Praise Divine Generosity

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today connect our praise and internal disposition to the grace that enables us to be transformed as disciples of Jesus.

Grace and generosity

The Book of Sirach looks to what is a pleasing and acceptable sacrifice.

* [35:1–26] Keeping the commandments of the law and avoiding injustice constitute sacrifice pleasing and acceptable to God (vv. 1–5). Offerings also should be made to him, cheerfully and generously; these he repays sevenfold (vv. 6–13). Extortion from widows and orphans is injustice, and God will hear their cries (vv. 14–22a). Punishing the proud and the merciless and coming to the aid of the distressed, he requites everyone according to their deeds (vv. 22b–26).1 

Psalm 50 exhorts us to offer to God praise as our sacrifice (Psalm 50:14).

In the Gospel from Mark, Jesus reassures Peter that his sacrifice is pleasing to God.

Mark Latta suggests that our reluctance and anxiety is the same as Peter’s. While Peter was outspoken, enthusiastic and often spontaneous perhaps he, like us, realized that he may be left with nothing as a result of supporting Jesus. Indeed it is likely our fear and specifically the fear of losing our attachments to the material things of the world that is our barrier to receiving God’s promise.

 How do we overcome our fears to embrace God’s will for us? It might be as simple as Dorothy Bernard’s perspective that “courage is fear that has said its prayers”. The reward to those who are not enslaved to disordered attachments is to be content with their sense of self and their personal God-given dignity and to have inner peace. If we see wealth, honor and power for what they are and not how the world sees them not only do we enhance our own sense of dignity but we are more open to seeing the dignity of others and showing the respect and care for others that Jesus modeled for us. Whoever wants to be first must in fact be the last of all and in service to all.4

Don Schwager quotes “The spiritual sense of leaving the family,” by Clement of Alexandria, 150-215 A.D.

"Do not let this passage trouble you. Put it side by side with the still harder saying Jesus delivered in another place in the words, 'Whoever hates not father, and mother, and children, and his own life besides, cannot be my disciple' (Luke 14:26). Note that the God of peace, who exhorts us to love our enemies, does not arbitrarily require us literally to hate or abandon those dearest to us. But if we are to love our enemies, it must be in accordance with right reason that, by analogy we should also love our nearest relatives... But insofar as one's father, or son, or brother, becomes for you a hindrance to faith or an impediment to godly life, one should then not collude with that temptation. Attend to the spiritual, rather than the fleshly, meaning of the command."5  

The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 10:28-31 suggests that God might have been asking us for years to control our anger, remove the chip from our shoulder, or stop committing the same sin over and over again. But suppose that we do find the grace to change. He won’t ask, “What took you so long?” His mercy is abundant and overflowing. It doesn’t work on a schedule or a tight deadline, so we are not late.

 This is a hard concept to wrap our minds around. Jesus doesn’t keep time or measure progress the same way our boss or anybody else does. Everything depends on his free gift of grace—a gift that he offers us to the very end. That’s why “the last will be first” (Mark 10:31). It’s not necessarily because they will outrun the first; it’s because the people we consider “last” will be treated just as bountifully as the ones who we think are “first.”
Jesus promised that anyone who gives up his old way of life will receive “a hundred times more now in this present age . . . and eternal life in the age to come” (Mark 10:30).6

Friar Jude Winkler notes that Ben Sira teaches observing the Law is a wonderful sacrifice. Our internal disposition should be reflected in our liturgy. Friar Jude recalls the decision of St Francis of Assisi to live with nothing and the freedom that results from that choice.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, can see why Christians celebrate the Eucharist so often. This message is such a shock to the psyche, such a challenge to our pride and individualism, that it takes a lifetime of practice and much vulnerability for it to sink in—as the pattern of every thing, not just the bread and wine. Every thing is in Christ and Christ is in every thing. There is only one suffering, and it is the suffering of God. There is only one love, and it is all the love of God.

There’s a real difference between mere ceremonies and life-changing rituals, as my friend Fr. Jim Clarke taught me. [1] Ceremonies normally confirm and celebrate the status quo and avoid the shadow side of things. For example, on July 4 in the United States, we celebrate Independence Day with fireworks and parades to show we’re “proud to be an American,” while never acknowledging colonists’ genocide of Indigenous Peoples, the enslavement of Africans, how our over-consumption has contributed to planetary devastation, and other ways our “freedom” has cost others. We are not allowed to note these things without being considered unpatriotic or even rebellious. True sacred ritual is different than mere ceremony because it offers an alternative universe, where the shadow is named and drawn into the light. Sadly, most groups avoid real life-changing and healing rituals—even the church.7 

Our unity is in Christ and and we praise the freedom that we experience through the grace of God as we let go of the distractions from our journey.

