Humble Service

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today remind us that the path to fullness of life is one that is contrary to much of modern culture as the Spirit leads us to humble service.

Neighbourhood Service

The reading from the Letter of James warns that friendship with the World often is a Cause of Division.

* [4:1–12] The concern here is with the origin of conflicts in the Christian community. These are occasioned by love of the world, which means enmity with God (4). Further, the conflicts are bound up with failure to pray properly (cf. Mt 7:7–11; Jn 14:13; 15:7; 16:23), that is, not asking God at all or using God’s kindness only for one’s pleasure (Jas 4:2–3). In contrast, the proper dispositions are submission to God, repentance, humility, and resistance to evil (Jas 4:7–10). (James, CHAPTER 4, n.d.)

Psalm 55 is a complaint about a Friend’s Treachery.

* [Psalm 55] The psalmist, betrayed by intimate friends (Ps 55:14–15, 20–21), prays that God punish those oath breakers and thus be acknowledged as the protector of the wronged. The sufferings of the psalmist include both ostracism (Ps 55:4) and mental turmoil (Ps 55:5–6), culminating in the wish to flee society (Ps 55:7–9). The wish for a sudden death for one’s enemies (Ps 55:16) occurs elsewhere in the Psalms; an example of such a death is the earth opening under the wicked Dathan and Abiram (Nm 16:31–32). The psalmist, confident of vindication, exhorts others to a like trust in the God of justice (Ps 55:23). The Psalm is not so much for personal vengeance as for a public vindication of God’s righteousness now. There was no belief in an afterlife where such vindication could take place. (Psalms, PSALM 55 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus again foretells His Death and Resurrection and asks Who Is the Greatest?

* [9:33–37] Mark probably intends this incident and the sayings that follow as commentary on the disciples’ lack of understanding (Mk 9:32). Their role in Jesus’ work is one of service, especially to the poor and lowly. Children were the symbol Jesus used for the anawim, the poor in spirit, the lowly in the Christian community. (Mark, CHAPTER 9, n.d.)

Tami Whitney (2014) comments that instead of hating each other, we should be loving God, and the best way to love God is to love his people.

What better way to show God our appreciation than to appreciate and respect, even love, his creation. Loving each other, treating each other decently – even the poor, especially the poor – is the best way to have satisfaction in our lives. Those who love the lowest, least important people, those who give with no expectation of benefit, will receive the greatest benefit. The things of the world are not the most satisfying, but the love of God can satisfy all. (Whitney, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Downward roots enable upward growth,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Observe a tree, how it first tends downwards, that it may then shoot forth upwards. It fastens its root low in the ground, that it may send forth its top towards heaven. Is it not from humility that it endeavors to rise? But without humility it will not attain to higher things (Proverbs 18:12). You are wanting to grow up into the air without a root. Such is not growth, but a collapse." (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, SERMON 38.2) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 9:30-37 comments that when we experience strong emotions that have the potential to lead us into sin, we shouldn’t be surprised or get down on ourselves. Instead, free of shame, we can acknowledge to the Lord how we are feeling and then ask for his help. In his humanity, Jesus knows exactly what we are going through. Not only is he our model for how to govern our emotions, but he gives us the grace to do it.

We don’t know if tempers flared or unkind words were said as the disciples argued. But notice that Jesus didn’t berate them for indulging in such pettiness; instead, he patiently taught them about what it means to be “first” and “last” (Mark 9:35). When we don’t know how to handle our emotions, our first instinct should be to turn to Jesus. We can always count on him to help us. As he did with the apostles, he will patiently show us the way to true greatness.

“Jesus, be my lifeline whenever my emotions threaten to overwhelm me!” (Meditation on Mark 9:30-37, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler notes that the passage from James speaks about the difficulties that come from our own intentions. Conversion of our thoughts through the eyes of Jesus will allow us to be less slaves of wrong intentions and more free to choose love. Friar Jude reminds us that Jesus chose children as the example of service as anawim and those who cannot pay us back.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces religious historian Diana Butler Bass who describes the intimate relationship between Jesus and the Spirit. She shares how Jesus’ Jewish followers might have understood his connection to the Spirit.

Jesus, as a Jew, would have been familiar with the idea of shekhinah, the presence of God dwelling with the world. As Amy-Jill Levine says, “Judaism has the idea of the Shekinah, the feminine presence of God descending to earth and dwelling among human beings.” [3]…

Was that not how Jesus’s first followers experienced him?… As a person inhabited by shekhinah? That he somehow was the dwelling place of God, and that there was no real conflict in the mind of his brother and sister Jews between bearing the mystery of the sacred and being fully human? And if that is who he was, is that who he still is? The presence, the wisdom, the divine dwelling with us, the feminine spirit, here and now? (Rohr, n.d.)

