Enemy Action

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to pray for guidance as we apply the “Golden Rule” to our interaction with the people in our environment.

"Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.” 

The reading from the Book of Esther is Esther’s Prayer.

Psalm 138 offers Thanksgiving and Praise.

* [Psalm 138] A thanksgiving to God, who came to the rescue of the psalmist. Divine rescue was not the result of the psalmist’s virtues but of God’s loving fidelity (Ps 138:1–3). The act is not a private transaction but a public act that stirs the surrounding nations to praise God’s greatness and care for the people (Ps 138:4–6). The psalmist, having experienced salvation, trusts that God will always be there in moments of danger (Ps 138:7–8). (Psalms, PSALM 138 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus exhorts us to Ask, Search, and Knock.

* [7:9–10] There is a resemblance between a stone and a round loaf of bread and between a serpent and the scaleless fish called barbut.

* [7:12] See Lk 6:31. This saying, known since the eighteenth century as the “Golden Rule,” is found in both positive and negative form in pagan and Jewish sources, both earlier and later than the gospel. This is the law and the prophets is an addition probably due to the evangelist. (Matthew, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB, n.d.)

Angela Maynard notes that the final lesson today is known as the Golden Rule. “"Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.” 

There is so much division, anger and unrest all over our world.  I truly believe most of this could be resolved if we could take a collective deep breath and get back to the basics.  Living as Jesus teaches us seems like the balm that is needed to heal the division, anger and unrest that too many are impacted by. (Maynard, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “The gift of being good,” by Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"He who has given us the gift of being gives us also the gift of being good. He gives to those who have turned back to Him. He even sought them out before they were converted and when they were far from his ways!" (Commentary on Psalm 103, 2) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 7:7-12 comments that holy men and women through the ages have asked and knocked and sought God. Sometimes what they received didn’t look much like a gift. But they kept seeking. And in their seeking, their eyes were opened to see God’s blessing in their lives.

Our loving Father wants to share the “bread” of his blessings with each of us, but not everyone can recognize it. How can you imitate the holy men and women who have gone before us and find God’s goodness in your life?

“Father, open my eyes to see the bread you are offering me!” (Meditation on Matthew 7:7-12, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler notes that Esther is one of the Hebrew Testament books in various versions. Esther prays to God recognizing Covenant and her status as orphan while seeking help for the rescue of the Israelites. Matthew asserts that God provides much better than a parent. The most loving answer to prayer sometimes involves perseverance or meeting us on the Cross. Friar Jude cites the version of the Golden Rule attributed to the Jewish sage, Hillel the Elder. 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces author and Lutheran minister Nadia Bolz-Weber who describes an experience of lapsing into guilt and self-incrimination during a silent retreat. She recalls how the prophet Jonah had difficulty accepting God’s grace and forgiveness for all, especially his enemies.

The image that comes to my mind as I am cry-laughing during this “silent retreat” is that of Jonah sitting alone on his own hill, questioning God’s forgiveness…. When Jonah’s enemies repent and are shown mercy by God, Jonah … says: “That’s why I didn’t want this stupid job in the first place—because I knew, God, that you are gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” [see Jonah 4:2]. And it’s hard to manipulate a God like that….   

God’s grace and mercy throws the whole reward and punishment system out the window. So sometimes I want to yell “noooooo” and reach as fast as I can to get it back. Forgiveness can sting when we don’t feel “worthy” of it, when it seems like we are getting away with something…. As if feeling bad for what I have done is the same as being good, when in fact it is not.   

What if we’ve already been forgiven for the ways we’ve hurt the people we love? What if we’ve already been forgiven for not being perfect parents? What if we’ve already been forgiven for the [stuff] we haven’t even done yet?… Maybe forgiving myself isn’t something that happens once on a silent retreat but is a daily option. Give us this day our daily forgiveness, even for ourselves. (Rohr, n.d.)

Even as we are encouraged by the Gospel invitation to Seek, Ask, and Knock, we consider our experience of using the Golden Rule to guide our actions particularly involving the people we do not treat as friends.

References

Matthew, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved March 13, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/7?7 

Maynard, A. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. Creighton University's Online Ministries. Retrieved March 13, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/031325.html 

Meditation on Matthew 7:7-12. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved March 13, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/03/13/1225988/ 

Psalms, PSALM 138 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved March 13, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/138?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Already Forgiven. CAC Online Ministries. Retrieved March 13, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/already-forgiven/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Ask and You Will Receive from Your Father in Heaven. Daily Scripture Net. Retrieved March 13, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=mar13 

The Road to Full Life

 

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to assess the path we are travelling in comparison to the Way of Jesus.