References

1	(n.d.). Sirach chapter 35 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Retrieved March 5, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/Sirach/35:1
2	(n.d.). Psalms chapter 50. Retrieved March 5, 2019, from http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=418777966
3	(n.d.). Mark, chapter 10. Retrieved March 5, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/mark/10:17
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved March 5, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 5, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(2019, March 5). Mass Readings and Catholic Daily .... Retrieved March 5, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/03/05 /
7	(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive: March 2019 - Center for Action and .... Retrieved March 5, 2019, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/2019/03/

Examination, evaluation and choices

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today anticipate our Lenten journey with an invitation to consider the choices we make after examination of our relationship with God and others.

The Lenten journey is ahead

The Book of Sirach presents an appeal for a return to God.

* [17:24–32] Ben Sira opens this poem with a prophetic summons to repent, urging sinners to give up their sins and to pray for forgiveness (vv. 24–26, 29). Ben Sira reflects the belief of his day that there was no life after death (vv. 27–28, 30; see note on 11:26–28). Cf. Ez 18:23, 30–32; 33:11–16. See note on Ps 6:6.
* [17:27–28] True life consists in praise of God; this is not possible in Sheol.1 

Psalm 32 is an individual thanksgiving and the second of the seven Penitential Psalms.

* [Psalm 32] An individual thanksgiving and the second of the seven Penitential Psalms (cf. Ps 6). The opening declaration—the forgiven are blessed (Ps 32:1–2)—arises from the psalmist’s own experience. At one time the psalmist was stubborn and closed, a victim of sin’s power (Ps 32:3–4), and then became open to the forgiving God (Ps 32:5–7). Sin here, as often in the Bible, is not only the personal act of rebellion against God but also the consequences of that act—frustration and waning of vitality. Having been rescued, the psalmist can teach others the joys of justice and the folly of sin (Ps 32:8–11).2 

In the Gospel from Mark, Jesus lovingly offers the rich young man an opportunity to grow in an attitude of surrender.

* [10:23–27] In the Old Testament wealth and material goods are considered a sign of God’s favor (Jb 1:10; Ps 128:1–2; Is 3:10). The words of Jesus in Mk 10:23–25 provoke astonishment among the disciples because of their apparent contradiction of the Old Testament concept (Mk 10:24, 26). Since wealth, power, and merit generate false security, Jesus rejects them utterly as a claim to enter the kingdom. Achievement of salvation is beyond human capability and depends solely on the goodness of God who offers it as a gift (Mk 10:27).3 

Candice Tucci, OSF, shares that Lent may provide an opportunity to reflect on attitudes, behaviors, desires and hopes, but it also summons us to act in a “penitent way”.

It is a way to continue our quest, our journey in Christ, with humility of heart. It is also good to remember while traveling through our eye of the needle or passage in life, we are not alone.  We live in a community of faith rooted in a relationship to God who lives in all people and creation. We walk with God who seems to need us and embraces us with all our shortcomings. In this time for pruning and new growth, God chooses us to bear fruit!  Let us remember the words of Jesus: “…REMAIN IN MY LOVE…It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain….This I command you: love one another”. (John 15)4 

Don Schwager quotes “Seek the life that endures,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"The Lord said to a certain young man, 'If you would enter life, keep the commandments' (Matthew 19:17; Mark 10:17; Luke 18:18). He did not say 'If you would have life' but 'If you would enter life,' defining that life as eternal life. Let us first consider then the love of this life. For this life is loved, whatever its quality; and however troubled it is, however wretched, people are afraid to end it. Hence we should see, we should consider, how much eternal life is to be loved, when this miserable life that must at some time be ended is so loved. Consider, brothers, how much that life is to be loved when it is a life you never end. You love this life, where you work so much, run, are busy, pant. In this busy life the obligations can scarcely be counted: sowing, plowing, working new land, sailing, grinding, cooking, weaving. And after all this hard work your life comes to an end. Look at what you suffer in this wretched life that you so love. And do you think that you will always live and never die? Temples, rocks, marbles, all reinforced by iron and lead, still fall. And a person thinks that he will never die? Learn therefore, brothers, to seek eternal life, when you will not endure these things but will reign with God forever." (excerpt from SERMON 84.1.9)5 

The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 10:17-27 asks “So what is Jesus doing?” He’s offering this man a chance to take the next step.