We ponder the paradox of the power of humility in service as the Way followers of Jesus inspired by the Spirit “renew the face of the earth.”

References

James, CHAPTER 4. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved May 21, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/james/4?1 

Mark, CHAPTER 9. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved May 21, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/9? 

Meditation on Mark 9:30-37. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved May 21, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/05/21/972635/ 

Psalms, PSALM 55 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 21, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/55?7 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). The Spirit in Jesus. CAC Daily Meditations. Retrieved May 21, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-spirit-in-jesus/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Who Is the Greatest in God's Kingdom? Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved May 21, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=may21 

Whitney, T. (n.d.). Daily Reflection of Creighton University's Online Ministries. Creighton University's Online Ministries. Retrieved May 21, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Archive/2014/022514.html 

Trust the Relationship

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate counter cultural action in our relationship with God.

Aware of the Presence

 

The reading from the Book of Exodus describes the Cloud and the Glory experienced by Moses.

36 Whenever the cloud rose from the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out on their journey.

37 But if the cloud did not lift, they would not go forward; only when it lifted did they go forward.1 

Psalm 84 praises the joy of worship in the Temple.

 [Psalm 84] Israelites celebrated three pilgrimage feasts in Jerusalem annually. The Psalm expresses the sentiments of the pilgrims eager to enjoy the divine presence.2

 

In the Gospel of John, Jesus proclaims the Resurrection and the Life.

* [11:1–44] The raising of Lazarus, the longest continuous narrative in John outside of the passion account, is the climax of the signs. It leads directly to the decision of the Sanhedrin to kill Jesus. The theme of life predominates. Lazarus is a token of the real life that Jesus dead and raised will give to all who believe in him. Johannine irony is found in the fact that Jesus’ gift of life leads to his own death. The story is not found in the synoptics, but cf. Mk 5:21 and parallels; Lk 7:11–17. There are also parallels between this story and Luke’s parable of the rich man and poor Lazarus (Lk 16:19–31). In both a man named Lazarus dies; in Luke, there is a request that he return to convince his contemporaries of the need for faith and repentance, while in John, Lazarus does return and some believe but others do not.3 

Luis Rodriguez, S.J. comments on oblique communication. Are we free enough to “complain” to Jesus directly about his presence in our lives, or do we take it on the people Jesus places in our lives? Do we rather obliquely blame our children, family, bosses, fellow workers or community for the difficulties we experience in our relating to Jesus?

Martha, who on that occasion used oblique communication, grew in trust and felt more and more assured in that friendship. After her brother dies, she “complains” to Jesus directly, rather than complaining obliquely by addressing his disciples. In more polite words than these, she effectively tells Jesus: How come you did not come here, when we sent you our message? Martha is not sure about the extent of that friendship, yet she adds: But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of God. She was not sure, but she was assured. There will be situations in our lives, when we are not sure either of ourselves or of the meaning of our experience in our relationship to God. We are invited to be assured, even when we are not sure.4 

Don Schwager quotes “The voice of life and joy that awakens the dead,“ by Athanasius of Alexandria (295-373 AD).

"I am the voice of life that wakens the dead. I am the good odor that takes away the foul odor. I am the voice of joy that takes away sorrow and grief.... I am the comfort of those who are in grief. Those who belong to me are given joy by me. I am the joy of the whole world. I gladden all my friends and rejoice with them. I am the bread of life" (John 6:35). (excerpt from HOMILY ON THE RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS)5

 

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 11:19-27 notes that today’s Gospel gives us another view of Martha’s “no-holds-barred” relationship with Jesus. Grieving the death of her brother, Lazarus, she runs to Jesus as a friend but also as a devout believer. In a moment of complete honesty, she gently upbraids him for not coming in time. But she also shares her unquestioning faith when she proclaims him as “the Christ, the Son of God” (John 11:27). This statement is one of the most complete professions of faith we have in the Bible. In both cases,(see Luke 10.38-42) Martha didn’t mince her words. She felt free to speak directly from her heart, giving voice both to her sadness and to her faith.

What better way to honor St. Martha than to emulate her open, honest friendship with Christ? And what better way to grow closer to the Lord than to be completely transparent with him about our trials and complaints as well as our faith? It’s not a sign of disrespect to tell him exactly what we’re thinking. On the contrary, we honor Jesus when we let him see what’s in our hearts. It’s our way of opening ourselves to him and inviting him to live in us as our Lord and Savior. “Lord, help me to be bold and transparent in my love for you!”6 

Friar Jude Winkler shares the experience of the Israelites of the “shekinah” God’s Presence in the tent and the cloud. In the prologue to John’s Gospel and the Cloud of the Spirit over Mary in Luke we connect to the “shekinah”. Friar Jude reminds us that we live in the life of Jesus as soon as we develop a relationship with Him.

