Yeast of Destruction

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to identify and prepare for the flood of chaos that is a leaven spreading destruction in the lives of our communities.

Yeast of Chaos

The reading from the Book of Genesis describes The Great Flood.

* [6:5–8:22] The story of the great flood is commonly regarded as a composite narrative based on separate sources woven together. To the Yahwist source, with some later editorial additions, are usually assigned 6:5–8; 7:1–5, 7–10, 12, 16b, 17b, 22–23; 8:2b–3a, 6–12, 13b, 20–22. The other sections are usually attributed to the Priestly writer. There are differences between the two sources: the Priestly source has two pairs of every animal, whereas the Yahwist source has seven pairs of clean animals and two pairs of unclean; the floodwater in the Priestly source is the waters under and over the earth that burst forth, whereas in the Yahwist source the floodwater is the rain lasting forty days and nights. In spite of many obvious discrepancies in these two sources, one should read the story as a coherent narrative. The biblical story ultimately draws upon an ancient Mesopotamian tradition of a great flood, preserved in the Sumerian flood story, the eleventh tablet of the Gilgamesh Epic, and (embedded in a longer creation story) the Atrahasis Epic. (Genesis, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 29 praises The Voice of God in a Great Storm.

* [Psalm 29] The hymn invites the members of the heavenly court to acknowledge God’s supremacy by ascribing glory and might to God alone (Ps 29:1–2a, 9b). Divine glory and might are dramatically visible in the storm (Ps 29:3–9a). The storm apparently comes from the Mediterranean onto the coast of Syria-Palestine and then moves inland. In Ps 29:10 the divine beings acclaim God’s eternal kingship. The Psalm concludes with a prayer that God will impart the power just displayed to the Israelite king and through the king to Israel. (Psalms, PSALM 29 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus condemns the Yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.

* [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. (Mark, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB, n.d.)

Nancy Shirley reflects on reading Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning. Frankl spent time not only in Auschwitz but also three other labor camps. 

The Serenity Prayer speaks of having the wisdom to know the difference to have courage to change or serenity to accept things.  Frankl asserted that Wisdom of knowing the difference was critical to survival - when we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. Building on his teachings and insights, it was said

Spiritual warfare is a must to victory. A life of prayer defeats the enemy of your soul and gives you direct connection to the One who created you, God, and it builds your relationship with Jesus Christ.   

My recent challenges in pursuing “serenity” pale in regards to what Viktor and so many others have endured. Once again, writing this reflection is a gift to me and puts so much in perspective. As you all know, music is what speaks most clearly to me, I couldn’t help but think of lines from the song, How Can I Keep From Singing?

No storm can shake my inmost calm while to that Rock I’m clinging
Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth, how can I keep from singing (Shirley, 2025)

Don Schwager quotes “Heed the truth of the Gospel,” by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD)

"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) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 8:14-21 comments that Jesus wants to give us a new way to perceive the world and his work in it. Are we looking just with our physical eyes, or are we learning to see more deeply? How do we look beyond the immediate and obvious and try to appreciate how the Holy Spirit—whom we cannot see—is at work?

Ponder these questions. Thank God for the moments when you did look closely, and ask him to help you become even more attentive. Let Jesus, the Master Artist, open your eyes further so that you can behold the beauty of his work.

“Come, Holy Spirit, and open my eyes today!” (Meditation on Mark 8:14-21, 2025)

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces author Felicia Murrell who shares her experience of growing up with a strong sense of our story that was limited by the power of other stories.

How do we move toward each other in love, the truth of our authentic power? Perhaps, we welcome change instead of resisting it. To expand my worldview beyond the paradigm of Southern, Christian, rural or working poor to a larger cosmic frame that is inclusive, universal, affirming, and accepting, I needed to see the parts and the whole in all their majestic splendor and their messy complexity.  

Transcendence is not a denial or detachment from my story or our story. It is an arduous commitment to truth-telling; to fully seeing; to empathetic listening that requires the work of living and be-ing in the world; of deep, intimate knowing; of moving beyond our theories and maps into relationship building. (Rohr, n.d.)

We consider the rabbinic saying that connects the nature of punishment to the sin as we pray about the impact of social and political chaos on our mission.

References

Genesis, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 18, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/6?5 

Mark, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 18, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/8?14 

Meditation on Mark 8:14-21. (2025, February 18). The Word Among Us. Retrieved February 18, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/02/18/1205841/ 

Psalms, PSALM 29 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 18, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/29?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). The Impact of Our Story on Others. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved February 18, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-impact-of-our-story-on-others/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees and Herod. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 18, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=feb18 

Shirley, N. (2025, February 18). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Retrieved February 18, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/021825.html 

Theophany and Transfiguration

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate the mountain top experiences of our life journey in an openness that allows the Spirit to reveal the Transcendent.

Mountaintop Experience

The reading from the Book of Daniel describes judgement before the Ancient One.

* [7:13–14] One like a son of man: In contrast to the worldly kingdoms opposed to God, which are represented as grotesque beasts, the coming Kingdom of God is represented by a human figure. Scholars disagree as to whether this figure should be taken as a collective symbol for the people of God (cf. 7:27) or identified as a particular individual, e.g., the archangel Michael (cf. 12:1) or the messiah. The phrase “Son of Man” becomes a title for Jesus in the gospels, especially in passages dealing with the Second Coming (Mk 13 and parallels). (Daniel, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 97 praises the Glory of God’s Reign.

* [Psalm 97] The hymn begins with God appearing in a storm, a traditional picture of some ancient Near Eastern gods (Ps 97:1–6); cf. Ps 18:8–16; Mi 1:3–4; Heb 3:3–15. Israel rejoices in the overthrowing of idol worshipers and their gods (Ps 97:7–9) and the rewarding of the faithful righteous (Ps 97:10–12). (Psalms, PSALM 97 | USCCB, n.d.)