What might that next step be for you? The best way to find out is to ask the Holy Spirit to help you see it, and then keep your eyes open. It may be a simple act of service you can do for a friend. It may be a new, more patient and loving way to approach a challenging situation. It may be an unhealthy habit that you need to work toward overcoming.6 

Friar Jude Winkler examines the exhortation to penance in the Wisdom of Sirach and the connection to Sheol of his words. The rabbis of Jesus time considered the rich to be blessed by God but Jesus points to the danger of an attitude of self sufficiency. Friar Jude shares the rabbinic teaching that our possessions are connected to the command to love God with our whole strength.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, expands on the Christ as the eternal amalgam of matter and spirit as one and our existence in the Body of Christ.

Only gradually does the truth become believable. Finally, the Body of Christ is not out there or over there; it’s in you—it’s here and now and everywhere. The goal is then to move beyond yourself and recognize that what’s true in you is true in all others too. This was supposed to spark a political and social revolution. But Christians wasted centuries arguing about whether it could even be true and how it might be true. The orthodox insistence on “Real Presence” is merely taking the Mystery of Incarnation to its natural, full, and very good conclusion. Here I am quite happy to be traditionally Catholic. “There is only Christ, he is everything, and he is in everything,” Paul shouts (see Colossians 3:11).7 

Our journey to full life is connected to our openness to surrender all the obstacles that we choose to retain that are distracting us from the Way.

References

1	(n.d.). Sirach chapter 17 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Retrieved March 4, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/Sirach/17:20
2	(n.d.). Psalms chapter 32. Retrieved March 4, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/Psalms/32:1
3	(n.d.). Mark, chapter 10. Retrieved March 4, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/mark/10:17
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved March 4, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 4, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). Saint Casimir (Optional Memorial) - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily .... Retrieved March 4, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/03/04
7	(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive: March 2019 - Center for Action and .... Retrieved March 4, 2019, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/2019/03

Intimate connections

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with the concept of Covenant that we strive to maintain with friends, spouses, and our home, the earth.

Covenant friendship

The Book of Sirach offers a poem to true friendship.

* [6:5–17] One of several poems Ben Sira wrote on friendship; see also 9:10–16; 12:8–18; 13:1–23; 19:13–17; 22:19–26; 27:16–21. True friends are discerned not by prosperity (v. 11), but through the trials of adversity: distress, quarrels (v. 9), sorrow (v. 10) and misfortune (v. 12). Such friends are rare, a gift from God (vv. 14–17).1 

In the Gospel from Mark, Jesus addresses the Covenant nature of marriage and the difficulty of divorce as practiced in Jewish culture of His time.

* [10:2–9] In the dialogue between Jesus and the Pharisees on the subject of divorce, Jesus declares that the law of Moses permitted divorce (Dt 24:1) only because of the hardness of your hearts (Mk 10:4–5). In citing Gn 1:27 and 2:24 Jesus proclaims permanence to be the divine intent from the beginning concerning human marriage (Mk 10:6–8). He reaffirms this with the declaration that what God has joined together, no human being must separate (Mk 10:9). See further the notes on Mt 5:31–32; 19:3–9.2 

Colleen Chiacchere comments that the urge to stay true to her marriage isn’t challenged by adultery in the traditional sense, but in the way she prioritizes other demands on her time with her relationship with her husband. She invites us to reflect on some questions that might resonate with us.

Who are my friends and confidants in the Lord?  Maybe I take some time to prayer in gratitude for them and to share my gratitude with them.
Prayerfully, I take stock of the priorities and commitments in my life...  Does my daily/weekly schedule reflect my values, my faith and priorities?
What do the daily consolations and desolations of my relationships invite me to do, in particular as we prepare for Lent beginning in the coming days?3 

Don Schwager quotes “Mutual servants, equally serving,” by Tertullian, 160-225 A.D.