 

Fr Richard Rohr, OFM, shares that in his Franciscan tradition, joy comes from an inner realization of true experiential union with God … Authentic joy, however, takes place through our pain… There is much covering up, escaping, or denying our suffering in unhealthy religion. God calls us, instead, to the whole paschal mystery—passion, death, and resurrection. CAC teacher Barbara Holmes knows that such joy is for both the individual and the community, providing sustaining, life-giving power for marginalized people.

Performing joy offers healing from our addictive engagement with domination systems. We are not required to fight for our reality; we can just live it. . . . We are being invited to awaken to our true nature as spirit beings, energy sharers, and prophets of potential. The joy spoken of in Holy Scripture is accessible, but also has a certain “beyondness” to it: The world didn’t give it and the world can’t take it away. As we hear from Jesus in John 16:22: “So you have pain now; but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.” [2]7 

In our pain and disappointment we may miss the joy of consolation in our connection to the Presence of Christ.

 

References

1	(n.d.). Exodus, CHAPTER 40 | USCCB. Retrieved July 29, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/exodus/40
2	(n.d.). Psalms, PSALM 84 | USCCB. Retrieved July 29, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/84
3	(n.d.). John, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB. Retrieved July 29, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/11
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - Online Ministries - Creighton University. Retrieved July 29, 2021, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/072921.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 29, 2021, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2021&date=jul29
6	(n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved July 29, 2021, from https://wau.org/meditations/2021/07/29/190402/
7	(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 29, 2021, from https://cac.org/crisis-contemplation-and-joy-2021-07-29/

Time and the Plan

The first read of the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today may indicate that we are marking some history of the Kings of Israel and remembering the moment of Mary surrendering with “yes” to the Will of God at the Incarnation.

A canvas that brings together Heaven and Earth: Henry Ossawa Tanner’s “Annunciation” https://t.co/NtfytZl7Re pic.twitter.com/KSrR9IMiB8

— Aleteia (@AleteiaEN) December 15, 2017

When we consider the “wibbly-wobbly” nature of time, the penetration of these events in life today and continuously in the story of our relationship to God is the witness to the Loving Power that overshadows humanity. The Dynastic Oracle is the prophetic message of Nathan to David in the Second Book of Samuel that sets the expectation of the Messianic ruler in Israel.

[7:8–16] The message Nathan delivers to David, called the Dynastic Oracle, is prompted by David’s intention to build a house (i.e., a temple) for the Lord, like David’s own house (i.e., palace) of cedar. David is told, in effect, not to bother building a house for the Lord; rather, the Lord will make a house for him—a dynasty, the House of David. Not only will he have descendants (v. 12) who will sit upon the throne of Israel (v. 13), their rule will last forever (vv. 13, 16); and even if they transgress the Lord’s commands, the line of David will never be removed from kingship as Saul was (cf. 1 Sm 13; 15). The oracle establishes the Davidic king as standing in relationship to the Lord as a son to a father (v. 14; cf. Ps 2:7; 89:27). The Dynastic Oracle, with cognate texts in the Scriptures, is the basis for Jewish expectations of an anointed king (1 Sm 12:3, 5), son of David (Mt 21:9); cf. Acts 2:30; Heb 1:5.

The doxology written by Paul is an admirable conclusion to the Letter to the Romans.

[16:25–27] This doxology is assigned variously to the end of Rom 14; 15; 16 in the manuscript tradition. Some manuscripts omit it entirely. Whether written by Paul or not, it forms an admirable conclusion to the letter at this point.

In the Gospel from Luke, the message of Gabriel to Mary focuses on Jesus in his identity as Son of David (Lk 1:32–33) and Son of God (Lk 1:32, 35).

[1:26–38] The announcement to Mary of the birth of Jesus is parallel to the announcement to Zechariah of the birth of John. In both the angel Gabriel appears to the parent who is troubled by the vision (Lk 1:11–12, 26–29) and then told by the angel not to fear (Lk 1:13, 30). After the announcement is made (Lk 1:14–17, 31–33) the parent objects (Lk 1:18, 34) and a sign is given to confirm the announcement (Lk 1:20, 36). The particular focus of the announcement of the birth of Jesus is on his identity as Son of David (Lk 1:32–33) and Son of God (Lk 1:32, 35).

Ralph W. Klein connects the Oracle of Nathan to the critique of a Temple for the Jews, a theme that connects the Zionists who created the modern State of Israel to the Christian-Zionists of today, and the Christian already but not yet Messianic expectation.

