Laughter and Life

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to reassess the circumstances where we have limited our experience of love and full life by restricting our faith to human experience.

Laughter in the Message

The Book of Genesis proclaims Abraham’s Visitors.

* [18:1] Chapters 18 and 19 combined form a continuous narrative, concluding the story of Abraham and his nephew Lot that began in 13:2–18. The mysterious men visit Abraham in Mamre to promise him and Sarah a child the following year (18:1–15) and then visit Lot in Sodom to investigate and then to punish the corrupt city (19:1–29). Between the two visits, Abraham questions God about the justice of punishing Sodom (18:16–33). At the end of the destruction of Sodom, there is a short narrative about Lot as the ancestor of Moab and the Ammonites (19:30–38).

* [18:3] Abraham addresses the leader of the group, whom he does not yet recognize as the Lord; in the next two verses he speaks to all three men. The other two are later (Gn 19:1) identified as angels. The shifting numbers and identification of the visitors are a narrative way of expressing the mysterious presence of God.

* [18:6] Three measures: Hebrew seah; three seahs equal one ephah, about half a bushel.

* [18:8] Curds: a type of soft cheese or yogurt.

* [18:10] One of them: i.e., the Lord.

* [18:12] Sarah laughed: a play on the verb “laugh,” which prefigures the name of Isaac; see note on 17:17. (Genesis, CHAPTER 18 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Response in Luke presents The Canticle of Mary.

* [1:46–55] Although Mary is praised for being the mother of the Lord and because of her belief, she reacts as the servant in a psalm of praise, the Magnificat. Because there is no specific connection of the canticle to the context of Mary’s pregnancy and her visit to Elizabeth, the Magnificat (with the possible exception of v. 48) may have been a Jewish Christian hymn that Luke found appropriate at this point in his story. Even if not composed by Luke, it fits in well with themes found elsewhere in Luke: joy and exultation in the Lord; the lowly being singled out for God’s favor; the reversal of human fortunes; the fulfillment of Old Testament promises. The loose connection between the hymn and the context is further seen in the fact that a few Old Latin manuscripts identify the speaker of the hymn as Elizabeth, even though the overwhelming textual evidence makes Mary the speaker. (Luke, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew proclaims the Healing of a Centurion’s Servant.

* [8:5–13] This story comes from Q (see Lk 7:1–10) and is also reflected in Jn 4:46–54. The similarity between the Q story and the Johannine is due to a common oral tradition, not to a common literary source. As in the later story of the daughter of the Canaanite woman (Mt 15:21–28) Jesus here breaks with his usual procedure of ministering only to Israelites and anticipates the mission to the Gentiles. (Matthew, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB, n.d.)

Rev. Martha Slocombe comments that Sarah’s laugh­ing was like­ly an invol­un­tary scoff­ing, but the denial of her laugh­ter was a con­scious choice. She want­ed to cov­er up her embar­rass­ment. So why include Sarah’s denial in scrip­ture? Why is it impor­tant? 

Because this did­n’t hold Sarah back from play­ing a great role in God’s plan. Because Sarah was not defined by the laugh­ter nor the denial of it: being a per­son of faith means reck­on­ing with our cringey and unsa­vory moments and not let­ting them define us. It’s an invi­ta­tion to be hon­est with our­selves because the Lord already knows the truth. It’s scary to hold up our cringi­est moments to God, to oth­ers, and maybe even most­ly to our­selves; and it’s also free­ing because it opens us up to the real and great pos­si­bil­i­ty God has in store for us. Some­thing beyond our wildest imag­i­na­tion. So don’t pray for God to take those moments away, pray that you will not let them define you and that you will be open to the plans that God has in store for you. (Slocombe, 2025)

Don Schwager quotes “Welcoming the Lord Jesus with expectant faith and humility,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"When the Lord promised to go to the centurion's house to heal his servant, the centurion answered, 'Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.' By viewing himself as unworthy, he showed himself worthy for Christ to come not merely into his house but also into his heart. He would not have said this with such great faith and humility if he had not already welcomed in his heart the One who came into his house. It would have been no great joy for the Lord Jesus to enter into his house and not to enter his heart. For the Master of humility both by word and example sat down also in the house of a certain proud Pharisee, Simon, and though he sat down in his house, there was no place in his heart. For in his heart the Son of Man could not lay his head" (Matthew 8:20). (excerpt from SERMON 62.1) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Genesis 18:1-15 comments that Sarah’s visitors don’t condemn or reproach her for her outburst. They simply ask why she was laughing and then reassure her of God’s promise (Genesis 18:13-14). In fact, they might have been laughing along with her and thinking, “Just you wait; God isn’t done with you yet!”