The reading from the Second Letter of Peter describes being an eyewitnesses of Christ’s Glory.

* [1:12–19] The purpose in writing is to call to mind the apostle’s witness to the truth, even as he faces the end of his life (2 Pt 1:12–15), his eyewitness testimony to Christ (1 Pt 1:16–18), and the true prophetic message (2 Pt 1:19) through the Spirit in scripture (2 Pt 1:20–21), in contrast to what false teachers are setting forth (2 Pt 2). (2 Peter, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Peter, James, and John witness Jesus Transfiguration.

* [9:35] Like the heavenly voice that identified Jesus at his baptism prior to his undertaking the Galilean ministry (Lk 3:22), so too here before the journey to the city of destiny is begun (Lk 9:51) the heavenly voice again identifies Jesus as Son. Listen to him: the two representatives of Israel of old depart (Lk 9:33) and Jesus is left alone (Lk 9:36) as the teacher whose words must be heeded (see also Acts 3:22). (Luke, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB, n.d.)

Ed Morse comments that our faith depends on revelation of the divine mystery of God, who draws us into this mystery.  The wonders of the created world testify to a Creator, kindling a desire to pay homage to the One who created, even though we do not yet know him. The light of truth is revealed little by little throughout a long history of encounters and events, revealing still more, until God himself comes to us through His Son.  

Few of us are privileged to have firsthand experiences with miraculous events.  But the faithful retelling of these events help to draw us deeper into the divine mystery, which continues to be revealed as we live out a relationship with God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – our father, our brother, and our helper – through the Church and with the help of the sacraments.  As we continue to sojourn here, sustained by these good gifts, we also await the day when we become eyewitnesses ourselves, seeing our Lord face to face and beholding the goodness that God has prepared for those who love him.  (See 1 Cor. 2:9).

Lord, draw us to yourself and sustain our faith, helping us to know that you have not left the Earth without witnesses to your glory, love, and mercy.  We pray especially for those who have lost their way, who need a touch from you.  Thanks be to God. (Creighton U. Daily Reflection, n.d.)

 Don Schwager quotes “Listen to Him,” by Leo the Great, 400?-461 A.D.

"A voice from the cloud said, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him. I am manifested through his preaching. I am glorified through his humility. So listen to him without hesitation. He is the truth and the life. He is my strength and wisdom. "Listen to him" whom the mysteries of the law foreshadowed, of whom the mouths of the prophets sang. "Listen to him" who by his blood redeemed the world, who binds the devil and seizes his vessels, who breaks the debt of sin and the bondage of iniquity. "Listen to him" who opens the way to heaven and by the pain of the cross prepares for you the steps of ascent into his kingdom." (excerpt from Sermon 38,7) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 9:28-36 comments that it is no wonder that, when he awoke, Peter had the wrong idea about how to honor what had just happened. Offering to build tents for the three figures, he tried to keep them there, fixed in glory, for all the world to see. But if he had heard about Jesus’ exodus, Peter might have grasped that Jesus is glorified both in his heavenly radiance and in his self-giving on the cross. He might have grasped, too, that this cross is the path to glory for everyone who follows the Lord.

Every time you come to the Lord in prayer, you too have the opportunity to hear from him—whether it’s in Scripture, as you review the events of the day, or as you reflect on the people in your life. So don’t fall asleep! Keep your “spiritual ears” open to hear him. Even if it’s just a sense of peace or a quick thought that makes you feel more compassion for someone, Jesus wants to talk with you!

“Lord, it is good for me to be here with you! Open my ears and my heart to hear you.” (Meditation on Luke 9:28-36, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the time of the authorship of the Book of Daniel and the transition in the understanding and application of the theme of Son of Man. Jesus used the Son of Man terminology from Daniel and the Suffering Servant imagery from Isaiah to refer to Himself. Friar Jude reminds us of the traditions of the Law, Prophecy, and special knowledge of heaven associated with the Transfiguration account.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces popular author Shauna Niequist who discovered the freedom and love that can be experienced by being present to life as it is. She writes about the difference between a false perfection and a lived presence.

I missed so much of my actual, human, beautiful, not-beautiful life trying to force things into perfect. But these days I’m coming to see that perfect is safe, controlled, managed. I’m finding myself drawn to mess, to darkness, to things that are loved to the point of shabbiness, or just wildly imperfect in their own gorgeous way. . . . Present is living with your feet firmly grounded in reality, pale and uncertain as it may seem. Present is choosing to believe that your own life is worth investing deeply in, instead of waiting for some rare miracle or fairy tale. Present means we understand that the here and now is sacred, sacramental, threaded through with divinity even in its plainness. Especially in its plainness.

Present over perfect living is real over image, connecting over comparing, meaning over mania, depth over artifice. Present over perfect living is the risky and revolutionary belief that the world God has created is beautiful and valuable on its own terms, and that it doesn’t need to be “zhuzzed up” and fancy in order to be wonderful. (Rohr, n.d.)

The awe and wonder we experience on our journey strengthens us to pray for the gifts of the Spirit necessary to fullness of life.

References

Creighton U. Daily Reflection. (n.d.). Online Ministries. Retrieved August 6, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/080622.html 

Daniel, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 6, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/daniel/7?9 

Luke, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 6, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/9?28 

Meditation on Luke 9:28-36. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved August 6, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/08/06/463047/ 

Psalms, PSALM 97 | USCCB. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 6, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/97?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Holy Listening. Daily Meditations Archive: 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/innocence-weekly-summary-2022-08-06/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Listen to My Beloved Son. Daily Scripture net. Retrieved August 6, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=aug6a 

2 Peter, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 6, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2peter/1