Presenting Son and Brother

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to celebrate the Light of Christ in our lives.

Light and Bread

The reading from the Prophet Malachi proclaims the Coming Messenger.

* [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. (Malachi, CHAPTER 3, n.d.)

Psalm 24 praises entrance into the Temple.

* [24:7, 9] Lift up your heads, O gates…you ancient portals: the literal meaning would involve disassembly of the gates, since the portcullis (a gate that moves up and down) was unknown in the ancient world. Extra-biblical parallels might also suggest a full personification of the circle of gate towers: they are like a council of elders, bowed down and anxious, awaiting the return of the army and the great warrior gone to battle. (Psalms, PSALM 24, n.d.)

The reading from the Letter to the Hebrews presents Jesus exaltation through abasement so that he is able to help those who are being tested.

* [2:5–18] The humanity and the suffering of Jesus do not constitute a valid reason for relinquishing the Christian faith. Ps 8:5–6 is also applied to Jesus in 1 Cor 15:27; Eph 1:22; and probably 1 Pt 3:22. This christological interpretation, therefore, probably reflects a common early Christian tradition, which may have originated in the expression the son of man (Heb 2:6). The psalm contrasts God’s greatness with man’s relative insignificance but also stresses the superiority of man to the rest of creation, of which he is lord. Hebrews applies this christologically: Jesus lived a truly human existence, lower than the angels, in the days of his earthly life, particularly in his suffering and death; now, crowned with glory and honor, he is raised above all creation. The author considers all things as already subject to him because of his exaltation (Heb 2:8–9), though we do not see this yet. 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). (Hebrews, CHAPTER 2, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus Is Presented in the Temple.

* [2:22] Their purification: syntactically, their must refer to Mary and Joseph, even though the Mosaic law never mentions the purification of the husband. Recognizing the problem, some Western scribes have altered the text to read “his purification,” understanding the presentation of Jesus in the temple as a form of purification; the Vulgate version has a Latin form that could be either “his” or “her.” According to the Mosaic law (Lv 12:2–8), the woman who gives birth to a boy is unable for forty days to touch anything sacred or to enter the temple area by reason of her legal impurity. At the end of this period she is required to offer a year-old lamb as a burnt offering and a turtledove or young pigeon as an expiation of sin. The woman who could not afford a lamb offered instead two turtledoves or two young pigeons, as Mary does here. They took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord: as the firstborn son (Lk 2:7) Jesus was consecrated to the Lord as the law required (Ex 13:2, 12), but there was no requirement that this be done at the temple. The concept of a presentation at the temple is probably derived from 1 Sm 1:24–28, where Hannah offers the child Samuel for sanctuary services. The law further stipulated (Nm 3:47–48) that the firstborn son should be redeemed by the parents through their payment of five shekels to a member of a priestly family. About this legal requirement Luke is silent. (Luke, CHAPTER 2, n.d.)

Vivian Amu comments that sometimes Jesus comes to us in a different way, a way that requires us to see through God's eyes, a way that requires us to trust the Spirit.  How well do we do then?  How clearly can we see?

I would like to say that I recognize Jesus in the face of everyone I meet, including those I find challenging to be around.  I would like to say that I recognize Jesus in the moments when I am disappointed, heartbroken, angry, ill, rejected, uncertain, or sad.  I would like to say that I could identify Jesus as soon as he comes into the room as a newborn, the homeless, or different in any way.  I would like to say I recognize Jesus immediately without a doubt, but that would be a lie.  I do try, but I fail most of the time.

Maybe it is not enough to just recognize Jesus or the presence of God.  Maybe we also have to bear Christ as the word of God so that we may see clearly and also help others recognize Jesus when he is presented to them.  The one whom we seek and the message we long to hear are presented to us today.  Do we recognize him?  Can we receive him?  Are we ready to bear him?  Are we ready to pay the price of discipleship?

Merciful and loving God, you are here.  Help us see your face and grant us the grace to rejoice in your presence amongst us. (Amu, 2023)

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) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 2:22-40 comments that we can rejoice because God’s salvation has reached us! It’s a good day to give thanks and praise to God, just as Simeon did. It’s a good day to remember our baptism, when Jesus shone his light into our hearts. It’s a good day to light a candle and rejoice that Jesus the Light has come to us—and to all the world. And it’s a good day to let that light of Christ shine to the people around us.

