Invitation to Fullness of Life

 

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to participate in the building of our communities as we respond to the needs that the less privileged bring to our attention.

Self empty our privilege

 

The reading from the Letter of Paul to the Philippians praises Jesus' action of emptying himself.

 * [2:6–11] Perhaps an early Christian hymn quoted here by Paul. The short rhythmic lines fall into two parts, Phil 2:6–8 where the subject of every verb is Christ, and Phil 2:9–11 where the subject is God. The general pattern is thus of Christ’s humiliation and then exaltation. More precise analyses propose a division into six three-line stanzas (Phil 2:6; 7abc, 7d–8, 9, 10, 11) or into three stanzas (Phil 2:6–7ab, 7cd–8, 9–11). Phrases such as even death on a cross (Phil 2:8c) are considered by some to be additions (by Paul) to the hymn, as are Phil 2:10c, 11c.1

Psalm 22 is a plea for deliverance from suffering and hostility.

 

* [22:27] The poor: originally the poor, who were dependent on God; the term (‘anawim) came to include the religious sense of “humble, pious, devout.”2

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus uses the Parable of the Great Dinner to alert us to our misguided priorities.

 * [14:15–24] The parable of the great dinner is a further illustration of the rejection by Israel, God’s chosen people, of Jesus’ invitation to share in the banquet in the kingdom and the extension of the invitation to other Jews whose identification as the poor, crippled, blind, and lame (Lk 14:21) classifies them among those who recognize their need for salvation, and to Gentiles (Lk 14:23). A similar parable is found in Mt 22:1–10.3

Joan Blandin Howard ponders that maybe we are well off not to “taste (the man’s) dinner”.

 Our God does not fly into a rage when we don’t respond as God would have wished. Our God continues to invite all of us over and over and over again.  Our God is delighted when we run out of excuses for sending our regrets.  Our God’s meal is always tender and tasty and his beverages fresh off the vine!  We are always graciously welcomed.  The Lord’s table is set – whenever I run out of excuses!4

Don Schwager quotes “The heavenly food of Jesus' word,” by Clement of Alexandria (150-215 AD).

 "The holy agape is the sublime and saving creation of the Lord... An agape is in reality heavenly food, a banquet of the Word. The agape, or love, 'bears all things, endures all things, hopes all things. Love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8). 'Blessed is he who eats bread in the kingdom of God' (Luke 14:15). The most unlikely of all downfalls is charity that does not fail to be thrown down from heaven to earth among all these dainty seasonings. Do you still imagine that I refer to a meal that will be destroyed? (1 Corinthians 6:13) 'If I distribute my goods to the poor and do not have love,' Scripture says, 'I am nothing' (1 Corinthians 13:3). The whole law and the word depend on this love (Matthew 22:40). If you love the Lord your God and your neighbor (Mark 12:30-31), there will be a heavenly feast in heaven. The earthly feast, as we have proved from Scripture, is called a supper. It is permeated with love yet is not identified with it but is an expression of mutual and generous good will." (excerpt from CHRIST THE EDUCATOR 2,1)5

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 14:15-24 considers exploring the parable as a story about one of our daily rituals: our prayer time.

 

like the man in Jesus’ parable, God is beckoning us to come join him in this feast. And there is no good reason to decline his invitation. Fields, oxen, and honeymoons—these can represent our work and family life. Even these important and holy vocations are meant to flow out of our relationship with Jesus. They’re meant to find their purpose and energy in the grace we receive in prayer. Finally, what about the people who rejected the invitation? Is God angry with us if we miss our prayer time? No. Rather, he goes to creative lengths to get our attention and draw us in from the “highways and hedgerows” of our busy schedules (Luke 14:23). He doesn’t want us to miss out on his grace.6

Don Schwager quotes Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor who died for his faith under the Nazi persecution of Jews and Christians, who contrasted cheap grace and costly grace.

 

"Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves... the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance... grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate... Costly grace is the Gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life.”5

Friar Jude Winkler discusses the sense of “form of” in the text from Phillipians. What we say of Yahweh in the Hebrew Testament is true of Jesus in the New Testament. Friar Jude recalls the anawim, who will not survive without God, as reminders to us of the dangers of our privilege.

 

Dennis Bratcher shares a reflection on The Poured-Out Life: The Kenosis Hymn in Context.

