Generosity of the Righteous Servant

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, the Feast of Deacon Saint Lawrence, resonate with the prompting of the Spirit to live as generous servants addressing the needs of others. I am grateful for the deacons among my friends who have lived as generous servants. 

Generosity and Righteousness

The reading from the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians describes God’s indescribable gift.

* [9:8–10] The behavior to which he exhorts them is grounded in God’s own pattern of behavior. God is capable of overwhelming generosity, as scripture itself attests (2 Cor 9:9), so that they need not fear being short. He will provide in abundance, both supplying their natural needs and increasing their righteousness. Paul challenges them to godlike generosity and reminds them of the fundamental motive for encouragement: God himself cannot be outdone. (2 Corinthians, CHAPTER 9, n.d.)

Psalm 112 praises 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. (Psalms, PSALM 112, n.d.)

The Gospel of John shares the coming of Jesus’ Hour.

* [12:24] This verse implies that through his death Jesus will be accessible to all. It remains just a grain of wheat: this saying is found in the synoptic triple and double traditions (Mk 8:35; Mt 16:25; Lk 9:24; Mt 10:39; Lk 17:33). John adds the phrases (Jn 12:25) in this world and for eternal life. (John, CHAPTER 12, n.d.)

George Butterfield comments that the psalmist speaks of the person, like Lawrence, who is gracious and lends to those in need. “His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth.” Who is celebrating the Roman Empire today? Lawrence’s posterity is singing his praises. “The just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.”

Lawrence’s life was described by Jesus as a grain of wheat. That grain fell to the ground and died. Almost eighteen hundred years later it is still producing fruit. Lawrence lost his life; thus, he preserved it. He served and followed Jesus. Jesus said “where I am, there also will my servant be.” Could anything be better for Lawrence than to simply be with Jesus? We honor Lawrence today and rightly so. However, I quite imagine that this means little to Lawrence. Better than that is what Jesus said about honor: “The Father will honor whoever serves me.”

St. Lawrence – honored by Almighty God. Could it get any better than that? (Creighton U. Daily Reflection, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “The seed must die before being resurrected,” by Irenaeus, 135-202 A.D.

"A cutting from the vine planted in the ground bears fruit in its season, or a kernel of wheat falling into the earth and becoming decomposed rises and is multiplied by the Spirit of God, who contains all things. And then, through the wisdom of God, it serves for our use when, after receiving the Word of God, it becomes the Eucharist, which is the body and blood of Christ. In the same way our bodies, being nourished by it, and deposited in the earth and suffering decomposition there, shall rise at their appointed time. The Word of God grants them resurrection to the glory of God, even the Father who freely gives to this mortal immortality, and to this corruptible incorruption (1 Corinthians 15:53). This is so because the strength of God is made perfect in weakness (1 Corinthians 15:43; 2 Corinthians 13:4) in order that we may never become puffed up, as if we had life from ourselves, or become exalted against God with ungrateful minds."(excerpt from AGAINST HERESIES 5.2.3) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 12:24-26 comments that we may not be facing arrest or martyrdom, but each of us has many opportunities to “die” for our faith in the course of our day. Saying no to a particularly strong temptation, being patient or generous with a difficult person, maintaining honesty in a dishonest climate, or just facing a dreary day with hope in the Lord—these are just a few of the ways we can lay down our lives and choose God above our immediate desires.

Jesus promises that every time we “die” in this way, we bear fruit. Our witness might inspire a person facing a battle we know nothing about. Our humility might defuse a tense situation. Our faithfulness might move someone to seek the Lord for themselves. And over all of this, we will bear the sweet fruit of a deeper relationship with God.

“Lord, I offer you my day. I trust you to make it fruitful.” (Meditation on John 12:24-26, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the exhortation in 2 Corinthians to share generously. Saint Lawrence is credited with a sense of humour as he was martyred after a life of service to the poor in Rome in the third century. Friar Jude reminds us that dying to self is the Way of the Gospel to bear fruit daily in our lives.

