Merciful Faithful Priest and Messiah

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary challenge us to contemplate and respond to our High Priest and Messiah being in our midst.

In our midst

The reading from the Book of Malachi characterizes the expectation of Israel for the coming Messenger of the Covenant.

 * [3:1] My messenger…before me: Mt 11:10 applies these words to John the Baptist; Mt 11:14 further identifies John as Elijah (see Mal 3:23). Some take God’s messenger in v. 1a to be a person distinct from “the lord” and “the messenger of the covenant” in v. 1b; others hold that they are one and the same person. Some consider “the lord” and “the messenger of the covenant” to be divine, while others hold that in the text’s literal sense he is a messianic earthly ruler.1

Who is this King of glory? This is a question addressed in Psalm 24 as a choir identifies the approaching God and invites the very Temple gates to bow down in obeisance.

* [Psalm 24] The Psalm apparently accompanied a ceremony of the entry of God (invisibly enthroned upon the ark), followed by the people, into the Temple. The Temple commemorated the creation of the world (Ps 24:1–2). The people had to affirm their fidelity before being admitted into the sanctuary (Ps 24:3–6; cf. Ps 15). A choir identifies the approaching God and invites the very Temple gates to bow down in obeisance (Ps 24:7–10).2 

The passage from the Letter to the Hebrews asserts Jesus had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect.

* [2:5–18] The humanity and the suffering of Jesus… The reference to Jesus as leader (Heb 2:10) sounds the first note of an important leitmotif in Hebrews: the journey of the people of God to the sabbath rest (Heb 4:9), the heavenly sanctuary, following Jesus, their “forerunner” (Heb 6:20). It was fitting that God should make him perfect through suffering, consecrated by obedient suffering. Because he is perfected as high priest, Jesus is then able to consecrate his people (Heb 2:11); access to God is made possible by each of these two consecrations. If Jesus is able to help human beings, it is because he has become one of us; we are his “brothers.” The author then cites three Old Testament texts as proofs of this unity between ourselves and the Son. Ps 22:22 is interpreted so as to make Jesus the singer of this lament, which ends with joyful praise of the Lord in the assembly of “brothers.” The other two texts are from Is 8:17, 18. The first of these seems intended to display in Jesus an example of the trust in God that his followers should emulate. The second curiously calls these followers “children”; probably this is to be understood to mean children of Adam, but the point is our solidarity with Jesus. By sharing human nature, including the ban of death, Jesus broke the power of the devil over death (Heb 2:4); the author shares the view of Hellenistic Judaism that death was not intended by God and that it had been introduced into the world by the devil. The fear of death (Heb 2:15) is a religious fear based on the false conception that death marks the end of a person’s relations with God (cf. Ps 115:17–18; Is 38:18). Jesus deliberately allied himself with the descendants of Abraham (Heb 2:16) in order to be a merciful and faithful high priest. This is the first appearance of the central theme of Hebrews, Jesus the great high priest expiating the sins of the people (Heb 2:17), as one who experienced the same tests as they (Heb 2:18).3 

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is presented in the Temple and returns to Nazareth with Mary and Joseph.

 * [2:25] Awaiting the consolation of Israel: Simeon here and later Anna who speak about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem represent the hopes and expectations of faithful and devout Jews who at this time were looking forward to the restoration of God’s rule in Israel. The birth of Jesus brings these hopes to fulfillment.4

As Nicky Santos, S.J. reflected on the reading from Luke, he was struck by two aspects. The first involved Mary and Joseph bringing Jesus to the Temple. In a way, they make Jesus present. The second aspect is of Simeon and Anna recognizing Jesus as the promised one. As disciples of Jesus, each one of us is called to embrace both these aspects. To be the presence of Jesus in the world around us and to be able to recognize Jesus as revealed or made present by others.

 To be the presence of Jesus in the world, it might help to recall the beautiful prayer of Saint Teresa of Avila:

God of love, help us to remember

That Christ has no body now on earth but ours

No hands but ours, No feet but ours

Ours are the eyes to see the needs of the world.

Ours are the hands with which to bless everyone now.

Ours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good.

And, to recognize Jesus made present by others, we perhaps need to, as Simeon and Anna did, rely on God’s grace.5

Don Schwager quotes “Christ who was rich became poor,” by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD).

