The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to follow Jesus' example and reach out to all people we encounter on our journey.
In the reading from the Prophet Jeremiah, Jeremiah’s Life is Threatened
Psalm 7 Is a plea for Help against Persecutors.
* [Psalm 7] An individual lament. The psalmist flees to God’s presence in the sanctuary for justice and protection (Ps 7:2–3) and takes an oath that only the innocent can swear (Ps 7:4–6). The innocent psalmist can thus hope for the just God’s protection (Ps 7:7–14) and be confident that the actions of the wicked will come back upon their own heads (Ps 7:15–17). The justice of God leads the psalmist to praise (Ps 7:18). (Psalms, PSALM 7, n.d.)
The Gospel of John presents discussion among the People on the origins of the Messiah.
* [7:40–53] Discussion of the Davidic lineage of the Messiah. (John, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB, n.d.)
Eileen Wirth comments that most of us would have to admit that we tend to make assumptions about people on the other side of the national divide that allow us to tune them out without listening.
I’ve had to explain to friends in blue states why I live happily in my red state even though I’m a bleeding heart with four degrees. But I’m also guilty of making such assumptions and refusing to listen to people with whom I disagree.
Jesus was an outsider as most prophets and revolutionaries are. By definition they are willing to risk confronting conventional thinking and challenge the powerful. If much of what Jesus demands doesn’t make us uncomfortable, we’re not taking him seriously. We don’t hold Galilee against him but how seriously do we consider potentially prophetic messages from people living in the wrong areas or on the wrong side of the tracks in our own nations and communities? (Wirth, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “Not be walking but by loving,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"We approach God not by walking but by loving. The purer our love for him toward whom we are striving, the more present to us will he be. To him, therefore, who is everywhere present and everywhere whole, we must proceed not by our feet but by our moral virtues - judged not by the object of our knowledge but by the object of our love." (excerpt from Letter 155,13) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on John 7:40-53 asks why did Nicodemus, a respected teacher of the law, defend him? Why did he challenge their negative assumptions about him?
But beyond just turning to the Lord in times of need, it’s equally important to develop the habit of spending time with him every day, especially by prayerfully reading the Scriptures. As we do, we become increasingly familiar with God’s word—and increasingly familiar with Jesus. Reading his words in the Gospels, we get to know his love and mercy. Reading prophecies in the Old Testament, we understand that he really is who he said he was. Reading stories and letters from the early Church, we see how Jesus’ word has the power to spread through everyday followers—like you!
Jesus is waiting to meet you again today. So come and spend time with him!
“Lord, help me get to know you better through your word!” (Meditation on John 7:40-53, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments that Jeremiah feels like a lamb led to the slaughter as the people want to blame him for their trouble. The Goel in Jewish history is a person who appears to redeem or vindicate people in trouble. The disdain of the Jerusalem Jews for the people of Galilee is connected to their physical and social proximity to pagan people. Friar Jude notes the evolution of Nicodemus' relationship with Jesus.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Buddhist teacher Kaira Jewel Lingo who offers an embodied meditation to calm our nervous systems in times of stress and unknowing.
Every time you breathe out, let your body rest even more into the support of the Earth.
Allow your face to soften, releasing the forehead, the muscles around the eyes, the jaw …
Let the tongue rest in the mouth …
Be aware of the shoulders and as you breathe out, let the shoulders soften …
Bring attention to the chest and belly, allow them to release and soften on the next exhale …
Notice your arms and hands, with the next exhale let them grow a little heavier, releasing tension …
Feel your legs and feet, as you exhale release, soften, and let go …
Feel your whole body now as you inhale and exhale, allowing the whole body to soften and release its weight even more onto the Earth.… (Rohr, n.d.)
You can bring this quality of resting back into your daily life. When you notice yourself leaning into the future, tensing up, trying to predict what will happen, straining to figure out what to do, whether on your own or with others, see if you can actually physically rest back.
We implore the Spirit to counteract the over importance we may place on the origin of people as we share our life and love with them.
References
Jeremiah, CHAPTER 11. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved April 5, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/jeremiah/11?18
John, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved April 5, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/7?40
Meditation on John 7:40-53. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved April 5, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/04/05/1241065/
Psalms, PSALM 7. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved April 5, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/7?2
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved April 5, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/contemplative-nonconformity-weekly-summary/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Reaction to Jesus' Words. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 5, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=apr5
Wirth, E. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. OnlineMinistries. Retrieved April 5, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/040525.html
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