While David’s offer to build Yahweh a house or a temple was rejected, Yahweh promised to build David a house, that is, an everlasting dynasty. Davidic kings ruled in Jerusalem for more than four centuries, ending with the exiling of Zedekiah in 586 BCE. But already before the end of the physical kingship, biblical writers concluded that God would keep the promise to David in the promise of the coming messiah, and Christians concluded that the promise of messiah was fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, whose title Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word messiah. So 2 Samuel 7 is the real basis for the messianic hope.

Father John A. Hardon, S.J. credits the Blessed Virgin Mary, with teaching us the hardest, yet most important lesson about surrender that we have to learn in life.

Blessed Virgin Mary, teach us the hardest yet most important lesson we have to learn in life. That like you, we to shall be blessed, made happy by God in this life by conforming our wills to the will of your divine Son. And again like you, we shall join Him and you in that blessed eternity provided that once more, like you, we have always loved what He tells us to do. Amen

Don Schwager reflects that Mary's prompt response of "yes" to the divine message is a model of faith for all believers.

Mary's prompt response of "yes" to the divine message is a model of faith for all believers. Mary believed God's promises even when they seemed impossible. She was full of grace because she trusted that what God said was true and would be fulfilled. She was willing and eager to do God's will, even if it seemed difficult or costly. Mary is the "mother of God" because God becomes incarnate when he takes on flesh in her womb.  When we pray the Nicene Creed we state our confession of faith in this great mystery: "For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit, he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and was made man".

Friar Jude Winkler adds some background to the reasons why God forbade David to build a Temple. The name of Yeshua “Yahweh saves” and the “son of God”, the Messiah, the anointed One, the King of Israel and sense that the Shekhina(h) would overshadow Mary as the new Ark of the Covenant through the Incarnation occurs through an act of surrender and not after understanding of what it all means, Friar Jude reminds.

Lauren Tuchman expands the concept of The Shekhinah or The Divine Presence or Divine Feminine in Judaism.

In other words, the Shekhinah is made manifest or felt in those moments when a person feels closest or most deeply connected to G-d. The Shekhinah dwells with a person while they are praying, studying sacred text or while doing any number of positive mitzvot which bring joy, including dwelling in the Sukkah, the temporary booth that Jews dwell in for the Sukkot holiday which occurs in the fall. The Shekhinah is with those who are sick and is mentioned in the Angel’s Blessing which is a part of the Bedtime Shema.

John Shea, S.J. shares a reflection of time’s “wibbly-wobbly” nature in which today is the last day of Advent, Christmas Eve, and also (beginning with the vigil Mass) the first day of Christmas time. He asks how we will occupy those few hours in between these two liturgical seasons?

Mary fulfills the prophecy with her yes, “May it be done to me according to your word” and so the Incarnation begins…. or so we like to believe. But God’s entering into Creation had already begun. It was always part of the Divine Plan. God is love and the lover always wants to be with the beloved. Thus, God’s desire to be with us goes back to the beginning of Creation and, transcending time, stretches into the far distant future. We see this desire manifested when we recognize God in Scripture, the Eucharist, Creation and one another. The Incarnation has occurred, is occurring, and continues to occur. Time is too wibbly-wobbly to simply constrain God’s enfleshment to one specific time and place.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, prays we may go and grow forward as breach-menders, who restore the places in which God’s presence has become hidden or misrepresented. We need to have courage and be tender.

This year we’ve explored many first principles or essential elements of the Christian tradition, attempting to clear away the rubble of unhelpful theology, low-level thinking, abuse of power, and misunderstanding. Even if you aren’t Christian, I hope you’ve been able to apply universal themes to your own spiritual journey. Here are just some of those topics (find more in the online archive):

 The Incarnation is ongoing and the Presence of God in The Shekhinah from Hebrew Tradition and in the Eucharist of Christian practice is experience like the Divine that cannot be confined in time-space.

References

(n.d.). 2 Samuel, chapter 7 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved December 24, 2017, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/2samuel/7

(n.d.). Romans, chapter 16 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved December 24, 2017, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/romans/16:25

(n.d.). Luke, chapter 1 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved December 24, 2017, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke/1:46

(n.d.). 2 Samuel 7:1-14a Commentary by Ralph W. Klein - Working Preacher .... Retrieved December 24, 2017, from https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2528

(n.d.). Fr. Hardon Archives - The Annunciation Retrieved December 24, 2017, from http://www.therealpresence.org/archives/Angelology/Angelology_022.htm

(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 24, 2017, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/

(2012, January 17). The Shekhinah or The Divine Presence or Divine Feminine in Judaism. Retrieved December 24, 2017, from http://www.stateofformation.org/2012/01/the-shekhinah-or-the-divine-presence-or-divine-feminine-in-judaism/

(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved December 24, 2017, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html

(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 24, 2017, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/