Assess the Road

 

The reading from the Book of Genesis describes the separation of Abram and Lot.

 * [13:2–18] In this story of Abraham and Lot going their separate ways, Abraham resolves a family dispute by an act that shows both trust in God and generosity toward his nephew. The story suggests Lot rather than Abraham is the natural choice to be the ancestor of a great family; he is young and he takes the most fertile land (outside the land of Canaan). In contrast to Lot, who lifts his eyes to choose for himself (vv. 10–11), Abraham waits for God to tell him to lift his eyes and see the land he will receive (v. 14). Chaps. 18–19 continue the story of Abraham and Lot. Abraham’s visionary possession of the land foreshadows that of Moses (Dt 3:27; 34:4).1

Psalm 15 asks  Who Shall Abide in God’s Sanctuary?

 * [Psalm 15] The Psalm records a liturgical scrutiny at the entrance to the Temple court (cf. Ps 24:3–6; Is 33:14b–16). The Israelite wishing to be admitted had to ask the Temple official what conduct was appropriate to God’s precincts. Note the emphasis on virtues relating to one’s neighbor.2

In the Sermon of the Mount from the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus shares wisdom about profaning the Holy, the Golden Rule and the Narrow Gate.

 

* [7:6] Dogs and swine were Jewish terms of contempt for Gentiles. This saying may originally have derived from a Jewish Christian community opposed to preaching the gospel (what is holy, pearls) to Gentiles. In the light of Mt 28:19 that can hardly be Matthew’s meaning. He may have taken the saying as applying to a Christian dealing with an obstinately impenitent fellow Christian (Mt 18:17). * [7:12] See Lk 6:31. This saying, known since the eighteenth century as the “Golden Rule,” is found in both positive and negative form in pagan and Jewish sources, both earlier and later than the gospel. This is the law and the prophets is an addition probably due to the evangelist.3

Eileen Wirth meditates on Jesus’ admonition to do to others what we would have them do to us. She thinks the contrary also applies. We need to let others do for us what we would happily do for them. Jesus is telling us to mutually support each other. And that’s harder than it seems.

 

Ironically, when we deprive others of the joy of giving, we risk falling into the traps of martyrdom and victimhood that lead to resentment and guilt feelings. You can tell that I speak from experience! Above all, Jesus wants us to form healthy relationships with others. We need to play the roles of giver and receiver with equal comfort and ease. We believe that when we give, we receive, but in receiving, we give others the chance to give.4

Don Schwager quotes “Unreadiness to receive Godly teaching,” by Augustine of Hippo, 430-543 A.D.

 

"Now in this precept we are forbidden to give a holy thing to dogs or to cast pearls before swine. We must diligently seek to determine the gravity of these words: holy, pearls, dogs and swine. A holy thing is whatever it would be impious to profane or tear apart. Even a fruitless attempt to do so makes one already guilty of such impiety, though the holy thing may by its very nature remain inviolable and indestructible. Pearls signify all spiritual things that are worthy of being highly prized. Because these things lie hidden in secret, it is as though they were being drawn up from the deep. Because they are found in the wrappings of allegories, it is as though they were contained within shells that have been opened.(1) It is clear therefore that one and the same thing can be called both a holy thing and a pearl. It can be called a holy thing because it ought not to be destroyed and a pearl because it ought not to be despised. One tries to destroy what one does not wish to leave intact. One despises what is deemed worthless, as if beneath him. Hence, whatever is despised is said to be trampled under foot... Thus we may rightly understand that these words (dogs and swine) are now used to designate respectively those who assail the truth and those who resist it." (excerpt from SERMON ON THE MOUNT 2.20.68-69)5

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 7:6, 12-14 comments on the narrow gate! It’s tighter than the gap between the do’s and don’ts of the Ten Commandments.

