The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, Father’s Day, invite us to reflect on the love of parents that perseveres in challenges and celebrates love.
The Reading from Jeremiah resonates with persecution of the sinless.
g. [20:10] Jb 19:19; Ps 31:13; Lk 20:20.
j. [20:13] Ps 35:9–10; 109:30–31.
Psalm 69 is a lament complaining of suffering
* [Psalm 69] A lament complaining of suffering in language both metaphorical (Ps 69:2–3, 15–16, the waters of chaos) and literal (Ps 69:4, 5, 9, 11–13, exhaustion, alienation from family and community, false accusation). In the second part the psalmist prays with special emphasis that the enemies be punished for all to see (Ps 69:23–29). Despite the pain, the psalmist does not lose hope that all be set right, and promises public praise (Ps 69:30–36). The Psalm, which depicts the suffering of the innocent just person vividly, is cited often by the New Testament especially in the passion accounts, e.g., Ps 69:5 in Jn 15:25; Ps 69:22 in Mk 15:23, 36 and parallels and in Jn 19:29. The Psalm prays not so much for personal vengeance as for public vindication of God’s justice. There was, at this time, no belief in an afterlife where such vindication could take place. Redress had to take place now, in the sight of all.
The Reading from Romans reflects on sin and redemption.
* [5:12–21] Paul reflects on the sin of Adam (Gn 3:1–13) in the light of the redemptive mystery of Christ. Sin, as used in the singular by Paul, refers to the dreadful power that has gripped humanity, which is now in revolt against the Creator and engaged in the exaltation of its own desires and interests. But no one has a right to say, “Adam made me do it,” for all are culpable (Rom 5:12): Gentiles under the demands of the law written in their hearts (Rom 2:14–15), and Jews under the Mosaic covenant. Through the Old Testament law, the sinfulness of humanity that was operative from the beginning (Rom 5:13) found further stimulation, with the result that sins were generated in even greater abundance. According to Rom 5:15–21, God’s act in Christ is in total contrast to the disastrous effects of the virus of sin that invaded humanity through Adam’s crime.
* [5:12] Inasmuch as all sinned: others translate “because all sinned,” and understand v 13 as a parenthetical remark. Unlike Wis 2:24, Paul does not ascribe the entry of death to the devil.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches about acknowledgement and denial.
* [10:26] The concealed and secret coming of the kingdom is to be proclaimed by them, and no fear must be allowed to deter them from that proclamation.
* [10:32–33] In the Q parallel (Lk 12:8–9), the Son of Man will acknowledge those who have acknowledged Jesus, and those who deny him will be denied (by the Son of Man) before the angels of God at the judgment. Here Jesus and the Son of Man are identified, and the acknowledgment or denial will be before his heavenly Father.
Tom Kelly shares it is easy to imagine bad consequences for bad actions, after all that is what we are taught as children. But when negative consequences come from something we do that promotes Gospel fidelity—this is more difficult to accept.
We are supposed to treat the person on the side of the road with the same love and care as we treat our own family with—and that would mean a great deal of difficulty and inconvenience if I lived that out. What if helping others gets in the way of my $1.4 million retirement goal? (My sense of security rests in my Savings Account, because if I don’t take care of myself, nobody else will.) Am I supposed to use resources for others when I am planning for retirement? Do I deserve 10 years on a golf course if children are dying of hunger? (Everyone is supposed to save, regardless of the state of the world.) Should I visit the sick, homeless, or marginalized when I really want to go to that sporting event? What do I do for me? What do I do for others? These are deep questions of paying a price for what we believe.
Discernment is our capacity to choose between these “goods” and respond in the way that God calls us to. It is an imperfect art, full of our own biases and prejudices. Sometimes these discernments are easy, and other times there is a price to pay. Jesus seems to imply that being faithful to the Gospel may even require our life! I know what I want to live for, but what would I die for? These are the questions that come to my mind as I reflect on today’s readings. They are not easy.
Fear Not - You Are of More Value Than Many Sparrows
Don Schwager quotes “Fear not, you are of more value than many sparrows,” by John Chrysostom, 344-407 A.D.
The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 10:26-33 that God knows that there are plenty of dangers in this world that can make us afraid.
So how can we counter our fears? By making a conscious decision to trust in the Lord—and to remember how trustworthy he is! You can trust him . . .
Take Jesus’ words to heart today: You are worth more than many sparrows. Let them fill you with the fortitude to trust God and walk in his ways. He cares for you. He won’t eliminate every trial or danger in this life, but he will safeguard your soul so that you can live eternally with him in heaven (Matthew 10:28). And in heaven, you will never be afraid again!
“Father, you are worthy of all my trust!”
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the challenge of dismissal in the passage from Jeremiah and the grace and freedom that Jesus promises to Paul in Letter to the Romans. In the Gospel Jesus warns us about those who can kill the soul as a far greater fear than killing the body. Friar Jude restates the paradox that If they kill us they will never be able to harm us.
Everyday Wisdom for a Transformed Life.
Love Is the Foundation of Hope
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, finds encouragement in his belief that we are created in the image of God, who is love.
The Jesuit priest and scientist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin wrote, “Love is the physical structure of the universe.” [1] Our theological or scriptural way of saying the same thing is “Let us create in our image” (Genesis 1:26). The universe—and each of us—are made in the image of the triune God, who is love, a dynamic cycling of infinite outpouring and infinite receiving.
If God is both incarnate and implanted, both Christ and Holy Spirit, then an unfolding inner dynamism in all creation is not only certain but also moving in a positive direction. If we are to have foundational hope, it almost demands a foundational belief in a world that is still and always unfolding toward something better. This is the virtue of hope. Personally, I have found that it is almost impossible for individuals or communities to heal over the long haul if they do not trust that the whole cosmic arc is also on a trajectory toward the good.
Admittedly, sometimes the suffering and injustices of our time make it hard to believe in that arc of love. I think that is part of the church’s major failure: to provide Western civilization with a positive, hopeful, and cosmic understanding of our own “good news.” [2]
Choctaw elder and Episcopal bishop Steven Charleston describes how this love and foundational hope surround us at all times:
The tipping point of faith is the threshold of spiritual energy, where what we believe becomes what we do. When that power is released, there is no stopping it, for love is a force that cannot be contained….
Hope is the catalyst, the tipping point where what we believe becomes what we do….
Hope lets us literally see the presence and action of the holy in our everyday lives. This is not an imaginary desire viewed through rose-colored glasses. It is the solid evidence of the power of love made visible in abundance….
We are grateful today as we ponder with the Spirit, the guides that have accompanied our journey and today affirm the role of our parents in persevering in support of their children.
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