God isn’t done with any of us yet. He is fully committed to his promises to us: promises to bless us, to forgive us, to fill us with his Spirit, and to bring healing to the hurts in our lives. He is also steadfast in his promise to mold us into disciples eager to witness to his love and redemption. So trust in his promises, even when they come to you in the form of an unexpected visitor with a preposterous message.

“Lord, let your faithfulness to me fill my heart with joy and laughter!” (Meditation on Genesis 18:1-15, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments in the Genesis passage how Abraham shows three visitors enormous hospitality that was expected in a desert country so as not to condemn them to death. God and angels receive from Abraham and promise a child to Sarah, who laughed about bearing a child, Isaac brings joy to the parents. In the Gospel of Matthew a Samaritan who calls for healing for the servant expresses an act of courtesy to acknowledge being considered unclean and trusting Jesus to just give the order. The people of Israel are slower to believe than the outsider. The healing of Peter’s mother in Law shows us to use the favour to serve others. Friar Jude notes that Jesus fulfilled Isaiah and took away our infirmities, the role of the Messiah in the Scripture and also including the Gentiles.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Father Greg Boyle, the founder of Homeboy Industries, a gang-rehabilitation organization that operates on the principle that in the kinship of God, we all belong. Fr Greg asks  “How do we arrive at a place and tenor of community that asserts: Nobody VS. Anybody?” This is, in fact, a good definition of the kinship of God…. No Us and Them, just Us. This is, indeed, God’s dream come true….”  

I recently spoke on a panel … [and] I told the crowd that two unwavering principles held at Homeboy Industries were the following: 1) Everyone is unshakably good (no exceptions) and 2) We belong to each other (no exceptions). Then I posited: “Now, do I think all our vexing and complex social dilemmas would disappear if we embraced those two notions?” I paused, then continued, “Yes, I do.” And the entire audience exploded in laughter. I was startled. When the laughter subsided, I repeated quietly: “Yes, I do.”  

These two ideas allow us to roll up our sleeves so that we can actually make progress. So that we can love without measure and without regret. So that we can cultivate a new way of seeing. We finally understand that the answer to every question is, indeed, compassion. How else do we bridge the great polarizing divide that presents itself now, as a clear and present danger in our country? … (Rohr, n.d.)

We ponder the “What” and the “Why” around the limits we put on the extent of love, mercy and compassion, especially in our experience of Divine love, that limit our openness to fullness of life.

References

Genesis, CHAPTER 18 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 28, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/18?1 

Luke, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 28, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/1?46 

Matthew, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 28, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/8?5 

Meditation on Genesis 18:1-15. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved June 28, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/06/28/1318550/ 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Creating Communities of Change: Weekly Summary. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved June 28, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/creating-communities-of-change-weekly-summary/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Say the Word and My Servant Will Be Healed. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 28, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=jun28 

Slocombe, M. (2025, June 28). Daily Reflection June 28, 2025 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved June 28, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-june-28-2025 

Promise and Mercy

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to ponder the promise we maintain in our faith in the love and mercy of God.

Called to Mercy

The reading from Genesis describes Sarah’s death and burial and the marriage of Isaac and Rebekah.

* [24:1–67] The story of Abraham and Sarah is drawing to a close. The promises of progeny (21:1–7) and land (chap. 23) have been fulfilled and Sarah has died (23:1–2). Abraham’s last duty is to ensure that his son Isaac shares in the promises. Isaac must take a wife from his own people (vv. 3–7), so the promises may be fulfilled. The extraordinary length of this story and its development of a single theme contrast strikingly with the spare style of the preceding Abraham and Sarah stories. It points ahead to the Jacob and Joseph stories. (Genesis, CHAPTER 24, n.d.)

Psalm 106 is a confession of Israel’s Sins.

* [Psalm 106] Israel is invited to praise the God whose mercy has always tempered judgment of Israel (Ps 106:1–3). The speaker, on behalf of all, seeks solidarity with the people, who can always count on God’s fidelity despite their sin (Ps 106:4–5). (Psalms, PSALM 106, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew describes the calling of Matthew.

* [9:9] A man named Matthew: Mark names this tax collector Levi (Mk 2:14). No such name appears in the four lists of the twelve who were the closest companions of Jesus (Mt 10:2–4; Mk 3:16–19; Lk 6:14–16; Acts 1:13 [eleven, because of the defection of Judas Iscariot]), whereas all four list a Matthew, designated in Mt 10:3 as “the tax collector.” The evangelist may have changed the “Levi” of his source to Matthew so that this man, whose call is given special notice, like that of the first four disciples (Mt 4:18–22), might be included among the twelve. Another reason for the change may be that the disciple Matthew was the source of traditions peculiar to the church for which the evangelist was writing.

* [9:10] His house: it is not clear whether his refers to Jesus or Matthew. Tax collectors: see note on Mt 5:46. Table association with such persons would cause ritual impurity.

