Clever Beyond Expectations

 

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to examine our assumptions and expectations as we encounter people in the events of our journey.

God and Society

 

The reading from the Book of Tobit explains how Tobit’s wife earns their livelihood.

 

* [2:10] White scales: or white films. A primitive way of describing an eye ailment that results in blindness. Elam: or in Greek, Elymais, an ancient district northeast of the head of the Persian Gulf.1

Psalm 112 celebrates the blessings of the righteous.

 * [Psalm 112] An acrostic poem detailing the blessings received by those who remain close to God by obedience to the commandments. Among their blessings are children (Ps 112:2), wealth that enables them to be magnanimous (Ps 112:3, 5, 9), and virtue by which they encourage others (Ps 112:4). The just person is an affront to the wicked, whose hopes remain unfulfilled (Ps 112:10). The logic resembles Ps 1; 111.2

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus responds to a question about paying taxes.

 

* [12:13–34] In the ensuing conflicts (cf. also Mk 2:1 3:6) Jesus vanquishes his adversaries by his responses to their questions and reduces them to silence (Mk 12:34). * [12:13–17] See note on Mt 22:15–22.3

Mike Cherney comments that Jesus gives a clever response. He takes a question that seems to have only two possible answers and creates a third response, a response that shifts the focus.

 

If I was in that crowd, I would have been impressed by and a bit jealous of Jesus’ wit.

My prayer today is a consideration of how I use language.

Dear Lord,

My responses have an impact on other people.

I want to do what is right.

Grant me the wisdom to communicate in ways that do not become tiresome to others.

Help me to avoid limiting myself to only black or white alternatives.

Give me the openness to recognize the diversity of dispositions of those around me.Allow me to put forth the creative possibilities that refocus the direction toward Your will.4

Don Schwager quotes “Put off the earthly image and put on the heavenly one,” by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD).

 

"Some people think that the Savior spoke on a single level when he said, 'Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar' - that is, 'pay the tax that you owe.' Who among us disagrees about paying taxes to Caesar? The passage therefore has a mystical and secret meaning. There are two images in humanity. One he received from God when he was made, in the beginning, as Scripture says in the book of Genesis, 'according to the image and likeness of God' (Genesis 1:27). The other image is of the earth (1 Corinthians 15:49). Man received this second image later. He was expelled from Paradise because of disobedience and sin after the 'prince of this world' (John 12:31) had tempted him with his enticements. Just as the coin, or denarius, has an image of the emperor of this world, so he who does the works of 'the ruler of the darkness' (Ephesians 6:12) bears the image of him whose works he does. Jesus commanded that that image should be handed over and thrown away from our face. He wills us to take on that image, according to which we were made from the beginning, according to God's likeness. It then happens that we give 'to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what is God's.' Jesus said, 'Show me a coin.' For 'coin,' Matthew wrote 'denarius' ( Matthew 22:19). When Jesus had taken it, he said, 'Whose inscription does it have?' They answered and said, 'Caesar's.' And he said to them in turn, 'Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's.'" (excerpt from HOMILY ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 39.4-6)5

The Word Among Us Meditation on Tobit 2:9-14 notes that this book reveals timeless truths about marriage, family life, and suffering that can strengthen our relationships and guide us as we pray for family members.

 

So enjoy this lively story! As you do, remember to pray and place your trust in a loving God who knows your struggles and is at work in the middle of them—even when you don’t recognize it! “Lord, I place my family in your hands.”6

Friar Jude Winkler connects the circumstances of the good man, Tobit, to the question addressed in the Book of Job about bad things happening to good people. When the aristocracy and student of the Law conspire to trap Jesus, he responds with cleverness. Friar Jude notes the differing approaches to the State in the New Testament.

 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that an evolutionary faith understands that nothing is static. The universe unfolds, our understanding of God evolves and deepens, and our moral development surely evolves as well. We simply cannot, as adults, live by the same overly simplistic rules that governed our morality as children. Fr Richard shares the very helpful and clarifying language of Ken Wilber in describing the evolution of moral and spiritual development. Wilber offers four major stages: Cleaning Up, Growing Up, Waking Up, and Showing Up.

 

In other words, Jesus teaches and embodies a change in consciousness itself. Mature morality is largely a series of religious encounters leading to a deep transformation of consciousness. Any preoccupation with our private moral perfection keeps our eyes on ourselves and not on God or grace or love. Cleaning up is mostly about the need for early impulse control and creating necessary ego boundaries—so you can actually show up in the real and much bigger world.7

As we encounter challenges, we have the Spirit to support our efforts to respond in a mature and clever way.