 

The Holy Spirit is no magician who waves a wand and gets you through the gate automatically. Neither does the Spirit instantaneously infuse you with all the wisdom, knowledge, and willingness you need to navigate the narrow passages of life. No, he wants to form your mind as you ponder the word of God and the teachings of the Church. He wants to soften your heart as you sit with him in prayer and worship him in the sacraments. He wants to teach you how to hear him, through thoughts or ideas he plants in your mind or through the word and examples of trusted friends. He wants to show you the way of humble obedience—the way through the narrow gate!6

Friar Jude Winkler notes the contrast between Abram and Lot in generosity and respect for tradition. Generosity will be blessed and selfishness will be punished. The wisdom sayings in Matthew remind us that some people are not capable of hearing without the gift of faith and conversion. Friar Jude remembers Jewish rabbi, Hillel, speaking of the entire Law of Israel.

 

A post from Franciscan Media relates Saint Thomas More’s story and his belief that no lay ruler has jurisdiction over the Church of Christ. It cost Thomas More his life.

 Four hundred years later in 1935, Thomas More was canonized a saint of God. Few saints are more relevant to our time. In the year 2000, in fact, Pope John Paul II named him patron of political leaders. The supreme diplomat and counselor, he did not compromise his own moral values in order to please the king, knowing that true allegiance to authority is not blind acceptance of everything that authority wants. King Henry himself realized this and tried desperately to win his chancellor to his side because he knew More was a man whose approval counted, a man whose personal integrity no one questioned. But when Thomas More resigned as chancellor, unable to approve the two matters that meant most to Henry, the king had to get rid of him.7

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that the Christian tradition of spiritual direction can find its origin in Jesus’ own way of relating to his disciples and the many who sought him out for healing and instruction. Jeannette Bakke emphasizes Jesus’ own intimacy with God as the source of his authority that he encourages others to rely on as well.

 

When he was speaking to groups, Jesus often told stories—parables—to invite people to listen to and respond to God. He used parables to catch people’s attention and to illustrate and clarify the nature of the kingdom of God. His audiences would have been startled by stories of a Samaritan hero (Luke 10:25–37), a justified tax collector (Luke 18:9–14), or a father running to welcome his prodigal son (Luke 15:20). These stories said, “Look, this is what God is like.” Jesus used these stories to offer spiritual direction by challenging people to look more closely at what they believed and why, what their own experience of God was and how they interpreted their experiences with God. This is the essence of spiritual direction—encouraging people to listen to and follow God.8

The Holy Spirit prompts us to choose the narrow road to joy and peace.

 

References

 

1	(n.d.). Genesis, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. Retrieved June 22, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/13
2	(n.d.). Psalms, PSALM 15 | USCCB. Retrieved June 22, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/15
3	(n.d.). Matthew, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB. Retrieved June 22, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/7
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - Online Ministries - Creighton University. Retrieved June 22, 2021, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/062221.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 22, 2021, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/
6	(n.d.). Saints John Fisher, Bishop, and Thomas More, Martyrs (Optional .... Retrieved June 22, 2021, from https://wau.org/meditations/2021/06/22/189668/
7	(n.d.). Saint Thomas More | Franciscan Media. Retrieved June 22, 2021, from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-thomas-more
8	(n.d.). Spiritual Direction Archives — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved June 22, 2021, from https://cac.org/jesus-as-spiritual-director-2021-06-22/

Humility helps

Some catholic comments on the texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today help us develop a practice of humility.

Humble service

The Prophet Ezekiel proclaims the future return of the celebration of the Glory of God in the Temple that is separated from the challenges and failings of secular rulers.

* [43:8] They placed their threshold against my threshold: in preexilic Jerusalem, the Temple and the palace belonged to the same complex of buildings; kings like Ahaz and Manasseh treated it as their private chapel for the religious practices Ezekiel condemns. In the new Israel the Temple is free, even spatially, from civil jurisdiction; cf. 45:7–8. This is an instance of Ezekiel’s broader program to separate the sacred from the secular.

In the Gospel from Matthew, Jesus denounces the outward show of false piety among the teachers of Israel.

* [23:5] To the charge of preaching but not practicing (Mt 23:3), Jesus adds that of acting in order to earn praise. The disciples have already been warned against this same fault (see note on Mt 6:1–18). Phylacteries: the Mosaic law required that during prayer small boxes containing parchments on which verses of scripture were written be worn on the left forearm and the forehead (see Ex 13:9, 16; Dt 6:8; 11:18). Tassels: see note on Mt 9:20. The widening of phylacteries and the lengthening of tassels were for the purpose of making these evidences of piety more noticeable.

