The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to assess the relative importance of peace with God, Traditional Law, and persistent faith in deepening our relationship with Jesus Christ.
In the reading from the Letter to the Galatians, Paul compares Law and Faith to extol Justification by Faith.
* [3:1–14] Paul’s contention that justification comes not through the law or the works of the law but by faith in Christ and in his death (Gal 2:16, 21) is supported by appeals to Christian experience (Gal 3:1–5) and to scripture (Gal 3:6–14). The gift of God’s Spirit to the Galatians came from the gospel received in faith, not from doing what the law enjoins. The story of Abraham shows that faith in God brings righteousness (Gal 3:6; Gn 15:6). The promise to Abraham (Gal 3:8; Gn 12:3) extends to the Gentiles (Gal 3:14).
* [3:1] Stupid: not just senseless, for they were in danger of deserting their salvation.
* [3:2] Faith in what you heard: Paul’s message received with faith. The Greek can also mean “the proclamation of the faith” or “a hearing that comes from faith.”
* [3:3] On the contrast of Spirit and flesh, cf. Rom 8:1–11. Having received the Spirit, they need not be circumcised now.
* [3:4] Experience so many things: probably the mighty deeds of Gal 3:5 but possibly the experience of sufferings. (Galatians, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB, n.d.)
The response from Luke is from the canticle of Zechariah.
* [1:68–79] Like the canticle of Mary (Lk 1:46–55) the canticle of Zechariah is only loosely connected with its context. Apart from Lk 1:76–77, the hymn in speaking of a horn for our salvation (Lk 1:69) and the daybreak from on high (Lk 1:78) applies more closely to Jesus and his work than to John. Again like Mary’s canticle, it is largely composed of phrases taken from the Greek Old Testament and may have been a Jewish Christian hymn of praise that Luke adapted to fit the present context by inserting Lk 1:76–77 to give Zechariah’s reply to the question asked in Lk 1:66. (Luke, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus' parable teaches Perseverance in Prayer and declares the Answer to Prayer.
* [11:1–13] Luke presents three episodes concerned with prayer. The first (Lk 11:1–4) recounts Jesus teaching his disciples the Christian communal prayer, the “Our Father”; the second (Lk 11:5–8), the importance of persistence in prayer; the third (Lk 11:9–13), the effectiveness of prayer.
* [11:13] The holy Spirit: this is a Lucan editorial alteration of a traditional saying of Jesus (see Mt 7:11). Luke presents the gift of the holy Spirit as the response of the Father to the prayer of the Christian disciple. (Luke, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB, n.d.)
Steve Scholer comments that If we are to evaluate ourselves based solely upon saying a blessing before our meals, reading daily reflections and going to Mass on Sunday, most would probably have high marks and proudly claim we are “persistent.”
But is that the type of “persistence” Jesus was talking about? Or, was he telling his disciples that it takes so much more to be true to our faith, lots of knocking on doors, seeking answers, and lots of questions to ask about how to grow each and every day in strengthening our faith and our love for God. For, as we all know so very well, there are many distractions along the way to prevent us from reaching our goal.
As we focus upon the Gospel, we need to remember that despite our slips, stumbles or falls, we need to “persist” in practicing our faith and living it in our thoughts, words and deeds. Let’s pause and reflect upon how we interact with others, be it family, co-workers, neighbors or complete strangers, and think about the love we show them. Is it Christ like, full of compassion, understanding and a willingness to help? This may be the best indicator of just how deeply Christ is part of our lives and how “persistent” we are. (Scholer, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “Ask by praying, seek by proper living, knock by persevering,” by Bede the Venerable, 672-735 A.D.
"Desiring that we arrive at the joys of the heavenly kingdom, our Lord and Savior taught us to ask these joys of him and promised that he would give them to us if we asked for them. 'Ask,' he said, 'and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.' Dearly beloved..., we earnestly and with our whole heart must ponder these words of our Lord. He bears witness that the kingdom of heaven is not given to, found by and opened to those who are idle and unoccupied but to those who ask for it, seek after it and knock at its gates. The gate of the kingdom must be asked for by praying. It must be sought after by living properly. It must be knocked at by persevering." (excerpt from HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 2.51.20) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 11:5-13 comments that God gave us the most amazing gift we could ever imagine: the Holy Spirit. Through the power of the Spirit, God is now present to us in a new way. He is our advocate as we work through our struggles, our guide to knowing the truth, and our comforter in the face of distress. He is present in the sacraments and his word. And he is present in each one of us.
Jesus promised that his Father in heaven would give the Spirit to anyone who asks him (Luke 11:13). You have already received the Holy Spirit through Baptism and Confirmation. Praise God! But this is a gift that keeps on giving. The Lord always has more of his Spirit available to you. He wants to refresh you, renew you, and enliven you so that you can love him and follow him more closely. So “ask and you will receive” (Luke 11:9).
“Lord God, fill me with your Spirit today!” (Meditation on Luke 11:5-13, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments that Paul is almost irate in dealing with assertions of justification or peace with God by observance of the Law. Our ability to experience the unconditional love of God for us is increased when we activate our love of others in response to the love of God for us. Friar Jude reminds us that God always responds with what we NEED in response to our persistent prayer.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Dr. Jacqui Lewis who considers the rich historical tradition of dance in African American culture. Lewis emphasizes our partnership with God in the dance of creating a new world.
We need to choreograph new theological understandings of God. What if God is not organizing the universe on our behalf after all? What if God is instead watching, listening, and waiting—waiting for our choices, our decisions, our agency to make of the world and our lives what we want? What if God is not manipulating all the things, but yearns for our partnership? What if God wants us to dance with them?
And what if God is willing to follow our lead? What would life be like and how would we navigate hot-mess times if we felt our own power to shape the world? (Rohr, n.d.)
We ponder the impact of our sense of “peace with God” or “justification” on our persistence to invoke the Spirit in our prayer as guide to love, beauty, and compassion.
References
Galatians, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 10, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/galatians/3?1
Luke, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 10, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/11?5
Luke, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 10, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/1?
Meditation on Luke 11:5-13. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved October 10, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/10/10/1102161/
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Following God’s Lead. Richard Rohr. Retrieved October 10, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/following-gods-lead/
Scholer, S. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. OnlineMinistries. Retrieved October 10, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). How Much More Will the Heavenly Father Give! Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 10, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=oct10
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