 

References

1	(n.d.). Tobit, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. Retrieved June 1, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/tobit/2
2	(n.d.). Psalms, PSALM 112 | USCCB. Retrieved June 1, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/112
3	(n.d.). Mark, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. Retrieved June 1, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/12
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - Online Ministries - Creighton University. Retrieved June 1, 2021, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/060121.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 1, 2021, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/
6	(n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved June 1, 2021, from https://wau.org/meditations/2021/06/01/189470/
7	(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive: 2021 - Daily Meditations Archives .... Retrieved June 1, 2021, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/2021/

 

Temple Time

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today urge contemplation of the tension between our experience of God in Sacred Places and our need to encounter Jesus in our relationships with those we encounter daily outside our Church.

Prepare to go out

The reading from the First Book of Maccabees describes the cleansing and dedication of the Temple after freeing Jerusalem from the Seleucid Empire, a Hellenistic state.

* [4:59] Days of the dedication: institution of the feast of Hanukkah, also called the feast of Dedication (Jn 10:22). Josephus calls it the feast of Lights (Ant. 12:325).1 

The responsorial today is David’s praise to God.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus Cleanses the Temple before Passover.

* [19:45–46] Immediately upon entering the holy city, Jesus in a display of his authority enters the temple (see Mal 3:1–3) and lays claim to it after cleansing it that it might become a proper place for his teaching ministry in Jerusalem (Lk 19:47; 20:1; 21:37; 22:53). See Mt 21:12–17; Mk 11:15–19; Jn 2:13–17 and the notes there.2 

Tamora Whitney shares that music can be very powerful. She came to the church through music many years ago.

But I went to Mass. And I loved the music. And soon I was singing for Mass with the choir, with my classmates, and on my own. And I converted to Catholicism when I was a sophomore in college. I sang in my heart, and in the chapel, to God, and he heard me and accepted me. Like Cecilia's husband, I was baptized and converted. And I still love the music at Mass. I think singing is the purest means of praise.3 

Don Schwager quotes “The home of sanctity,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"God does not want his temple to be a trader's lodge but the home of sanctity. He does not preserve the practice of the priestly ministry by the dishonest duty of religion but by voluntary obedience. Consider what the Lord’s actions impose on you as an example of living... He taught in general that worldly transactions must be absent from the temple, but he drove out the money changers in particular. Who are the money changers, if not those who seek profit from the Lord's money and cannot distinguish between good and evil? Holy Scripture is the Lord's money." (excerpt from EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 9.17–18)4

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 19:45-48 reviews how we can understand the words, “My house shall be a house of prayer.” (Luke 19:46)

The physical structure in which you attend Mass every Sunday—or perhaps daily—is literally God’s house. It’s more than just a building. It is a holy place where you can find Jesus, present in the tabernacle. It is a sacred space, especially during Mass, when Jesus comes to us in the form of bread and wine. Your church may not be in the wealthiest neighborhood. The building may not be designed in the most elegant style. But whatever it looks like and wherever it is, Jesus is present there. Don’t ignore this incredible gift!
In prayer today, thank Jesus for all the different ways he is present to you. May we all treasure every “house of prayer” that Christ has given to us!5 

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the feast of Hanukkah commemorating the purification of the Temple after the Maccabean rebellion. Jesus cleansing of the Temple threatened the privilege of the Herodians and Sadducees under Roman rule. Friar Jude reminds us that our acts of worship speak about our faith.

On the Memorial of Saint Cecilia, Franciscan media share that although she is one of the most famous of the Roman martyrs, the familiar stories about her are apparently not founded on authentic material. There is no trace of honor being paid her in early times. A fragmentary inscription of the late fourth century refers to a church named after her, and her feast was celebrated at least in 545.

Like any good Christian, Cecilia sang in her heart, and sometimes with her voice. She has become a symbol of the Church’s conviction that good music is an integral part of the liturgy, of greater value to the Church than any other art.6

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that recently our politics have grown more and more divided with many religious people exclusively focusing on narrow issues of abortion or sexual identity while disregarding the lives of so many—refugees, the poor, the incarcerated, the abused or addicted, people at risk from climate change or pollution. What will it take to come together and work for the common good—not only our personal interests? The old way of doing things just isn’t cutting it for anyone anymore, not on the left or the right. Peter Armstrong, an alumnus of the Living School and seminarian at Yale Divinity School, looks to the Gospels for practical guidance to help something new emerge.

The work of getting to know others different than ourselves, made so difficult by our society’s divisions, is nevertheless the work of following Jesus. . . . Many say that their faith is personal and not to be mixed with their politics. But, in my journey . . . I’ve come to understand that religion has everything to do with politics. Jesus wasn’t executed because he went around healing people; he was crucified as the worst kind of criminal because his Gospel message was viewed as dangerous by the ruling class. In fact, the entire Gospel of Luke is one long lesson in speaking truth to power—to the corrupt elite in Jerusalem. If we Christians claim to have anything to do with Jesus, then we must inherently be engaged with the political issues of our time.7 

Our liturgy and music are opportunities to encounter Jesus in the assembly and restore our fullness of life so we might fearlessly be the voice of today’s widows and orphans in the public square.