The Franciscan Media article on Saint Lawrence comments that the esteem in which the Church holds for Lawrence is seen in the fact that today’s celebration ranks as a feast. We know very little about his life. He is one of those whose martyrdom made a deep and lasting impression on the early Church. Celebration of his feast day spread rapidly. He was a Roman deacon under Pope Saint Sixtus II. Four days after this pope was put to death, Lawrence and four clerics suffered martyrdom, probably during the persecution of the Emperor Valerian.

Once again we have a saint about whom almost nothing is known, yet one who has received extraordinary honor in the Church since the fourth century. Almost nothing—yet the greatest fact of his life is certain: He died for Christ. We who are hungry for details about the lives of the saints are again reminded that their holiness was after all, a total response to Christ, expressed perfectly by a death like this. (Saint Lawrence, n.d.)

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that we need to understand kinesthetic, bodily knowing. We must learn to recognize our physical responses—be they fear, arousal, pleasure, or pain—because they reveal additional and important information. It may take a few minutes of intentional focus to become aware of tension in our shoulders, churning in our gut, a pounding heart, or goosebumps. The Irish poet and philosopher John O’Donohue (1956–2008) says this well.

Your mind can deceive you and put all kinds of barriers between you and your nature; but your body does not lie. Your body tells you, if you attend to it, how your life is and whether you are living from your soul or from the labyrinths of your negativity. . . . The human body is the most complex, refined, and harmonious totality. . . .

Your body is, in essence, a crowd of different members who work in harmony to make your belonging in the world possible. . . . The soul is not simply within the body, hidden somewhere within its recesses. The truth is rather the converse. Your body is in the soul, and the soul suffuses you completely. [1] (Rohr, n.d.)

We are prompted by the Spirit to die to self and thereby release the action that makes generous response to the needs of others possible.

References

Creighton U. Daily Reflection. (n.d.). Online Ministries. Retrieved August 10, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/081022.html 

John, CHAPTER 12. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 10, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/12?24 

Meditation on John 12:24-26. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved August 10, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/08/10/465646/ 

Psalms, PSALM 112. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 10, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/112?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 10, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-source-of-vital-information-2022-08-10/ 

Saint Lawrence. (n.d.). Franciscan Media. Retrieved August 10, 2022, from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-lawrence 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). If It Dies, It Bears Much Fruit. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 10, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=aug10a 

2 Corinthians, CHAPTER 9. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 10, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2corinthians/9?6 

Serving Peace

 

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to meditate on the events in our lives that have brought peace and to contemplate our actions in the service of peace.

Peaceful waters

 

The reading from the Acts of the Apostles relates that seven disciples were chosen to serve.

 

* [6:2] To serve at table: some commentators think that it is not the serving of food that is described here but rather the keeping of the accounts that recorded the distribution of food to the needy members of the community. In any case, after Stephen and the others are chosen, they are never presented carrying out the task for which they were appointed (Acts 6:2–3). Rather, two of their number, Stephen and Philip, are presented as preachers of the Christian message. They, the Hellenist counterpart of the Twelve, are active in the ministry of the word.1

Psalm 33 praises the greatness and goodness of God.

 

* [Psalm 33] A hymn in which the just are invited (Ps 33:1–3) to praise God, who by a mere word (Ps 33:4–5) created the three-tiered universe of the heavens, the cosmic waters, and the earth (Ps 33:6–9). Human words, in contrast, effect nothing (Ps 33:10–11). The greatness of human beings consists in God’s choosing them as a special people and their faithful response (Ps 33:12–22).2

In the Gospel of John, Jesus walks on the water as He brings peace to the disciples.

 

* [6:16–21] The fifth sign is a nature miracle, portraying Jesus sharing Yahweh’s power. Cf. the parallel stories following the multiplication of the loaves in Mk 6:45–52 and Mt 14:22–33.3

Mike Cherney shares that John’s version brings to mind his experience of the world in the last 12 months, a turbulent ride from which (perhaps) we are finally emerging safely on the other side.