 "For this reason it seems wonderful that the sacrifice of Mary was not the first offering, that is, 'a lamb a year old,' but the second, since 'she could not afford' (Leviticus 5:7) the first. For as it was written about her, Jesus' parents came 'to offer a sacrifice' for him,'according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons."' But this also shows the truth of what was written, that Jesus Christ 'although he was rich, became a poor man' (2 Corinthians 8:9). Therefore, for this reason, he chose both a poor mother, from whom he was born, and a poor homeland, about which it is said, 'But you, O Bethlehem Ephratha, who are little to be among the clans of Judah' (Micah 5:2), and the rest. (excerpt from HOMILIES ON LEVITICUS 8.4.3)6

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 2:22-40 imagines how tender that moment was when Simeon took the child Jesus into his arms. The “consolation of Israel” had finally arrived (Luke 2:25). You can just hear the emotion welling up in his words: “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace” (2:29). At last, I have seen him. I can depart now, Lord, because you have come to save my people. Simeon knew right then and there that everything was going to be okay. He didn’t know how it would happen or when it would happen, but that didn’t matter. He knew that it would happen, and that was enough for him to believe.

 God knows your anguish; he hears your prayers; he knows your concerns. So let him console you. Today in the house of the Lord, you will meet Jesus in the unlikely form of bread and wine—as Simeon met him in the unlikely form of an infant. When you receive him, think of this prayerful man. Just as he did, take Jesus into your hands and into your heart. He has come to bring salvation and consolation. He may not tell you how or when, but it doesn’t matter right now. Christ is in you, and everything is going to be okay.
“Master, my eyes have seen your salvation. I surrender myself to you.”7

At the Edge of the Enclosure, Suzanne Guthrie quotes Guerric of Igny (c.1070-1157) urging us to become a light.

 Behold then, the candle alight in Simeon's hands. You must light your own candles by enkindling them at his, those lamps which the Lord commanded you to bear in your hands. So come to him and be enlightened that you do not so much bear lamps as become them, shining within yourself and radiating light to your neighbors. May there be a lamp in your heart, in your hand and in your mouth: let the lamp in your heart shine for yourself, the lamp in your hand and mouth shine for your neighbors. The lamp in your heart is a reverence for God inspired by faith; the lamp in your hand is the example of a good life; and the lamp in your mouth are the words of consolation you speak.8

Friar Jude Winkler comments that Malachi, one of the last prophets in the Hebrew Testament, expresses the justice Israel should practice. Luke, though respectful of Jewish traditions, appears confused about who needs purification as Jesus participates in the Jewish Rite of Redemption. Friar Jude reminds us of the conflict in the thinking of a Jewish woman praying Shema Israel and being the Mother of God.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares that one of the things he most appreciates about his Franciscan heritage is its alternative orthodoxy. The Franciscan tradition has applied this phrase to itself and its emphasis on “orthopraxy”; we believe that lifestyle and practice are much more important than mere verbal orthodoxy. While orthodoxy is about correct beliefs, orthopraxy is about right practice. St. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274), the famous Dominican Doctor of the Church, may have been influenced by St. Francis of Assisi when he wrote, “Prius vita quam doctrina.” [2] Or, “Life is more important than doctrine.” All too often Christianity has lost sight of that in spite of Jesus’ teaching and example.

 In Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home, Pope Francis writes, “In the heart of this world, the Lord of life, who loves us so much, is always present. God does not abandon us, God does not leave us alone, for God has united . . . definitively to our earth, and God’s love constantly impels us to find new ways forward. Praise be to God!” [4]

I believe the Franciscan worldview with its alternative orthodoxy can help us “find new ways forward” and stop being so afraid of change.9

Our role, making Christ present in the world, requires we be agents of change guided by the Spirit to resolve conflicts and celebrate Love.