References

1	(n.d.). 1 Maccabees, chapter 4. Retrieved November 22, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/1maccabees4:1
2	(n.d.). Luke, chapter 19 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved November 22, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke/19
3	(n.d.). Daily Reflections - OnlineMinistries .... Retrieved November 22, 2019, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
4	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved November 22, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
5	(2019, November 22). Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr - The Word Among Us. Retrieved November 22, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/11/22/
6	(n.d.). Saint Cecilia - Franciscan Media. Retrieved November 22, 2019, from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-cecilia/
7	(2019, November 22). Willing to Be Changed — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved November 22, 2019, from https://cac.org/willing-to-be-changed-2019-11-22/

Struggles with opposing forces

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with our struggle as disciples of Christ to deal with challenges that come from self serving distractions.

Working with politics

In the Second Letter of Peter, the inevitable yet delayed “end times” are used to motivate ethics of continuing to live as Jesus taught.

* [3:12] Flames…fire: although this is the only New Testament passage about a final conflagration, the idea was common in apocalyptic and Greco-Roman thought. Hastening: eschatology is here used to motivate ethics (2 Pt 3:11), as elsewhere in the New Testament. Jewish sources and Acts 3:19–20 assume that proper ethical conduct can help bring the promised day of the Lord; cf. 2 Pt 3:9. Some render the phrase, however, “desiring it earnestly.”

In the Gospel of Mark, political enemies join forces to attempt to discredit Jesus.

* [12:13–34] In the ensuing conflicts (cf. also Mk 2:1–3:6) Jesus vanquishes his adversaries by his responses to their questions and reduces them to silence (Mk 12:34).

The USCCB commentary on Paying Taxes to the Emperor is based on Matthew 22:21 .

* [22:21] Caesar’s: the emperor Tiberius (A.D. 14–37). Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar: those who willingly use the coin that is Caesar’s should repay him in kind. The answer avoids taking sides in the question of the lawfulness of the tax. To God what belongs to God: Jesus raises the debate to a new level. Those who have hypocritically asked about tax in respect to its relation to the law of God should be concerned rather with repaying God with the good deeds that are his due; cf. Mt 21:41, 43.

Colleen Chiacchere asks us to reflect on ways in which we can be open to opportunities to “grow in grace and in knowledge of our Lord”.

As followers of Christ, we have a duty to participate and live out our faith in all areas of our lives, including and especially in the public sphere.  Jesus highlights this duty for us in this interaction. Religion and the public life/common good are not in opposition with each other. Even more so, it is an important part of our duty as Christians to hold each other accountable, to promote social justice and help bring about the Kingdom of God here on earth.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 12:13-17 emphasizes the need to be sincere, honest, and open in our relationships.

Don’t make the same mistake! God asks you to be sincere, honest, and open in your relationships—especially with the people you may find difficult. Show them as much charity and respect as you can, but never be fake. If you need to discuss a problem with someone, try your best to do it with humility and love for the person. You’ll find that your efforts will free you to love that person even more—and it will also help him or her to respect you all the more.

Friar Jude Winkler identifies the difficulty of the author of 2 Peter, that in 120 AD, Jesus had not yet returned in glory. The people opposed to Jesus attempt to show Him complicit with the occupying power is defeated by their own familiarity with the coins of Caesar. Friar Jude reminds us that our hearts belong to God not an national power.

The account of the work of Saint Boniface by Franciscan Media describes protection given this reformer by the political powers that ultimately failed in his murder.

In order to restore the Germanic Church to its fidelity to Rome and to convert the pagans, Boniface had been guided by two principles. The first was to restore the obedience of the clergy to their bishops in union with the pope of Rome. The second was the establishment of many houses of prayer which took the form of Benedictine monasteries. A great number of Anglo-Saxon monks and nuns followed him to the continent, where he introduced the Benedictine nuns to the active apostolate of education.

Cynthia Bourgeault asks us to Imagine how the energies of our planet would shift if we as Christians took seriously our obligation to work with the Law of Three as our fundamental spiritual praxis.

The Paschal Mystery is another example, with affirming as Jesus the human teacher of the path of love; denying as the crucifixion and the forces of hatred driving it; and reconciling as the principle of self-emptying, or kenotic love willingly engaged. The fourth, new arising revealed through this weaving is the Kingdom of Heaven, visibly manifest in the very midst of human cruelty and brokenness.

The self-emptying, or kenotic love of Jesus is our desire in the problems and conflicts of living as Christians.

References

(n.d.). 2 Peter, chapter 3 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved June 5, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/2peter/3 

(n.d.). Mark, chapter 12 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved June 5, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/mark/12

(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved June 5, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html 

(n.d.). 9th Week in Ordinary Time - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily .... Retrieved June 5, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/

(n.d.). Saint Boniface – Franciscan Media. Retrieved June 5, 2018, from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-boniface/

(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved June 5, 2018, from https://cac.org/richard-rohr/daily-meditations/daily-meditations-archive/