The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to seek the guidance of the Spirit in removing the barriers we create that separate us from loving fellowship with all the people we encounter on our journey.
The reading from the Letter of Paul to the Galatians refers to the Council of Jerusalem and the mission of Paul and the other Apostles citing how Paul rebukes Peter at Antioch.
* [2:2] A revelation: cf. Gal 1:1, 12. Paul emphasizes it was God’s will, not Jerusalem authority, that led to the journey. Acts 15:2 states that the church in Antioch appointed Paul and Barnabas for the task. Those of repute: leaders of the Jerusalem church; the term, while positive, may be slightly ironic (cf. Gal 1:6, 9). Run, in vain: while Paul presents a positive picture in what follows, his missionary work in Galatia would have been to no purpose if his opponents were correct that circumcision is needed for complete faith in Christ.
* [2:11–14] The decision reached in Jerusalem (Gal 2:3–7) recognized the freedom of Gentile Christians from the Jewish law. But the problem of table fellowship between Jewish Christians, who possibly still kept kosher food regulations, and Gentile believers was not yet settled. When Cephas first came to the racially mixed community of Jewish and Gentile Christians in Antioch (Gal 2:12), he ate with non-Jews. Pressure from persons arriving later from Jerusalem caused him and Barnabas to draw back. Paul therefore publicly rebuked Peter’s inconsistency toward the gospel (Gal 2:14). Some think that what Paul said on that occasion extends through Gal 2:16, 21. (Galatians, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 117 is a Universal Call to Worship.
* [Psalm 117] This shortest of hymns calls on the nations to acknowledge God’s supremacy. The supremacy of Israel’s God has been demonstrated to them by the people’s secure existence, which is owed entirely to God’s gracious fidelity. (Psalms, PSALM 117 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus presents the Lord’s Prayer.
* [11:1–4] The Matthean form of the “Our Father” occurs in the “Sermon on the Mount” (Mt 6:9–15); the shorter Lucan version is presented while Jesus is at prayer (see note on Lk 3:21) and his disciples ask him to teach them to pray just as John taught his disciples to pray. In answer to their question, Jesus presents them with an example of a Christian communal prayer that stresses the fatherhood of God and acknowledges him as the one to whom the Christian disciple owes daily sustenance (Lk 11:3), forgiveness (Lk 11:4), and deliverance from the final trial (Lk 11:4). See also notes on Mt 6:9–13.
* [11:2] Your kingdom come: in place of this petition, some early church Fathers record: “May your holy Spirit come upon us and cleanse us,” a petition that may reflect the use of the “Our Father” in a baptismal liturgy.
* [11:3–4] Daily bread: see note on Mt 6:11. The final test: see note on Mt 6:13. (Luke, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB, n.d.)
Michael Kavan examines the prayer that Jesus taught us, that we might reflect on its meaning, and maybe better appreciate it and apply it to our spiritual and corporeal lives into the future.
Father - First, to call God “Father” tees up the remaining words in the prayer. If God is our Father, then we are certainly his children…
Hallowed be your name - Common definitions of “hallowed” include made holy, consecrated, and greatly revered and honored…
Your Kingdom come– One of my favorite lines in the prayer..
Give us this day our daily bread – We ask God to help us meet our daily needs for food…
Forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us – Any amount of reflection allows us to understand that we all sin… (Kavan, 2024)
Don Schwager quotes “The privilege and responsibility of calling God Father,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).
"For the Savior said, 'When you pray, say, 'Our Father.' And another of the holy Evangelists adds, 'who art in heaven' (Matthew 6:9)... He gives his own glory to us. He raises slaves to the dignity of freedom. He crowns the human condition with such honor as surpasses the power of nature. He brings to pass what was spoken of old by the voice of the psalmist: 'I said, you are gods, and all of you children of the Most High' (Psalm 82:6). He rescues us from the measure of slavery, giving us by his grace what we did not possess by nature, and permits us to call God 'Father,' as being admitted to the rank of sons. We received this, together with all our other privileges, from him. One of these privileges is the dignity of freedom, a gift peculiarly befitting those who have been called to be sons. He commands us, therefore, to take boldness and say in our prayers, 'Our Father.'"(excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 71) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Galatians 2:1-2, 7-14 comments that Paul wanted the Jewish believers in Galatia to recognize the same grace of God in the lives of their Gentile brothers and sisters and vice versa. He pleaded with them to see each other as members of one family (Galatians 6:10). But it wasn’t easy for them—and it isn’t easy for us. It’s hard to let go of our opinions, and that can strain our relationships. But Jesus can help us recognize his grace at work in another person, and that can strengthen bonds of love.
So how does this happen? A good first step is to recognize and let go of any negative biases you may have. By the Spirit, you can see positive qualities in other people and take a generous outlook toward them.
Second, you can put on humility. When you remember that God has shown you mercy, you view people more mercifully and recognize God’s grace at work in them. You see the patience a father shows his children or a coworker’s diligence at the office. You notice the quiet faith of a Mass-goer who lingers to pray, or you rejoice when you see someone extend a hand to a gruff neighbor. And this can move you to do the same.
Today, let the Spirit help you to appreciate God’s grace in the whole family of God.
“Lord, I want to see my brothers and sisters as you do!” (Meditation on Galatians 2:1-2, 7-14, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler positions the visit of Paul and the Gentile Titus to Jerusalem, later in Paul’s mission, to establish Paul as for the uncircumcised and Peter for the circumcised. When visiting Antioch, Peter delivers conflicting messages in his table fellowship. Friar Jude reminds us of the elements of praise, surrender, Providence, and forgiveness in the non liturgical version of the Lord’s Prayer in Luke’s Gospel.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces spiritual writer Joyce Rupp who understands all of creation as part of a “cosmic dance”.
No one person has been able to fully communicate this amazing dance of life to me, but Thomas Merton comes close with his description in New Seeds of Contemplation. Merton’s use of the phrase “cosmic dance” set my heart singing. When I read it, I felt my early childhood experience [in nature] of the inner dance being echoed and affirmed:
When we are alone on a starlit night; when by chance we see the migrating birds in autumn descending on a grove of junipers to rest and eat; when we see children in a moment when they are really children; when we know love in our own hearts; or when, like the Japanese poet BashÅ we hear an old frog land in a quiet pond with a solitary splash—at such times the awakening, the turning inside out of all values, the “newness,” the emptiness and the purity of vision that make themselves evident, provide a glimpse of the cosmic dance. [1] (Rohr, n.d.)
We ponder the elements that connect the human family as we petition the Father to give us sustenance and forgive our actions that separate us from one another.
References
Galatians, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 9, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/galatians/2?1
Kavan, M. (2024, October 9). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved October 9, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/100924.html
Luke, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 9, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/11?1
Meditation on Galatians 2:1-2, 7-14. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved October 9, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/10/09/1101512/
Psalms, PSALM 117 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 9, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/117?1
Rohr, R. (n.d.). The Cosmic Dance. Richard Rohr. Retrieved October 9, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-cosmic-dance/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Lord, Teach Us to Pray. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 9, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=oct9
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