References

1	(n.d.). Malachi, chapter 3 - United States Conference. Retrieved February 2, 2020, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/malachi/3
2	(n.d.). Psalm 24 - United States Conference. Retrieved February 2, 2020, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/24
3	(n.d.). Hebrews, chapter 2. Retrieved February 2, 2020, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/hebrews/2
4	(n.d.). Luke, chapter 2 - United States Conference. Retrieved February 2, 2020, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke/2
5	(n.d.). Daily Reflections - OnlineMinistries .... Retrieved February 2, 2020, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
6	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 2, 2020, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
7	(n.d.). The Presentation of the Lord (Feast) - Mass Readings and .... Retrieved February 2, 2020, from https://wau.org/meditations/2020/2/2/
8	(n.d.). At the Edge of the Enclosure. Retrieved February 2, 2020, from http://http://www.edgeofenclosure.org/christmas1bpresentation.html
9	(2020, February 2). Simply Living the Gospel - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved February 2, 2020, from https://cac.org/simply-living-the-gospel-2020-02-02/

Transformed for the time of struggle

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate the tribulations of living today through the lens of our journey in life and the strength that comes from surrender to living as brothers and sisters of Christ.

Some tribulation on the path

The passage from the Book of Daniel encourages those suffering tribulation that the God  will be present to restore them to life.

* [12:2] Many of those who sleep: Daniel does not envisage the universal resurrection as later developed. Two groups are distinguished, one that rises to eternal life, the other to reproach and disgrace. Then “those with insight” (11:33–35) are singled out for special honor.

The Letter to the Hebrews declares the singularity of the offering of Jesus as High Priest to be once for all.

* [10:11–18] Whereas the levitical priesthood offered daily sacrifices that were ineffectual in remitting sin (Heb 10:11), Jesus offered a single sacrifice that won him a permanent place at God’s right hand. There he has only to await the final outcome of his work (Heb 10:12–13; cf. Ps 110:1). Thus he has brought into being in his own person the new covenant prophesied by Jeremiah (Jer 31:33–34) that has rendered meaningless all other offerings for sin (Heb 10:14–18).

In the Gospel from Mark, we are encouraged in the midst of tribulation, to seek the signs of the Presence of God.

* [13:26] Son of Man…with great power and glory: Jesus cites this text from Dn 7:13 in his response to the high priest, Are you the Messiah? (Mk 14:61). In Ex 34:5; Lv 16:2; and Nm 11:25 the clouds indicate the presence of the divinity. Thus in his role of Son of Man, Jesus is a heavenly being who will come in power and glory.

Juliana Claassens, Professor of Old Testament, connects the text from Daniel 12 to the struggle of those who are persecuted by powerful forces with evil intent.

Even in the most devastating of times (perhaps triggered by the attacks of Antiochus IV Epiphanus on Jewish identity, e.g., abolishing the Sabbath and sacrificing pork in the temple), the author can remind his audience of God's sovereign rule. The elevated role of angels who are employed as messengers and military officers fighting on God's behalf in these texts actually point to an increasingly bureaucratic view of God's rule that serves the purpose of countering the worldly power of any and every empire that threatens the faithful.

Reid Monaghan, graduate student in Applied Apologetics, cites Ben Witherington's commentary on Mark that features the account of Tacitus on the persecution of Christians in Rome as a continuation of first century conflict between the Roman authorities and the Jews of Jesus world.

First, the culture of early first century Galilee/Judea in 20-30 AD and second, the mid first century culture of Rome in the 60s.[11]  It is an interesting fact that both contexts presented great difficulty for both the Jewish and early Christian communities. Galilee/Judea was under Roman occupation and rule where Jesus and his following appeared a religious-political threat to imperial power.  Rome in the mid 60s presented an intense, though brief, time of suffering and persecution under the maniacal leadership of Nero.

Andy Alexander, S.J, comments that Jesus consoling his disciples about the trouble to come for them is really important for us, as we face the troubles of our time.

Every other trouble we face is some kind of mini-death, which is difficult to face. The common effect of these experiences is that they can shake us. They can disturb our confidence and upset our sense of security.
What Jesus wants to do for us today is what he did for his first disciples. He wants us to not let our hearts be troubled. Jesus knows he will be with us in the midst of everything. He wants us to have confidence that we are never alone. And, he wants us to trust that he has won the victory over sin and death - over every sin; over every death.

Don Schwager quotes “My words shall not pass away”, by Gregory the Great (540-604 AD).

"Nothing of this world is more durable than the heavens and the earth, and nothing in the order of nature passes away more quickly than speech. Words, as long as they are incomplete, are not yet words. Once completed they cease utterly to be. In fact they cannot be perfected except by their own passing away. Therefore he says: 'Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass.' As if he were openly to say: all that seems to you enduring and unchangeable is not enduring and without change in eternity. And everything of mine that seems to pass away is enduring and without change. My speech, that seems to pass away, utters thoughts (sententiae manentes) which endure forever." (excerpt from  HOMILIES 1)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 13:24-32 shares St. Francis different take on the subject of the end of the world.

