Apostolic Foundation

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary for the Feast of Saints Simon and Jude nudge us to reflect on how the example of the Apostles is a guide for our journey today.

Apostolic Foundation

The reading from the Letter to the Ephesians remind us of being One in Christ built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets.

* [2:11–22] The Gentiles lacked Israel’s messianic expectation, lacked the various covenants God made with Israel, lacked hope of salvation and knowledge of the true God (Eph 2:11–12); but through Christ all these religious barriers between Jew and Gentile have been transcended (Eph 2:13–14) by the abolition of the Mosaic covenant-law (Eph 2:15) for the sake of uniting Jew and Gentile into a single religious community (Eph 2:15–16), imbued with the same holy Spirit and worshiping the same Father (Eph 2:18). The Gentiles are now included in God’s household (Eph 2:19) as it arises upon the foundation of apostles assisted by those endowed with the prophetic gift (Eph 3:5), the preachers of Christ (Eph 2:20; cf. 1 Cor 12:28). With Christ as the capstone (Eph 2:20; cf. Is 28:16; Mt 21:42), they are being built into the holy temple of God’s people where the divine presence dwells (Eph 2:21–22). (Ephesians, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 19 praises God’s Glory in Creation and the Law.

* [Psalm 19] The heavenly elements of the world, now beautifully arranged, bespeak the power and wisdom of their creator (Ps 19:2–7). The creator’s wisdom is available to human beings in the law (Ps 19:8–11), toward which the psalmist prays to be open (Ps 19:12–14). The themes of light and speech unify the poem. (Psalms, PSALM 19 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus Chooses the Twelve Apostles.

* [6:13] He chose Twelve: the identification of this group as the Twelve is a part of early Christian tradition (see 1 Cor 15:5), and in Matthew and Luke, the Twelve are associated with the twelve tribes of Israel (Lk 22:29–30; Mt 19:28). After the fall of Judas from his position among the Twelve, the need is felt on the part of the early community to reconstitute this group before the Christian mission begins at Pentecost (Acts 1:15–26). From Luke’s perspective, they are an important group who because of their association with Jesus from the time of his baptism to his ascension (Acts 1:21–22) provide the continuity between the historical Jesus and the church of Luke’s day and who as the original eyewitnesses guarantee the fidelity of the church’s beliefs and practices to the teachings of Jesus (Lk 1:1–4). Whom he also named apostles: only Luke among the gospel writers attributes to Jesus the bestowal of the name apostles upon the Twelve. See note on Mt 10:2–4. “Apostle” becomes a technical term in early Christianity for a missionary sent out to preach the word of God. Although Luke seems to want to restrict the title to the Twelve (only in Acts 4:4, 14 are Paul and Barnabas termed apostles), other places in the New Testament show an awareness that the term was more widely applied (1 Cor 15:5–7; Gal 1:19; 1 Cor 1:1; 9:1; Rom 16:7).

* [6:14] Simon, whom he named Peter: see note on Mk 3:16.

* [6:15] Simon who was called a Zealot: the Zealots were the instigators of the First Revolt of Palestinian Jews against Rome in A.D. 66–70. Because the existence of the Zealots as a distinct group during the lifetime of Jesus is the subject of debate, the meaning of the identification of Simon as a Zealot is unclear.

* [6:16] Judas Iscariot: the name Iscariot may mean “man from Kerioth.” (Luke, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Sherri Brown comments that little is known about these seemingly ordinary Jewish men, Simon and Jude, who are chosen by Jesus for new vocations in apostleship. Later church traditions indicate that they went on separate missionary journeys initially, but reunited and worked together in Persia, where they were eventually martyred. For this reason, we celebrate their lives of faithful self-sacrifice together.

Back to the Gospel of Luke, I notice Jesus’s process. He spends time in solitude and prayerful communion with God. Thereafter, he returns to his community with renewed vigor and acts decisively. How might we live accordingly? We may not have a crew of willing disciples eagerly waiting on a mission, but we likely have something befitting our own callings. Our challenge is not to stop at prayer but, like Jesus, the Apostles, and the prophets before us, to allow that discernment in prayer to lead to active participation in our various communities. This is how we solidify the foundation of the community of faith: one stone at a time. (Brown, 2023)

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus chose fishermen and tax collectors to be apostles,” by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.