Nancy Shirley comments that the readings today focus on our relationship with God and our mutual commitment.

We must look beyond their behaviors to what is the truth – they are NOT the example for us.  Jesus is our example, God is our Father. Those of the earth and the Man-made rules are just that, of the earth.  Our eternal glory is not of this earth, not of earthly standards or examples.

Hugh Whelchel, Executive Director of the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics, offers a plan to overcome the spiritual/secular divide in our everyday lives.

Understand that the real distinction in our lives is between righteousness and unrighteousness. Between living in union with Christ, conforming to God’s character and commands (righteousness) and not rebelling against God and his commands. This is not a struggle we will win on the strength of our own labor. We will only win it if we yield to the Holy Spirit working in each one of us. This requires much prayer.Be reminded of what is required of those called to serve in God’s kingdom. The only way to do this is by being in God’s Word. Paul tells Timothy that the Word of God “is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” (2 Tim. 3:16)Remind yourself throughout your day that what you are doing at that moment is spiritual.

The meditation of Don Schwager centres on true humility that engenders respect for God and for his ways and inclines us to humility and to simplicity of heart.

A humble person makes a realistic assessment of oneself without illusion or pretense to be something one is not. A truly humble person regards oneself neither smaller nor larger than one truly is. True humility frees us to be ourselves as God regards us and to avoid falling into despair and pride. A humble person does not want to wear a mask or put on a facade in order to look good to others. Such a person is not swayed by accidentals, such as fame, reputation, success, or failure.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 23:1-12 comments that the traditions behind outward signs of devotion are, of course, valid and holy. But we have to make sure that the way we are living matches up with the outward signs of devotion that we display.

The best way to guard our hearts and minds is through the everyday regular practices of prayer, repentance, and service. They may not feel as flashy as brand-new crosses, but that’s okay. As we reach out to Jesus, we’ll find him reaching out to us. Over time, we’ll find ourselves becoming more like him—humble vessels of the Spirit

Friar Jude Winkler discusses the vision of Ezekiel where the Glory of God is reentering the Temple making it real a holy place where God will dwell among his people. The Schools of Rabbi Hillel and Rabbi Shammai taught with the authority of Moses. Friar Jude finds some Jewish exaggeration in the teaching method of Jesus against the over scrupulous attitude of the Pharisees.

The Jewish Virtual Library provides greater insight into the teaching of Hillel and Shammai.

Hillel the Elder’s friendly adversary was Shammai, a native of the Land of Israel about whom little is known except that he was a builder, known for the strictness of his views. He was reputed to be dour, quick-tempered and impatient. Both lived during the reign of King Herod (37-4 BCE), an oppressive period in Jewish history because of the Roman occupation of the Land of Israel. Shammai was concerned that if Jews had too much contact with the Romans, the Jewish community would be weakened, and this attitude was reflected in his strict interpretation of Jewish law. Hillel did not share Shammai's fear and therefore was more liberal in his view of law.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, in his weekly summary, recalls the teaching of Paul Knitter on how Buddhism can help Christians be conduit for the inflow and outflow of the gifts of the Spirit.

Buddhism can help Christians to be mystical Christians . . . to realize and enter into the non-dualistic, or unitive, heart of Christian experience—a way to be one with the Father, to live Christ’s life, to be not just a container of the Spirit but an embodiment and expression of the Spirit, to live by and with and in the Spirit, to live and move and have our being in God.

Practice can help us know that love is not determined by the worthiness of the object. Love is determined by the giver of the love. Spiritual gifts increase with use. Love, compassion, joy, and equanimity will grow as we let them flow. We are simply instruments.

References


(n.d.). Ezekiel chapter 43 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved August 25, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/ezekiel/43
(n.d.). Matthew chapter 23 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved August 25, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/23
(n.d.). Creighton's Online Ministries - Creighton University. Retrieved August 25, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/online.html
(2016, December 8). Overcoming the Sacred-Secular Divide. Retrieved August 25, 2018, from https://tifwe.org/overcoming-the-sacred-secular-divide/
(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 25, 2018, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
(n.d.). Saint Rose of Lima, Virgin (Optional Memorial) - Mass Readings and .... Retrieved August 25, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/?utm_content=buffer729ba&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
(n.d.). Hillel and Shammai - Jewish Virtual Library. Retrieved August 25, 2018, from https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/hillel-and-shammai
(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 25, 2018, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/