References
Ephesians, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 17, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ephesians/1?
Luke, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 17, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/11?47
Meditation on Luke 11:47-54. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved October 17, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/10/17/1106593/
Psalms, PSALM 98 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 17, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/98?1
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Creator Spirit. Retrieved October 17, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/creator-spirit/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Do Not Lose the Key of Knowledge. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 17, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=oct17
Shirley, N. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. OnlineMinistries. Retrieved October 17, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/101724.html
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