The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to be reconciled in times of conflict and division as we seek truth in our relationships with our community.
The reading from the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians presents The Ministry of Reconciliation.
* [5:16–17] Consequently: the death of Christ described in 2 Cor 5:14–15 produces a whole new order (2 Cor 5:17) and a new mode of perception (2 Cor 5:16). According to the flesh: the natural mode of perception, characterized as “fleshly,” is replaced by a mode of perception proper to the Spirit. Elsewhere Paul contrasts what Christ looks like according to the old criteria (weakness, powerlessness, folly, death) and according to the new (wisdom, power, life); cf. 2 Cor 5:15, 21; 1 Cor 1:17–3:3. Similarly, he describes the paradoxical nature of Christian existence, e.g., in 2 Cor 4:10–11, 14. A new creation: rabbis used this expression to describe the effect of the entrance of a proselyte or convert into Judaism or of the remission of sins on the Day of Atonement. The new order created in Christ is the new covenant (2 Cor 3:6).
* [5:18–21] Paul attempts to explain the meaning of God’s action by a variety of different categories; his attention keeps moving rapidly back and forth from God’s act to his own ministry as well. Who has reconciled us to himself: i.e., he has brought all into oneness. Not counting their trespasses: the reconciliation is described as an act of justification (cf. “righteousness,” 2 Cor 5:21); this contrasts with the covenant that condemned (2 Cor 3:8). The ministry of reconciliation: Paul’s role in the wider picture is described: entrusted with the message of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:19), he is Christ’s ambassador, through whom God appeals (2 Cor 5:20a). In v. 20b Paul acts in the capacity just described.
* [5:21] This is a statement of God’s purpose, expressed paradoxically in terms of sharing and exchange of attributes. As Christ became our righteousness (1 Cor 1:30), we become God’s righteousness (cf. 2 Cor 5:14–15). (2 Corinthians, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 103 praises God for personal benefits.
* [Psalm 103] The speaker in this hymn begins by praising God for personal benefits (Ps 103:1–5), then moves on to God’s mercy toward all the people (Ps 103:6–18). Even sin cannot destroy that mercy (Ps 103:11–13), for the eternal God is well aware of the people’s human fragility (Ps 103:14–18). The psalmist invites the heavenly beings to join in praise (Ps 103:19–22). (Psalms, PSALM 103 | USCCB, n.d.)
The Gospel of Matthew presents Jesus Teaching About Oaths.
* [5:33] This is not an exact quotation of any Old Testament text, but see Ex 20:7; Dt 5:11; Lv 19:12. The purpose of an oath was to guarantee truthfulness by one’s calling on God as witness.
* [5:34–36] The use of these oath formularies that avoid the divine name is in fact equivalent to swearing by it, for all the things sworn by are related to God.
* [5:37] Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No’: literally, “let your speech be ‘Yes, yes,’ ‘No, no.’” Some have understood this as a milder form of oath, permitted by Jesus. In view of Mt 5:34, “Do not swear at all,” that is unlikely. From the evil one: i.e., from the devil. Oath-taking presupposes a sinful weakness of the human race, namely, the tendency to lie. Jesus demands of his disciples a truthfulness that makes oaths unnecessary. (Matthew, CHAPTER 5, n.d.)
Nancy Shirley is consoled by the responsorial psalm today with the declaration that “The Lord is kind and merciful.”
It was literally the fight song against the negativity that was engulfing me. I have to believe that when our defenses are down, Satan takes full advantage of our compromised situation. He floods us with negative thoughts, making us feel unworthy and victimized. Worry fills us and hope drains away. However, when we fight to keep our heads above water and see what is really there, Satan can be rendered powerless!! The more I read the psalm and thought of the many songs that I love that reinforce the message of a kind and merciful God, the more the negativity was being washed away. I thought of my mother who faced so many losses in her life, had “chosen” to encase herself in armor to prevent more hurt and pain but that armor also keep out love and caring from those around her. It kept her in a self-imposed isolation – I had to ask myself, did I want to become my mother in my later years, did I want armor from the hurt but that prevented joy and love to be in my life? Nancy offers
“ 10,000 Reasons -- a perfect song for me to remember how blessed that I am always regardless of how I’m feeling at the time.” (Daily Reflection June 14, 2025 | Creighton Online Ministries, 2025)
Don Schwager quotes “The Light of Truth,” by Chromatius (died 406 AD).