 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that  Parker Palmer’s understanding of the “tragic gap” recognizes that no matter what we do, we can never completely solve the problem. In all our actions, there is always a space left incomplete, imperfect, which God alone can fill. The search for “the perfect” often keeps us from “the good.” The demand for one single issue about which we can be totally right actually keeps us from reading the whole picture—often this is true in regard to voting.

 

If we are to stand and act with hope in the tragic gap and do it for the long haul, we cannot settle for mere “effectiveness” as the ultimate measure of our failure or success. Yes, we want to be effective in pursuit of important goals. . . . [But] we must judge ourselves by a higher standard than effectiveness, the standard called faithfulness. Are we faithful to the community on which we depend, to doing what we can in response to its pressing needs? Are we faithful to the better angels of our nature and to what they call forth from us? Are we faithful to the eternal conversation of the human race, to speaking and listening in a way that takes us closer to truth? Are we faithful to the call of courage that summons us to witness to the common good, even against great odds? When faithfulness is our standard, we are more likely to sustain our engagement with tasks that will never end: doing justice, loving mercy, and calling the beloved community into being.7

We are challenged by self emptying as it brings us to question how our privilege may be preventing us from responding as Jesus to the big picture needs of our community.

 

References

1	(n.d.). Philippians, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. Retrieved November 3, 2020, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/philippians/2
2	(n.d.). Psalms, PSALM 22 | USCCB. Retrieved November 3, 2020, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/22
3	(n.d.). Luke, CHAPTER 14 | USCCB. Retrieved November 3, 2020, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/14
4	(n.d.). Daily Reflections - Online Ministries .... Retrieved November 3, 2020, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/110320.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture .... Retrieved November 3, 2020, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2020&date=nov3
6	(2020, November 3). Saint Martin de Porres, Religious (Optional Memorial) - Mass .... Retrieved November 3, 2020, from https://wau.org/meditations/2020/11/03/176965/
7	(2020, November 3). The Heart of Democracy — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved November 3, 2020, from https://cac.org/the-heart-of-democracy-2020-11-03/

 

Simple evidence of truth

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today alert us to some simple situations where we are in contact with Jesus calling us to come and see.

Simple Love

The First Letter of John indicates that the presence of self sacrificing love indicates Jesus is near.

 * [3:11–18] Love, even to the point of self-sacrifice, is the point of the commandment. The story of Cain and Abel (1 Jn 3:12–15; Gn 4:1–16) presents the rivalry of two brothers, in a contrast of evil and righteousness, where envy led to murder. For Christians, proof of deliverance is love toward others, after the example of Christ. This includes concrete acts of charity, out of our material abundance 1

The Gospel from John identifies the quality of saying what you mean as you seek truth as being near to Jesus.

 * [1:47] A true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him: Jacob was the first to bear the name “Israel” (Gn 32:29), but Jacob was a man of duplicity (Gn 27:35–36).
* [1:48] Under the fig tree: a symbol of messianic peace (cf. Mi 4:4; Zec 3:10).2

When Julie Kalkowski thinks about Jesus and his path, the reading from 1st John comes to mind. As Jesus’ disciples, we are called to love and to love everyone. How is that even possible?

 I kept pondering why the nuns seemed to be so grounded, so full of love towards us and others.  After several hours, I remembered they gathered three times a day as a community to pray. Three times a day their attention was pulled back towards God. Three times a day, seven days a week, week in and week out.  No wonder the nuns seemed calmer, more at peace. When you are reminded three times a day about what is truly important, it can be easier to follow Jesus. That pattern must have been what made it easier to be as kind and gracious as the nuns were to Emma and me.3

Don Schwager asks what kind of proof did Philip offer to Nathanael in the passage from the Gospel of John?

 Rather than argue with his friend, Philip took the wiser strategy of inviting Nathanael  to "come and see" for himself who this Jesus claimed to be. Clever arguments rarely win people to the Gospel - but an encounter with the person of Jesus Christ can change one's life forever. When people are receptive to the word of Christ and when they see his love in action, the Lord Jesus himself, through the power of the Holy Spirit, touches their hearts and opens their minds to recognize that he truly is the Son of God who reveals the Father's love and truth to us.4

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 1:43-51 declares that Jesus sought them out—so that they could find him!