"It says, 'He called his disciples, and he chose twelve of them,' whom he appointed sowers of the faith, to spread the help of human salvation throughout the world. At the same time, observe the heavenly counsel. He chose not wise men, nor rich men, nor nobles, but fishermen and tax collectors, whom he would direct, lest they seem to have seduced some by wisdom, or bought them with riches, or attracted them to their own grace with the authority of power and nobility. He did this so that the reasoning of truth, not the grace of disputation, should prevail."(excerpt from EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 5.44) (Schwager, 2019)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Ephesians 2:19-22 comments that the Holy Spirit is the One who overcomes all divisions, even the ancient animosity between Gentiles and Jews. He is the One who sent Simon and Jude to a land of “strangers” and led them to invite these strangers to become “fellow citizens” with the Lord (Ephesians 2:19). Because of the Spirit, these two members of Jesus’ earthly family treated members of a foreign race as their own brothers and sisters in Christ. He even empowered them to lay down their lives out of love for them!

The Holy Spirit healed Simon and Jude of any prejudice or animosity they might have felt against the Gentiles of Persia. He can do the same for us. He can abolish any prejudice in us and propel us into the world to reach out to the “strangers and sojourners” around us (Ephesians 2:19). Let’s ask Jesus to show us how to do just that.

“Holy Spirit, empower me to share Christ’s love with everyone I meet today!” (Meditation on Ephesians 2:19-22, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that the author of Ephesians declares that the Gentiles are not longer strangers but have been included in the Institution built upon the Apostles. In Luke, Jesus prays before He does anything important. Friar Jude explains how the similarity in European languages between the names Judas and Jude is connected to the patron saint of hopeless causes.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that the beguines, like their Franciscan contemporaries in Italy, chose to live in poverty, simplicity, and service to those in need. Father Richard points to how we might embrace a life of “poverty,” even in times of sufficiency and abundance.

Letting go of our own small vantage point is the core of what we mean by conversion, but also what we mean by Franciscan “poverty.” Poverty is not just a life of simplicity, humility, restraint, or even lack. Poverty is when we recognize that myself—by itself—is largely powerless and ineffective. John’s Gospel puts it quite strongly when it says that a branch that does not abide in Jesus “is withered and useless” (see John 15:6). The transformed self, living in union, no longer lives in shame or denial of its weakness, but even rejoices because it does not need to pretend that it is any more than it actually is—which is now more than enough! [1](Rohr, 2023)

We contemplate the contribution of the apostolic nature of our Christian community to our appreciation of the continuing call of Christ to all people to live in His Love.

References

Brown, S. (2023, October 28). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved October 28, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/102823.html 

Ephesians, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 28, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ephesians/2?19 

Luke, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 28, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/6?12 

Meditation on Ephesians 2:19-22. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved October 28, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/10/28/815725/ 

Psalms, PSALM 19 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 28, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/19?2 

Rohr, R. (2023, October 28). Mechthild of Magdeburg: Weekly Summary — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 28, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/mechthild-of-magdeburg-weekly-summary/

Schwager, D. (2019, March 9). Jesus Chose Twelve Apostles. Daily Scripture net. Retrieved October 28, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=oct28a 

 

Law and Life

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today exhort us to evaluate the tensions in our life that threaten to hide the love that is present to us as Christ acts through the people in our life.

Law and Life

In the reading from the Letter to the Romans, Paul expounds on his struggle with sin and death.

* [7:13–25] Far from improving the sinner, law encourages sin to expose itself in transgressions or violations of specific commandments (see Rom 1:24; 5:20). Thus persons who do not experience the justifying grace of God, and Christians who revert to dependence on law as the criterion for their relationship with God, will recognize a rift between their reasoned desire for the goodness of the law and their actual performance that is contrary to the law. Unable to free themselves from the slavery of sin and the power of death, they can only be rescued from defeat in the conflict by the power of God’s grace working through Jesus Christ.

* [7:23] As in Rom 3:27 Paul plays on the term law, which in Greek can connote custom, system, or principle. (Romans, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 119 praises the Glories of God’s Law.

* [Psalm 119] This Psalm, the longest by far in the Psalter, praises God for giving such splendid laws and instruction for people to live by. The author glorifies and thanks God for the Torah, prays for protection from sinners enraged by others’ fidelity to the law, laments the cost of obedience, delights in the law’s consolations, begs for wisdom to understand the precepts, and asks for the rewards of keeping them. (Psalms, PSALM 119 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus alerts us to interpreting the time and settling with our opponents.

