The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to go beyond our comfort with religious practices and favourite texts to relationships with God and others based on trust and love.
In the reading from the Letter to the Galatians, Paul defines the nature of Christian Freedom and the Importance of Faith.
* [5:1–6] Paul begins the exhortations, continuing through Gal 6:10, with an appeal to the Galatians to side with freedom instead of slavery (Gal 5:1). He reiterates his message of justification or righteousness by faith instead of law and circumcision (Gal 5:2–5); cf. Gal 2:16; 3:3. Faith, not circumcision, is what counts (Gal 5:6).
* [5:1] Freedom: Paul stresses as the conclusion from the allegory in Gal 4:21–31 this result of Christ’s work for us. It is a principle previously mentioned (Gal 2:4), the responsible use of which Gal 5:13 will emphasize.
* [5:3] Cf. Gal 3:10–12. Just as those who seek to live by the law must carry out all its contents, so those who have faith and live by promise must stand firm in their freedom (Gal 5:1, 13).
* [5:6] Cf. Rom 2:25–26; 1 Cor 7:19; Gal 6:15. The Greek for faith working through love or “faith expressing itself through love” can also be rendered as “faith energized by (God’s) love.” (Galatians, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 119 praises the Glories of God’s Law.
* [Psalm 119] This Psalm, the longest by far in the Psalter, praises God for giving such splendid laws and instruction for people to live by. The author glorifies and thanks God for the Torah, prays for protection from sinners enraged by others’ fidelity to the law, laments the cost of obedience, delights in the law’s consolations, begs for wisdom to understand the precepts, and asks for the rewards of keeping them. (Psalms, PSALM 119 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus denounces Pharisees and Lawyers.
* [11:37–54] This denunciation of the Pharisees (Lk 11:39–44) and the scholars of the law (Lk 11:45–52) is set by Luke in the context of Jesus’ dining at the home of a Pharisee. Controversies with or reprimands of Pharisees are regularly set by Luke within the context of Jesus’ eating with Pharisees (see Lk 5:29–39; 7:36–50; 14:1–24). A different compilation of similar sayings is found in Mt 23 (see also notes there). (Luke, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB, n.d.)
David Crawford suspects that many of us can get so caught up in the particulars of individual commandments that we forget the main purposes are, as Jesus stated (Matthew 22:37-40) to help us love the Lord God with all our hearts, souls and minds and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Sometimes each one of us needs this reminder: God loves you and wants good for you. God did not give the Law so we could make ourselves and those around us miserable. God’s word, found in the Law and manifested in Christ, is intended to bring us close to God. And when we are close, our Good Shepherd can lead us through good times and bad, give us rest and food when we need it, and guide us so we don’t have to navigate the difficult, frightening and dangerous places on our own. Seemingly difficult commandments, like forgiving others and loving your enemies, help us by easing the pains, bitterness and dread that result from holding grudges. “Do not fear,” repeated so many times in the Word, encourages us to replace feelings of anxiety and terror with the calm and peace that comes from trusting and hoping in our Lord.
Loving God, draw each one of us close to you. Let us delight in your commands. Let your mercy come to each one of your children, O Lord. Amen. (Crawford, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “Acts of mercy are examples of almsgiving,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"What our Lord says, 'Give alms, and behold, all things are clean to you,' applies to all useful acts of mercy. It does not apply just to the one who gives food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, clothing to the naked, hospitality to the wayfarer or refuge to the fugitive. It also applies to one who visits the sick and the prisoner, redeems the captive, bears the burdens of the weak, leads the blind, comforts the sorrowful, heals the sick, shows the erring the right way, gives advice to the perplexed, and does whatever is needful for the needy. Not only does this person give alms, but the person who forgives the trespasser also gives alms as well. He is also a giver of alms who, by blows or other discipline, corrects and restrains those under his command. At the same time he forgives from the heart the sin by which he has been wronged or offended or prays that it be forgiven the offender. Such a person gives alms not only because he forgives and prays but also because he rebukes and administers corrective punishment, since in this he shows mercy... There are many kinds of alms. When we do them, we are helped in receiving forgiveness of our own sins." (excerpt from ENCHIRIDION 19.72) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 11:37-41 comments that God doesn’t need us to be doing anything special for him to speak to us. Of course, regular prayer and Scripture reading can help us become more attuned to his voice, but God isn’t limited to those times. We might hear him while we are washing the dishes or driving to work. He might catch our attention through a friend’s words or a newspaper article. Maybe a new thought pops into our mind, seemingly out of nowhere, and gives us a fresh perspective or brings a sense of peace we didn’t have before. Or we have a disagreement with someone close to us, and we sense the Spirit helping us to stay peaceful. No matter how he chooses to speak to us, we can be sure that it is God when we feel drawn to love him and each other more fully.
So keep your heart and mind open today. Don’t doubt God’s involvement in your life. There is so much he wants to say. There is so much more love he wants to share. He is not a distant God. He is your Father, and he loves speaking with you.
“Lord, come speak to me at any time of the day. Help me to recognize your voice.” (Meditation on Luke 11:37-41, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the teaching of Paul about freedom and the danger of submitting to the yoke of slavery that is connected to circumcision and dietary laws when peace with God, or justification, is through an act of faith or trust in God. In Luke, the Pharisees' extension of the Law to washing before meals precedes Jesus' concern that religious observance may supersede love of God and His children. Friar Jude reminds us to seek clarity that our practices align with God’s intentions.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, considers what we can learn from the first Bible of nature.
Science often affirms what were for centuries the highly suspect intuitions of the mystics. We now take it for granted that everything in the universe is deeply connected and linked, even light itself, which interestingly is the first act of creation (Genesis 1:3). Objects—even galaxies!—throughout the entire known universe are in orbits and cycle around something else. There’s no such thing in the whole universe as autonomy. It doesn’t exist. That’s the illusion of the modern, individualistic West, which imagines the autonomous self to be the basic building block and the true Seer. [2]
Yet all holy ones seem to say that the independent self sees everything incorrectly. Parts can only recognize parts and so split things even further. Whole people see things in their wholeness and thus create wholeness (“holiness”) wherever they go and wherever they gaze. Holy people will find God in nature and everywhere else too. Heady people will only find God in books and words, and finally not even there. [3] (Rohr, n.d.)
We invoke the help of the Spirit to enlighten our understanding of the freedom that our being at peace with God is based on our relationship of faith, trust in God, and love of God and neighbour.
References
Crawford, D. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. OnlineMinistries. Retrieved October 15, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/101524.html
Galatians, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 15, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/galatians/5?
Luke, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 15, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/11?
Meditation on Luke 11:37-41. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved October 15, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/10/15/1105265/
Psalms, PSALM 119 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 15, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/119?
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. The First Bible. Retrieved October 15, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-first-bible/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). What Makes the Heart Clean and Holy? Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 15, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=oct15
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