 This is the heart of the Christian life. It’s about coming out of hiding. It’s about staying still long enough for Jesus to find us and speak his word to us. Nathanael was resting, waiting, contemplating when Philip introduced him to Jesus—and that quiet disposition helped him open his heart.
Jesus is seeking you out right now. Don’t hide! Stay quiet enough to let him find you.5

Friar Jude Winkler urges us to delve deeper into Love beyond affection and attraction. Our faith life has two dimensions: horizontal and vertical. Friar Jude connects Nathanael to Jacob and Israel in the Hebrew Testament.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, quotes Quaker author and elder Parker Palmer who writes about his evolving perspective and priorities as he grows older.

 But the junk I really need to jettison in my old age is psychological junk—such as longtime convictions about what gives my life meaning that no longer serve me well. For example, who will I be when I can no longer do the work that has been a primary source of identity for me for the past half century?
I won’t know the answer until I get there. But on my way to that day, I’ve found a question that’s already brought me a new sense of meaning. I no longer ask, “What do I want to let go of, and what do I want to hang on to?” Instead I ask, “What do I want to let go of, and what do I want to give myself to?”
The desire to “hang on” comes from a sense of scarcity and fear. The desire to “give myself” comes from a sense of abundance and generosity. That’s the kind of truth I want to wither into.6

Jesus seeks us out constantly as our experience in life continues to offer changes and challenges.

References

1	(n.d.). 1 John, chapter 3 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved January 5, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/1john/3
2	(n.d.). John, chapter 1 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved January 5, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/john/1
3	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved January 5, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
4	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 5, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
5	(2019, January 5). Mass Readings and .... Retrieved January 5, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/01/05/
6	(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive: January 2019 - Center for Action and .... Retrieved January 5, 2019, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/2019/01

Escape the time of no consolation

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today urge us to contemplate the conditions that cause us to let fear dominate love and generate violent action toward others.

Fear in the city

The First Letter of John proposes a dualism of good and evil in which Christ is the Way through whom our connection with sin is broken.

 * [1:8–10] Denial of the condition of sin is self-deception and even contradictory of divine revelation; there is also the continual possibility of sin’s recurrence. Forgiveness and deliverance from sin through Christ are assured through acknowledgment of them and repentance.1

In the Gospel from Matthew, the inclusion of Jesus in the slaughter of the Holy Innocents, because of the fear of Herod, is avoided as the Spirit guides Joseph to escape with the family to Egypt.

 * [2:18] Jer 31:15 portrays Rachel, wife of the patriarch Jacob, weeping for her children taken into exile at the time of the Assyrian invasion of the northern kingdom (722–21 B.C.). Bethlehem was traditionally identified with Ephrath, the place near which Rachel was buried (see Gn 35:19; 48:7), and the mourning of Rachel is here applied to her lost children of a later age. Ramah: about six miles north of Jerusalem. The lamentation of Rachel is so great as to be heard at a far distance.2

Luis Rodriguez, S.J. is afraid we have the agility to jump straight to the self-absolutizing stage and, once there, we can easily be tempted to sacrifice others to our own advancement. We can and at times do hurt people (“Innocents”?) in order for ourselves to look better and to improve our position or status. Being aware of this real risk, we can profit from considering once more with Ignatius of Loyola the Lord’s standard or program diametrically opposite to that of Satan, one that leads us through poverty/simplicity to not seeking being honored and to acknowledging humbly before God our position as creatures.

 I wonder how many people today would consider that the Holy Family were refugees, having had to leave their homeland to escape the violence that threatened them at home. Refugees do not leave their homeland on a whim, but rather seeking to live in security. They leave behind everything, except their human dignity, which we all –individuals and governments– need to respect.3

Don Schwager quotes “The first martyrs of Christ,” by Chromatius (died 406 AD).

 "In Bethlehem therefore all the babies were slain. These innocents who died then on Christ's behalf became the first martyrs of Christ. David refers to them when he says, 'From the mouths of nursing babies you have perfected praise because of your enemies, that you might bring ruin to the enemy' (Psalm 8:2). ... For in this persecution even tiny infants and nursing babies were killed on Christ's behalf and attained to the consummate praise of martyrs. Meanwhile the wicked king Herod was destroyed, he who had usurped the realm to defend himself against the king of the heavens. Thus it is that those blessed babes have deservedly lasted beyond others. They were the first who were worthy to die on Christ’s behalf." (excerpt from TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 6.2)4

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 2:13-18 concedes that our fears probably won’t take us as far as Herod’s fears took him. But there are plenty of other ways fear can harm us and the people around us. More than anything else, they can convince us that there is no way out. We can feel so bound by fear that we can’t even imagine a life free of it.