"By the grace of gospel teaching, the law given by Moses acquired an advantage. The law prescribes that one must not swear falsely; but according to the gospel one must not swear at all. The Holy Spirit had seen fit to order this through Solomon when he said, 'Do not accustom your mouth to oaths' (Sirach 23:9). And again: 'Even as a well-chastised servant is not deterred from envy, whoever swears and does business will not be purged from sin' (Sirach 23:11). Therefore it is absolutely inappropriate for us to swear. What need is there for us to swear when we are not allowed to lie at all and our words must always be true and trustworthy, so much so that they may be taken as an oath? On this, the Lord not only forbids us to swear falsely but even to swear, lest we appear to tell the truth only when we swear and lest (while we should be truthful in our every word) we think it is all right to lie when we do not take an oath. For this is the purpose of an oath: Everyone who swears, swears to the fact what he is saying is true. Therefore the Lord does not want a gap between our oath and our ordinary speech. Even as there must be no faithlessness in an oath, in our words there must be no lie. For both false swearing and lying are punished with divine judgment, as the Scripture says: 'The mouth that lies kills the soul' (Wisdom 1:11). So whoever speaks the truth swears, for it is written: 'A faithful witness will not lie' (Proverbs 14:5). (excerpt from TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 24.2.2-4)
[Note: Chromatius was an early Christian scholar and bishop of Aquileia, Italy. He was a close friend of John Chrysostom and Jerome. He died in 406 AD. Jerome described him as a "most learned and most holy man."] (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 comments that Paul is describing God’s picture of us, and that picture is the real one. The “new creation” is not just a nice idea or a comforting sentiment; it’s a spiritual reality.
But imagine what could happen if we did take our new creation seriously. We would hear the Spirit telling us that we are beloved of God. We would find new power over sin. And best of all, we would be a living testimony to the truth that the “old things have passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17)!
“Jesus, I praise you for making me a new creation!” (Meditation on 2 Corinthians 5:14-21, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments that in 2 Corinthians the disciples are instructed to proclaim the life of Christ that now everyone has to die to self to live for the Spirit as a new creation. In this way to be reconciled to Christ and God. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus tells us to take no oaths, often worded “As God lives” He asks if a false oath God should die? Friar Jude reminds us: What is “yes” is yes “no” is no as people of integrity.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, invites us to engage in a guided practice of lectio divina with Isaiah 61:1–2a.
God has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and release to the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.Deep reading (lectio): Read slowly and pause on any word or phrase that especially speaks to you, touches you or awakens something in you.
Deep meditation (meditatio): Allow yourself time to reflect on whatever in the text calls to your attention and reflect on why that word or phrase might have such appeal to you.
Deep prayer (oratio): Turn your thoughts into an intention, desire, or request that you share with God as you understand God.
Deep contemplation (contemplatio): Rest into a time of silence in which you are receptive to God’s presence—or the presence of divine love, truth, and goodness—with you. [1] (Rohr, n.d.)
We seek the support of the Spirit to maintain our commitment to truth as sons and daughters of God.
References
Daily Reflection June 14, 2025 | Creighton Online Ministries. (2025, June 14). Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved June 14, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-june-14-2025
Matthew, CHAPTER 5. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 14, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/5
Meditation on 2 Corinthians 5:14-21. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved June 14, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/06/14/1306010/
Psalms, PSALM 103 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 14, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/103?1
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved June 14, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/contemplative-reading-weekly-summary/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Let What You Say Be Simply Yes or No. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 14, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=jun14
2 Corinthians, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 14, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2corinthians/5?14
No comments:
Post a Comment