 

Dear Lord,

I pray for trust in you even in the midst of the storm.

We are hopefully nearing the end of a period unlike the others in our lives.

I regularly encounter conflicting narratives of the situation at hand.

I want to trust but I am nagged by doubts.

I am reminded of the apostles’ failure to trust.

I find some consolation in the faith of the early Church.

I recall the strength that the Spirit brought to that community.

I ask for love and your grace in preparation for the time of Pentecost.I desire a heart that is open and the fortitude to live up to my potential.4

Don Schwager quotes “ Christ our physician,” by Saint Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

 

"God sent the human race a physician, a savior, One Who healed without charging a fee. Christ also came to reward those who would be healed by Him. Christ heals the sick, and He makes a gift to those whom He heals. And the gift that He makes is Himself!" (excerpt from Sermon 102,2)5

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 6:16-21 comments that the storm-tossed disciples learned that Jesus is not limited by his physical absence, and we need to trust that as well. We are always in his mind and in his heart. He sees our struggles, and he continues to hold us close and to intercede for us before his Father.

 If you have concerns for yourself or a loved one, take heart. Remember the disciples in the boat. Commit to memory this line from today’s responsorial psalm: “The eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness” (33:18). He sees you. He has you in the palm of his hand. And he will act at just the right time. “Jesus, help me to believe and trust that you will never take your eyes off of me.”6

Friar Jude Winkler discusses the racial injustice to Hellenists that prompted the anointing of deacons for service to the community. A heresy mentioned in Revelations is not connected to the Nicolas in Acts, but to the Gnostics. Friar Jude connects the Gospel text to Psalm 23 and the completion of the episode of the loaves and fishes.

 

A post from Franciscan Media reflects on the life of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha. The Church in Canada celebrates her memorial today.

 

We like to think that our proposed holiness is thwarted by our situation. If only we could have more solitude, less opposition, better health. Kateri Tekakwitha repeats the example of the saints: Holiness thrives on the cross, anywhere. Yet she did have what Christians—all people—need: the support of a community. She had a good mother, helpful priests, Christian friends. These were present in what we call primitive conditions, and blossomed in the age-old Christian triad of prayer, fasting and almsgiving: union with God in Jesus and the Spirit, self-discipline and often suffering, and charity for her brothers and sisters.7

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares the work of John O’Donohue (1956–2008), a modern teacher on the sacred nature of friendship, who explains how this blessing can be shared.

 

A person should always offer a prayer of graciousness for the love that has awakened in them. When you feel love for your beloved and the beloved’s love for you, now and again you should offer the warmth of your love as a blessing for those who are damaged and unloved. Send that love out into the world to people who are desperate, to those who are starving, to those who are trapped in prison, in hospitals, and into all the brutal terrains of bleak and tormented lives. When you send that love out from the bountifulness of your own love, it reaches other people. This love is the deepest power of prayer.8

Our work, with the Prince of Peace, includes calming the waters of fear when we encounter people in need on our journey.

 

References

1	(n.d.). Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. Retrieved April 17, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/6
2	(n.d.). Psalms, PSALM 33 | USCCB. Retrieved April 17, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/33
3	(n.d.). John, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. Retrieved April 17, 2021, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/john/6:1
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - Online Ministries - Creighton University. Retrieved April 17, 2021, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/041721.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 17, 2021, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/
6	(2021, April 17). 2nd Week of Easter - The Word Among Us. Retrieved April 17, 2021, from https://wau.org/meditations/2021/04/17/188654/
7	(n.d.). Saint Kateri Tekakwitha | Franciscan Media. Retrieved April 17, 2021, from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-kateri-tekakwitha
8	(n.d.). Friendship and Grace: Weekly Summary — Center for Action and .... Retrieved April 17, 2021, from https://cac.org/friendship-and-grace-weekly-summary-2021-04-17/