 You don’t have to be ruled by fear—especially hidden, buried fear! Take some time today to ask Jesus if there are some unacknowledged fears in your life, and then see what comes to mind. If you detect something operating under the surface, ask him to help you. You might not feel any different at first, but don’t give up—keep asking!

Friar Jude Winkler shares the change in theology in the dualism of 1 John compared to the Gospel of John. Herod was a paranoid megalomaniac who killed his wife, three sons and brother in law. Slaughter of children is not beyond his possibility. Friar Jude notes that Matthew was able to apply suffering of the innocent and unborn of Rachael’s time to Jesus life to support the call to care for the weakest in society.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, suggests that there are good, beautiful, and true gems in Christianity worth holding on to. At the same time, there are many unhelpful and even harmful parts of what has passed for Christianity that we need to move beyond.

 One of Richard’s foundational convictions is that God—who is Love—is with and in us and all of creation. But we’ve been conditioned or taught to see ourselves as separate from God and each other. Contemplation opens our hearts to experience this union and become an embodied presence of healing and creativity in our world. As Quaker author and elder Parker Palmer suggests, ask these important questions: “What do we want to let go of? What do we desire to give ourselves to?”6

Reaction to our fear, without the counsel of the Spirit, threatens to take us away from our journey to holiness. When fear and love confront, love always wins.

References

1	(n.d.). 1 John, chapter 1 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved December 28, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/1john/1
2	(n.d.). John, chapter 2 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved December 28, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/john/2:33
3	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved December 28, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
4	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 28, 2018, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
5	(n.d.). Mass Readings and .... Retrieved December 28, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/
6	(n.d.). 2019 Daily Meditations Theme - Old and New: An Evolving Faith. Retrieved December 28, 2018, from https://cac.org/2019-daily-meditations/

Transformed for the time of struggle

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate the tribulations of living today through the lens of our journey in life and the strength that comes from surrender to living as brothers and sisters of Christ.

Some tribulation on the path

The passage from the Book of Daniel encourages those suffering tribulation that the God  will be present to restore them to life.

* [12:2] Many of those who sleep: Daniel does not envisage the universal resurrection as later developed. Two groups are distinguished, one that rises to eternal life, the other to reproach and disgrace. Then “those with insight” (11:33–35) are singled out for special honor.

The Letter to the Hebrews declares the singularity of the offering of Jesus as High Priest to be once for all.

* [10:11–18] Whereas the levitical priesthood offered daily sacrifices that were ineffectual in remitting sin (Heb 10:11), Jesus offered a single sacrifice that won him a permanent place at God’s right hand. There he has only to await the final outcome of his work (Heb 10:12–13; cf. Ps 110:1). Thus he has brought into being in his own person the new covenant prophesied by Jeremiah (Jer 31:33–34) that has rendered meaningless all other offerings for sin (Heb 10:14–18).

In the Gospel from Mark, we are encouraged in the midst of tribulation, to seek the signs of the Presence of God.

* [13:26] Son of Man…with great power and glory: Jesus cites this text from Dn 7:13 in his response to the high priest, Are you the Messiah? (Mk 14:61). In Ex 34:5; Lv 16:2; and Nm 11:25 the clouds indicate the presence of the divinity. Thus in his role of Son of Man, Jesus is a heavenly being who will come in power and glory.

Juliana Claassens, Professor of Old Testament, connects the text from Daniel 12 to the struggle of those who are persecuted by powerful forces with evil intent.

Even in the most devastating of times (perhaps triggered by the attacks of Antiochus IV Epiphanus on Jewish identity, e.g., abolishing the Sabbath and sacrificing pork in the temple), the author can remind his audience of God's sovereign rule. The elevated role of angels who are employed as messengers and military officers fighting on God's behalf in these texts actually point to an increasingly bureaucratic view of God's rule that serves the purpose of countering the worldly power of any and every empire that threatens the faithful.