"Where are we to find language adequately to express the happiness of that marriage which the church cements, the oblation confirms, the benediction signs and seals, the angels celebrate, and the Father holds as approved? For all around the earth young people do not rightly and lawfully wed without their parents' consent. What kind of yoke is that of two believers who share one hope, one desire, one discipline, one service? (Ephesians 4:4) They enjoy kinship in spirit and in flesh. They are mutual servants with no discrepancy of interests. Truly they are 'two in one flesh' (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5; Ephesians 5:31). Where the flesh is one, the spirit is one as well. Together they pray, together bow down, together perform their fasts, mutually teaching, mutually entreating, mutually upholding. In the church of God they hold an equal place. (Romans 12:15; 15:6; Galatians 3:28; 1 Corinthians 12:12) They stand equally at the banquet of God, equally in crises, equally facing persecutions, and equally in refreshments. Neither hides anything from the other. Neither neglects the other. Neither is troublesome to the other (Philippians 1:27)." (excerpt from TO HIS WIFE 2.8)4 

The Word Among Us Meditation on Sirach 6:5-17 comments that Sirach describes the kind of friend we all want to have—one who sticks by us no matter what. In good times and bad, through ups and downs, a true friend remains faithful. It’s no accident that this quality of faithfulness is echoed in the wedding vows we profess: for better or worse, in sickness and health, for richer or poorer, until death.

 So how do we learn to love like that? By steeping ourselves in the knowledge of God’s faithfulness: his unwavering, reliable commitment to us. The more we experience what this kind of friendship is like, the more ready we will be to show it to the people closest to us.
Who loves more perfectly than Jesus, the Friend who never forsakes you, the Spouse who is always devoted? Who knows you better than your Father, who sees all your sin and yet stays with you to help you grow in holiness?5

Friar Jude Winkler reminds us that Ben Sira wrote to express the Jewish Wisdom of his time to a society immersed in Greek influences. The difficulty of divorce is in division of a Covenant. Friar Jude discusses the efforts of Pope Francis to enrich the Christian Life of divorced people.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that after the Council of Chalcedon (451), the church agreed on a philosophical definition of Jesus’ humanity and divinity as being united as one in him. All true, but such oneness largely remained distant academic theory because we did not draw out the practical and wonderful implications for humanity.

 Perhaps the primary example of Christians’ lack of attention to the Christ Mystery can be seen in the way we continue to pollute and ravage planet Earth, the very thing we all stand on and live from. Science now appears to love and respect physicality more than most religion does! No wonder that science and business have taken over as the major explainers of meaning for most people today (even many who still go to church). Christians did not take this world seriously, I am afraid, because our notion of God or salvation didn’t include or honor the physical universe. And now, I am afraid, the world does not take Christianity seriously.6

The Covenant of friendship, marriage and connection to our planet bring rich life as we live in giving and contributing to eternal value.

References

1	(n.d.). Sirach chapter 6 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Retrieved March 1, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/Sirach/6:5
2	(n.d.). Mark, chapter 10. Retrieved March 1, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/mark/10:1
3	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved March 1, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
4	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 1, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
5	(n.d.). 7th Week in Ordinary Time - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily .... Retrieved March 1, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/03/01
6	(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved March 1, 2019, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/2019/02/

Mindful of sin

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to remember to be cautious on our journey to avoid neglecting the Life we experience in Christ.

Parking our decisions

The reading from the Book of Sirach warns against presumption in our relationship with God.

* [5:1–8] The vices of the rich are pride and independence (vv. 1–2), presumption (v. 3), false security (vv. 4–6), and impenitence (v. 7), which cannot escape the divine wrath (vv. 7–8). Cf. Prv 18:23; 19:1; 28:6.1 

Psalm 1 is a preface to the whole Book of Psalms as it shares images of the wisdom and folly in our choices.

 * [Psalm 1] A preface to the whole Book of Psalms, contrasting with striking similes the destiny of the good and the wicked. The Psalm views life as activity, as choosing either the good or the bad. Each “way” brings its inevitable consequences. The wise through their good actions will experience rootedness and life, and the wicked, rootlessness and death.2

In the Gospel from Mark Jesus teaches the dangers in the temptations to sin. He uses the simile of Salt for His disciples.

* [9:49] Everyone will be salted with fire: so the better manuscripts. Some add “every sacrifice will be salted with salt.” The purifying and preservative use of salt in food (Lv 2:13) and the refinement effected through fire refer here to comparable effects in the spiritual life of the disciples of Jesus.3 

Mark and Farley Mowat in his book “And No Birds Sang” cite Isaiah Chapter 66.[Mark 9:48 and Isaiah 66:24]. Michael Fishbane shares the monotheism open to the world in the last Chapter of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.