Once, when he was working in the garden, a friar asked, “What would you be doing now if you knew that Jesus was coming back today?” Francis replied, “I would keep hoeing my garden.” Francis knew he was trying his best to be ready, and there was nothing more he could do.

Friar Jude Winkler connects the Scripture on the end of the world with the coming end of the liturgical year before Advent. The sense of becoming perfect in the Letter to the Hebrews is that of being consecrated to God, not perfectionism as understood today. The signs of grey hair and too many funerals tell us that our end time will come too.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, is inspired by Parker Palmer’s new book, “On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity and Getting Old”  wherein a quote from Thomas Merton helps focus on “How shall we understand nature’s testimony that dying itself—as devastating as we know it can be—contains the hope of a certain beauty?”

In the visible world of nature, a great truth is concealed in plain sight. Diminishment and beauty, darkness and light, death and life are not opposites: they are held together in the paradox of the “hidden wholeness.” In a paradox, opposites do not negate each other—they cohabit and cocreate in mysterious unity at the heart of reality. Deeper still, they need each other for health, just as our well-being depends on breathing in and breathing out. . . .

Andy Alexander, S.J, concludes for us that we can practice this faith - really exercise it and strengthen it, perhaps like a muscle we haven't used much - by simply practicing surrender. Not being so cautious becomes less scary and helps us to be more confident in loving. We can say, "Lord, I know that nothing can separate me from your care for me. Help me love this person with your own type of love, thinking less of myself, and more for the other person. Let me be bold and free." Let us be confident before the trials and tribulations of our day, placing our lives in his hands.

References

(n.d.). Daniel chapter 12 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved November 18, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/daniel/12
(n.d.). Hebrews chapter 10 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved November 18, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/hebrews/10
(n.d.). Mark chapter 13 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved November 18, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/mark/13
(n.d.). Daniel 12:1-3 Commentary by Juliana Claassens - Working Preacher .... Retrieved November 18, 2018, from https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=425
(2007, August 29). The Gospel of Mark — Power of Change. Retrieved November 18, 2018, from http://www.powerofchange.org/blog/2007/8/29/the-gospel-of-mark.html
(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved November 18, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved November 18, 2018, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
(n.d.). Mass Readings .... Retrieved November 18, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/
(2017, December 30). 2018 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved November 18, 2018, from https://cac.org/2018-daily-meditations/

A priest with many links

God initiates and our response is thanksgiving

Pentecost

When 50 days have passed since Easter, the Lectionary of the Roman Catholic Church presents the Scripture texts chosen for the feast of Pentecost. These texts follow themes of The Coming of the Holy Spirit, God the Creator and Provider, One Body with Many Members and Jesus Appears to the Disciples. As we investigate these texts and attempt to experience their power we find the Holy Spirit which unites the apostles and empowers them to praise is the Spirit of Creation which Genesis identifies as moving over the waters and which the psalmist proclaims is the breath of life for all creatures. Paul addresses the Corinthians with the insight of the Spirit and presents the truth that knowing Jesus and being witness to Him is an act of the Spirit through our being which is the Body of Christ. The action of the Spirit from the Gospel of John involves peace, breath and retention of sin. The appearance of Jesus after His death is most certainly a mystic, marvellous and disconcerting event. The Spirit of creation which moved over the waters is breathed to move over the assembly and bring peace. The creation and maintenance of life is in this Breath. The issue of being trapped in sin is invoked. The need to be forgiven and the need to forgive are tied together. The One Body united by the Spirit of Life and Truth moves toward deep intimacy with the Divine through forgiveness and forgiving. We may recall today the “Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit”. Fr Larry Gillick SJ represents these gifts, catalogued by Thomas Aquinas, in an “in-spiring” manner.

Aquinas and the Lampstand

Today, the memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, priest and doctor, the texts in the Roman Catholic Lectionary speak of action. Thomas Aquinas spoke of taking action. Mark relates Jesus exhortation to be among those who give. Those who have some insight need to share it, or perhaps the insight they have will disappear.