Reid Monaghan, graduate student in Applied Apologetics, cites Ben Witherington's commentary on Mark that features the account of Tacitus on the persecution of Christians in Rome as a continuation of first century conflict between the Roman authorities and the Jews of Jesus world.

First, the culture of early first century Galilee/Judea in 20-30 AD and second, the mid first century culture of Rome in the 60s.[11]  It is an interesting fact that both contexts presented great difficulty for both the Jewish and early Christian communities. Galilee/Judea was under Roman occupation and rule where Jesus and his following appeared a religious-political threat to imperial power.  Rome in the mid 60s presented an intense, though brief, time of suffering and persecution under the maniacal leadership of Nero.

Andy Alexander, S.J, comments that Jesus consoling his disciples about the trouble to come for them is really important for us, as we face the troubles of our time.

Every other trouble we face is some kind of mini-death, which is difficult to face. The common effect of these experiences is that they can shake us. They can disturb our confidence and upset our sense of security.
What Jesus wants to do for us today is what he did for his first disciples. He wants us to not let our hearts be troubled. Jesus knows he will be with us in the midst of everything. He wants us to have confidence that we are never alone. And, he wants us to trust that he has won the victory over sin and death - over every sin; over every death.

Don Schwager quotes “My words shall not pass away”, by Gregory the Great (540-604 AD).

"Nothing of this world is more durable than the heavens and the earth, and nothing in the order of nature passes away more quickly than speech. Words, as long as they are incomplete, are not yet words. Once completed they cease utterly to be. In fact they cannot be perfected except by their own passing away. Therefore he says: 'Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass.' As if he were openly to say: all that seems to you enduring and unchangeable is not enduring and without change in eternity. And everything of mine that seems to pass away is enduring and without change. My speech, that seems to pass away, utters thoughts (sententiae manentes) which endure forever." (excerpt from  HOMILIES 1)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 13:24-32 shares St. Francis different take on the subject of the end of the world.

Once, when he was working in the garden, a friar asked, “What would you be doing now if you knew that Jesus was coming back today?” Francis replied, “I would keep hoeing my garden.” Francis knew he was trying his best to be ready, and there was nothing more he could do.

Friar Jude Winkler connects the Scripture on the end of the world with the coming end of the liturgical year before Advent. The sense of becoming perfect in the Letter to the Hebrews is that of being consecrated to God, not perfectionism as understood today. The signs of grey hair and too many funerals tell us that our end time will come too.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, is inspired by Parker Palmer’s new book, “On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity and Getting Old”  wherein a quote from Thomas Merton helps focus on “How shall we understand nature’s testimony that dying itself—as devastating as we know it can be—contains the hope of a certain beauty?”

In the visible world of nature, a great truth is concealed in plain sight. Diminishment and beauty, darkness and light, death and life are not opposites: they are held together in the paradox of the “hidden wholeness.” In a paradox, opposites do not negate each other—they cohabit and cocreate in mysterious unity at the heart of reality. Deeper still, they need each other for health, just as our well-being depends on breathing in and breathing out. . . .

Andy Alexander, S.J, concludes for us that we can practice this faith - really exercise it and strengthen it, perhaps like a muscle we haven't used much - by simply practicing surrender. Not being so cautious becomes less scary and helps us to be more confident in loving. We can say, "Lord, I know that nothing can separate me from your care for me. Help me love this person with your own type of love, thinking less of myself, and more for the other person. Let me be bold and free." Let us be confident before the trials and tribulations of our day, placing our lives in his hands.

References

(n.d.). Daniel chapter 12 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved November 18, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/daniel/12
(n.d.). Hebrews chapter 10 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved November 18, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/hebrews/10
(n.d.). Mark chapter 13 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved November 18, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/mark/13
(n.d.). Daniel 12:1-3 Commentary by Juliana Claassens - Working Preacher .... Retrieved November 18, 2018, from https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=425
(2007, August 29). The Gospel of Mark — Power of Change. Retrieved November 18, 2018, from http://www.powerofchange.org/blog/2007/8/29/the-gospel-of-mark.html
(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved November 18, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved November 18, 2018, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
(n.d.). Mass Readings .... Retrieved November 18, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/
(2017, December 30). 2018 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved November 18, 2018, from https://cac.org/2018-daily-meditations/