In Isaiah 40‑66, then, monotheism is portrayed as a total and absolute phenomenon.But this does not lead to exclusiveness or intolerance. The foreigners are repeatedly promised access to the Temple and the divine service performed there–both as pilgrims and as practitioners (56:1‑8; 66:18‑21). The strident nature of these passages, with their bold assertion of priestly service by non‑Israelites, strikes one as a polemical stance in the postexilic community. ‘As for the foreigners … who hold fast to My covenant–I will bring them to My sacred mount and let them rejoice in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices shall be welcome on My altar; for My House shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples” (56:6‑7).4 

Kimberly Grassmeyer asks what is the millstone that pulls us away from a right path?

Do we struggle with greed? Jealousy? Perhaps we tell white lies or manipulate to achieve our ends.  I can judge too quickly. Too often I fail to put others’ needs above my own. Jesus’ words challenge us to be introspective enough to see our flaws so that we can then choose to remedy those flaws.  I have no intention of removing any body parts, as Jesus imagines in his teaching… but I can mindfully and with discipline act better than my nature. I can have the humility to claim my imperfection yet not be “overconfident” in carelessly clinging to my imperfections as an excuse to then expect forgiveness.  I can strive to be better, to be closer to God, to move further from my sinful nature, and to have the humility to ask for help and for the forgiveness that comes through Jesus Christ.5 

Don Schwager quotes “Why not skip over such passages,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).

 "This is no trivial subject of inquiry that we propose, but rather it concerns things most urgent, and about which many inquire: namely, whether hell fire has any end. For that it has no end Christ indeed declared when he said, 'Their fire shall not be quenched, and their worm shall not die' (Isaiah 66:24). Yes, I know a chill comes over you on hearing these things. But what am I to do? For this is God's own command... Ordained as we have been to the ministry of the word, we must cause our hearers discomfort when it is necessary for them to hear. We do this not arbitrarily but under command." (excerpt from the  HOMILIES ON FIRST CORINTHIANS 9.1)6

The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 9:41-50 shares that Jesus taught them that humility and self-giving are the pathway to true greatness. Why is this so? Because humble service acts as a salt scrub.

You don’t have to look far to find opportunities to humble yourself and serve other people. According to St. Francis de Sales, “Great occasions for serving God seldom come, but little ones surround us daily.” Kindness to an irritable spouse, patience with a slow driver, and encouragement to a struggling coworker are all little acts of service. Offering to empty the dishwasher, pick up the dry cleaning, and pour someone a second cup of coffee—these small personal acts can help you keep “salt” in yourself—and they can promote peace with those around you. Through them, you are offering your life to God and to his people—and that’s always a beautiful sight!7 

Friar Jude Winkler reflects on the Wisdom of Sirach that today is the day of conversion. Some who do not have instruction on the over the top Jewish teaching may respond in an eccentric manner as attributed to Church Father Origen. Friar Jude has a vision of Christians leaving Church that is similar to children running to recess.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, knows he has never been separate from God. He would love for us to bring this realization to loving consciousness!

In fact, why not stop reading now and just breathe and let it sink in? It is crucial that you know this experientially and at a cellular level—which is, in fact, a real way of knowing just as much as rational knowing. Its primary characteristic is that it is nondual and thus an open-ended consciousness, which does not close down so quickly and so definitively as dualistic thought does.8 

Our familiarity and presumption are potential obstacles in our journey. Humility and nondual contemplation help restore our relationship in Christ.

References

1	(n.d.). Sirach chapter 5 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Retrieved February 28, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/Sirach/5:1
2	(n.d.). Psalms chapter 1 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Retrieved February 28, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/Psalms/1:1
3	(n.d.). Mark, chapter 9. Retrieved February 27, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/mark/9:38
4	(n.d.). Isaiah 40-66: Return and Restoration | My Jewish Learning. Retrieved February 28, 2019, from https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/isaiah-40-66-return-and-restoration/
5	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved February 28, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
6	n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 28, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
7	(2019, February 28). 7th Week in Ordinary Time - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily .... Retrieved February 28, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/02/28/
8	(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved February 28, 2019, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/2019/02/

Failures to follow

Integrity and thanksgiving for relationship

Dancing unencumbered

Like the child

you and I

Wary of the Worm

Powerless and in awe to serve

Wisdom Faith and Healing

Calculating life with humility