* [9:11] Teacher: see note on Mt 8:19.

* [9:12] See note on Mk 2:17.

* [9:13] Go and learn…not sacrifice: Matthew adds the prophetic statement of Hos 6:6 to the Marcan account (see also Mt 12:7). If mercy is superior to the temple sacrifices, how much more to the laws of ritual impurity. (Matthew, CHAPTER 9, n.d.)

Barbara Dilly comments that the Gospel today reminds us that getting closer to Jesus does not mean joining a club of the sanctimonious righteous. It means sitting down with sinners.

And it means more than just sitting there.  To follow in the healing work of Jesus with our fellow sinners, Jesus tells us we need to learn the meaning of the words, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”  To sacrifice is to offer something meaningful to God.  That is not necessarily a bad thing to do.  It is a way of setting priorities in our relationship with God.  But Jesus wants us to also set priorities in our relationships with others.  Jesus calls us to show compassion, kindness, and forgiveness to others, just as he does for us. That is a big challenge. It can be a lot of work and often a real burden.  It surely helps me to remember the words Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Dilly, 2023)

Don Schwager quotes “Matthew did not delay when called by Jesus,” by Chromatius (died 406 AD).

"The Lord, about to give salvation to all sinners believing in him, willingly chose Matthew the former publican. The gift of his esteem for Matthew stands as an example for our salvation. Every sinner must be chosen by God and can receive the grace of eternal salvation if one is not without a religious mind and a devout heart. So Matthew was chosen willingly by God. And though he is immersed in worldly affairs, because of his sincere religious devotion he is judged worthy to be called forth by the Lord ("Follow me"), who by virtue of his divine nature knows the hidden recesses of the heart. From what follows, we know that Matthew was accepted by the Lord not by reason of his status but of his faith and devotion. As soon as the Lord says to him, "Follow me," he does not linger or delay, but thereupon "he arose and followed him." (excerpt from TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 45.1)

[Note: Chromatius was an early Christian scholar and bishop of Aquileia, Italy. He was a close friend of John Chrysostom and Jerome. He died in 406 AD. Jerome described him as a "most learned and most holy man."](Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Genesis 23:1-4, 19; 24:1-8, 62-67 comments that as he did with Abraham, God has made promises to us. He promises to be with us always (Matthew 28:20). He promises us forgiveness of our sins (John 20:23). And he promises eternal life to all who believe (5:24). As we look back over our lives, we are sure to see signs of God’s faithfulness to these promises. Maybe it was an unexpected sense of peace in the midst of a trying time. Maybe it was a sense of freedom after you confessed your sin. Or maybe it was a sudden feeling of eager expectation for heaven. All these are proofs that God is watching over us and blessing us.

God is faithful. Let that truth help you, like Abraham, respond to him with your own faithfulness. Let it convince you that you can count on his provision for you and your family long into the future.

“Father, thank you for your promises. Help me to look back on your faithfulness and move forward with hope!” (Meditation on Genesis 23:1-4, 19; 24:1-8, 62-67, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler relates an ancient legend about the details of the death of Sarah. The only part of the Promised Land owned by Abraham is the burial plot for Sarah and Isaac is not married and the descendants of Abraham are not yet visible. Friar Jude notes how we maintain the Pharisee’s sense of the contagion of evil in some of our family practices.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Episcopal priest and author Adam Bucko, who reminds us of the Gospel call to solidarity with the poor, who reveal Christ.

The Christian spiritual tradition is very clear about how we are to relate to those who are fragile, who have been rejected and forgotten, and who are standing on the bread lines waiting for food. We are to see them as Christ and approach them with the same kind of reverence and willingness to say yes. This identification of Christ with the poor is such that an old Anglo-Catholic saying, often cited in the context of the slum priest movement of the 1920s, tells us that unless we are willing and able to see Christ on the highways and byways of our cities in those who are rejected, homeless, and poor, we have no business talking about meeting him in the Eucharist. Our faith cannot be complete unless we have connected the two. As one theologian said, “The real presence of Christ, which is hidden in the bread and wine, is visibly manifested in his social presence in the poor who are the sign and image of his ongoing passion in the world.” [1]

We are prompted by the Spirit to be merciful and kind to people who we encounter who may be among the forgotten and neglected in our society.

References

Dilly, B. (2023, July 7). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved July 7, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/070723.htm 

Genesis, CHAPTER 24. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved July 7, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/24 

Matthew, CHAPTER 9. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved July 7, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/9? 

Meditation on Genesis 23:1-4, 19; 24:1-8, 62-67. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved July 7, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/07/07/728791/ 

Psalms, PSALM 106. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved July 7, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/106?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). The Real and Holy Presence. CAC Daily Meditations 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-real-and-holy-presence-2023-07-07/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). I Desire Mercy - Not Sacrifice. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 7, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=jul7