* [12:59] The last penny: Greek, lepton, a very small amount. Mt 5:26 has for “the last penny” the Greek word kodrantēs (Latin quadrans, “farthing”). (Luke, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)

Ann Mausbach comments that another interesting thing about today’s gospel is that we are reminded of Jesus’ struggle on earth. He sounds a little impatient. He reached out to the sick and disadvantaged because he wanted to demonstrate that salvation was available to everyone, a revolutionary concept in that time (and even today).

It’s no wonder he was frustrated as his good deeds were frequently meant with skepticism. This human aspect of Jesus' character serves as a reminder that it's okay to struggle, but we must keep engaging with God. This isn’t something we can put off, it must happen now, in our day-to-day life. 

As we pray this week let’s remember to see the signs and more importantly understand and act on them. Let’s remember that the time is now to demonstrate our love for God and our fellow man. (Mausbach, 2023)

Don Schwager quotes “Signs from the Law point to the dawn of the Mystery of Christ,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"People focus their attention on things of this kind. From long observation and practice they tell beforehand when rain will fall or violent winds will blow. One especially sees that sailors are very skillful in this matter. He says that it would be suitable for those who can calculate things of this sort and may foretell storms that are about to happen to focus the penetrating eyes of the mind also on important matters. What are these? The law showed beforehand the mystery of Christ, that he would shine out in the last ages of the world on the inhabitants of the earth and submit to be a sacrifice for the salvation of all. It even commanded a lamb to be sacrificed as a type of him who died towards evening and at lighting of lamps (Exodus 12:6).

"We might now understand that when, like the day, this world was declining to its close, the great, precious and truly saving passion would be fulfilled. The door of salvation would be thrown wide open to those who believe in him, and abundant happiness be their share. In the Song of Songs, we also find Christ calling to the bride described there. The bride personally represents the church, in these words, 'Arise, come, my neighbor, my beautiful dove. Look, the winter is past, and the rain is gone. It has passed away. The flowers appear on the ground. The time of the pruning has come' (Song 2:10-12). As I said, a certain springlike calm was about to arise for those who believe in him." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 95) (Schwager, 2019)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 12:54-59 comments that the Lord longs to pierce through our fog. For centuries, the saints have offered a simple tool to do just that: silence. Contemplative silence can help us cut through distractions so that we can see the Lord. While it may take time, persevering in silent contemplation gives the Lord the space to wipe our spiritual lenses clean. It softens our hearts and increases our ability to recognize Jesus everywhere we go.

Sometimes this path of silence can be difficult, but the name of Jesus is a powerful guide. As you quietly seek the Lord, utter his sacred name in your heart with each breath. With one breath after another, his name can lead you closer to him. As you release your burdens, you can move toward peace. The name of Jesus can help wipe away distractions and open your eyes to better see and follow the Lord. Then you will be able to “interpret the present time” and recognize what the Lord is doing—both in your heart and in the world around you.

“Lord Jesus, open my eyes.” (Meditation on Luke 12:54-59, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the battle of Paul expressed in Romans between his knowledge of good and his concupiscence in which he is tempted to do other things. Following Jesus does involve saying no to other choices. Friar Jude reminds us that living a life consistent with our calling is essential to starting to live in the Kingdom now.

James Finley notes that Mechthild of Magdeburg lived independently as a beguine until she could no longer care for herself. He highlights what we can learn from Mechthild as she approached her death by sharing her prayer expressing her gratitude to God for her powerlessness.

Thus speaks a beggar woman in her prayer to God:

Lord, I thank You that since in Your love You have taken from me all earthly riches, You now clothe and feed me through the goodness of others, so that I no longer know those things that might clothe my heart in pride of possession.

Lord, I thank You that since You have taken my sight from me, You serve me through the eyes of others.

Lord, I thank You that since You have taken from me the strength of my hands and the strength of my heart, You now serve me with the hands and hearts of others. [1] (Finley, 2023)

We are nudged by the Spirit to take time to contemplate the opportunities we encounter on our journey to know the Love of God in our relationships with people and Nature.

References

Finley, J. (2023, October 27). Unraveled by Love — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 27, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/unraveled-by-love/ 

Luke, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 27, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/12?54 

Mausbach, A. (2023, October 27). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved October 27, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/102723.html 

Meditation on Luke 12:54-59. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved October 27, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/10/27/815177/ 

Psalms, PSALM 119 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 27, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/119? 

Romans, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 27, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/7?18 

Schwager, D. (2019, March 9). Heed the Warning Signs before It Is Too Late. Daily Scripture net. Retrieved October 27, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=oct27