Let’s join our voices with Simeon and praise God for sending Jesus! He is the true light that enlightens all people.

“Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel” (Luke 2:29-32). (Meditation on Luke 2:22-40, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler recalls the Feast of Candlemas on which we commemorate the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple. The text from Malachi is also applied to John the Baptist on other days. Luke, as a Stoic, understood that God is recognized in the pattern in history. This also is reflected in his respect for religious customs, even as he misses the details of the purification of Mary and the Rite of Redemption for Jesus. Friar Jude reminds us that the heart was the place of thinking in Hebrew understanding and this highlights the cognitive challenges that Mary faced as Mother of the “Son of God”.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, considers how a balance of unconditional and conditional love serves growth in the first half of life.

To borrow an idea from Erich Fromm’s classic book The Art of Loving, I believe that the healthiest people are those who received from their two parents and early authority figures a combination of unconditional love and conditional love. This seems to be true of so many effective and influential people, like St. Francis, John Muir, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Mother Teresa. I know my siblings and I received conditional love from our mother and unconditional love from our father. We all admit now that Mom’s demanding love served us very well later in life, although we sure fought her when we were young. And we were glad Daddy was there to balance her out.

It appears we need a goad, a wall to butt up against to create a proper ego structure and a strong identity. Such a foil is the way we internalize our own deeper values, educate our feeling function, and dethrone our own narcissism. We all need to internalize the sacred no to our natural egocentricity. It seems we need a certain level of frustration, a certain amount of not having our needs met. Then we realize there are other people who also have needs and desires and feelings. As my mother told me, “Dickie, your rights end at the end of your nose; that’s where somebody else’s nose begins.” (Rohr, 2023)

We are nudged by the Spirit to be able to recognize the moments when Christ is visible to us in the events of the day that reveal love, hope, trust, mercy, and compassion.

References

Amu, V. (2023, February 2). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved February 2, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/020223.html 

Hebrews, CHAPTER 2. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved February 2, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/hebrews/2?14 

Luke, CHAPTER 2. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved February 2, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/2?22 

Malachi, CHAPTER 3. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved February 2, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/malachi/3?1 

Meditation on Luke 2:22-40. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved February 2, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/02/02/599685/ 

Psalms, PSALM 24. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved February 2, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/24?7 

Rohr, R. (2023, February 2). Unconditional and Conditional Love — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved February 2, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/unconditional-and-conditional-love-2023-02-01/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture ... Retrieved February 2, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=feb2a 

Perceive, desire and reason in the Light of Faith

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today offers serious contemplation of what we do with our evil desires and how faith is the light whereby we reconcile the tensions in human consciousness.

.@adamkotsko created a usefully annotated reading list about what is “political theology”, in 13 items, from Nietzsche’s 'The Genealogy of Morals' to Jared Hickman’s ‘Black Prometheus’: https://t.co/LyDTSyTUpI

— Ph. Theophanidis (@aphelis) January 21, 2018

The Letter of James alerts us to the source of temptation in our lives.

* [1:16–18] The author here stresses that God is the source of all good and of good alone, and the evil of temptation does not come from him.

Jesus confronts the lack of understanding of the disciples of the leaven of the Pharisees from the Gospel of Mark.

* [8:15] The leaven of the Pharisees…of Herod: the corruptive action of leaven (1 Cor 5:6–8; Gal 5:9) was an apt symbol of the evil dispositions both of the Pharisees (Mk 8:11–13; 7:5–13) and of Herod (Mk 6:14–29) toward Jesus. The disciples of Jesus are warned against sharing such rebellious attitudes toward Jesus; cf. Mk 8:17, 21.

Tom Shanahan, S.J. offers a prayer inspired by how frustrating it must have been for Jesus to see how profoundly the disciples misunderstood him.

Jesus, come to my misunderstandings of who you are and how I am called to follow you.  This is my desire, but it eludes me so often, and I forget your call choosing my ways over yours.  Be with me as I learn your great love and respond by acknowledging moving away from my lack of understanding.  Let me attend to your gifts of faith, hope and love and to be your messenger (disciple)to those near me.   Help me to grow in trusting you and your patience in calling me to service particularly when my eyes and ears seem not to be working effectively

Don Schwager quotes Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD) that the works of the law are now to be viewed in the light of faith.

"The apostles are ordered to watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. They are warned not to be involved in the disputes of the Jews. The works of the law are now to be viewed in the light of faith. They are forewarned that they, into whose time and age the truth had appeared incarnate, should judge nothing except which lies within the position of hope in likeness of the truth that is revealed. They are warned against allowing the doctrine of the Pharisees, who are unaware of Christ, to corrupt the effectiveness of the truth of the gospel." (excerpt from commentary ON MATTHEW 16.3)

Kevin Cotter provides a summary of Lumen Fidei, (The Light of Faith) Pope Francis' First Encyclical, including this abstract of the introduction.

The encyclical starts with what the ancients put their faith in and proceeds to move directly to what our culture believes about faith – that it is something for the blind, those driven by emotion. But, at the same time, our culture is discovering that reason is not enough. Confusion has set in on what is good and evil, right and wrong. Faith in Jesus and love in Him gives us a new vision to see the world.

The new vision to see the world is beyond our biological nature, examined by Nietzsche, that makes experiencing and thinking outside of selfish categories impossible. David Deane of the Atlantic School of Theology comments that only through a re-orientation of this biological reality through relationship with Christ by the presence of the Holy Spirit can this be altered.

And so what my book hopes to do is say, “yes” to Nietzsche. Milbank and Benedict say, “no”. But Nietzsche is right. Our biological nature makes experiencing and thinking outside of selfish categories impossible. Only through a re-orientation of this biological reality through relationship with Christ by the presence of the Holy Spirit can this be altered. Let me say again, the question of “Reason” is most honestly understood as a question of mission. Our reasoning is contextual, only if our context is life in the triune God[4] can we perceive, desire and reason coherently. If when Benedict says ‘dialog’ he really means mission, then I agree with him. If not then I think that we must all re-read Nietzsche and ask ourselves - do I recognize this account of the self? Because if it’s true we can only be converted, not convinced.

Craig Carter teaches theology and ethics at Tyndale University College and he comments that Christian theology describes reality better than the version of modern science that begins with atheism as its presupposition.

Now, I do not believe it is actually rooted in empirically verifiable reality and I think this is the point at which N. must be challenged if he is not to triumph. But this is a question that Milbank and Hart do not take up and, (I can't believe I'm saying this) Deane and Barth do not really get to terms with either! Why? Milbank and Hart don't get to grips with N's truth claims because they opt for trying to tell a better, more convincing story than N., on the assumption that no one can prove that any story is true by means of science. Deane critiques their attempt for being insufficiently Christological, which gets us half way there, but not all the way. What seems to me to be still missing is the claim that Christian theology describes reality better than the version of modern science that begins with atheism as its presupposition.

Friar Jude Winkler draws the line from temptation to action as sin. When we buy into sin in the smallest way it will expand like leaven spreads to dough so we need to be careful and watchful.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, declares that it becomes the very function of religion to put darkness and light, heaven and earth back together in human consciousness. The precise reason that Jesus is the icon of salvation is because he holds these seeming contraries together so beautifully within himself, thus assuring us we can do the same.

Heaven and earth, divinity and humanity, have never really been separate of course, but we think so. The Bible calls this perceived state of separateness “sin”; “naughty” or so-called “bad” actions proceed from this state of consciousness. The essential task of all religion is to reconnect people to their original identity “hidden with Christ in God,” as Paul says (Colossians 3:3). This happens through forgiving and thus loving what first seems to be imperfect, unworthy, excluded, separate, wrong, or sinful. This is how we reunite that which the mind had begun to punish.

Our context is life in the Triune God. Therein we can perceive, desire and reason coherently.

References


(n.d.). James 1.12-18. Retrieved February 13, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/james/1:12

(n.d.). Mark 8:1–10. Retrieved February 13, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/mark/mark8.htm

(n.d.). Online Ministries at Creighton University. Retrieved February 13, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/

(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 13, 2018, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/

(n.d.). Lumen Fidei: A Summary on Pope Francis' First Encyclical - FOCUS. Retrieved February 13, 2018, from https://focusoncampus.org/content/lumen-fidei-a-summary-on-pope-francis-first-encyclical

(2009, May 16). The Politics of the Cross Resurrected: Milbank's Critique of Nietzsche. Retrieved February 13, 2018, from http://politicsofthecrossresurrected.blogspot.com/2009/05/milbanks-critique-of-nietzsche.html

(2017, December 30). 2018 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved February 13, 2018, from https://cac.org/2018-daily-meditations/