Word Law and Mission

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with our Baptismal anointing to preach the Love of God to the people on our path and, if necessary, use words.

People on our Path

In the reading from the Prophet Nehemiah, Ezra reads the Law.

* [8:1–18] Chronologically this belongs after Ezr 8:36. The gloss mentioning Nehemiah in Neh 8:9 was inserted in this Ezra section after the dislocation of several parts of Ezra-Nehemiah had occurred. There is no clear evidence of a simultaneous presence of Nehemiah and Ezra in Jerusalem; Neh 12:26, 36 are also scribal glosses. (Nehemiah, CHAPTER 8, 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, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus commissions the Mission of the Seventy.

* [10:1–12] Only the Gospel of Luke contains two episodes in which Jesus sends out his followers on a mission: the first (Lk 9:1–6) is based on the mission in Mk 6:6b–13 and recounts the sending out of the Twelve; here in Lk 10:1–12 a similar report based on Q becomes the sending out of seventy-two in this gospel. The episode continues the theme of Jesus preparing witnesses to himself and his ministry. These witnesses include not only the Twelve but also the seventy-two who may represent the Christian mission in Luke’s own day. Note that the instructions given to the Twelve and to the seventy-two are similar and that what is said to the seventy-two in Lk 10:4 is directed to the Twelve in Lk 22:35.

* [10:1] Seventy[-two]: important representatives of the Alexandrian and Caesarean text types read “seventy,” while other important Alexandrian texts and Western readings have “seventy-two.”

* [10:4] Carry no money bag…greet no one along the way: because of the urgency of the mission and the single mindedness required of missionaries, attachment to material possessions should be avoided and even customary greetings should not distract from the fulfillment of the task. 

* [10:5] First say, ‘Peace to this household’: see notes on Lk 2:14 and Mt 10:13.

* [10:6] A peaceful person: literally, “a son of peace.” (Luke, CHAPTER 10, n.d.)

Carol Zuegner comments that peace is the theme of the gospel as Luke relates the story of Jesus sending out the 72 to spread his word. It won’t be easy. Not a lot of joy there as he compares them to the lambs among the wolves. We each carry the message of the gospel to the world by our actions and our example.

How do I bring a message of joy and peace to those around me – my family, my colleagues, the people I meet every day? I sometimes feel like a lamb among the wolves in the choices I am struggle with and whether I live out the gospel. I pray today that I can find the joy in my relationship with God and the world and live out that joy and peace in my life. (Zuegner, 2023)

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus the Good Shepherd changes wolves into sheep,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"How then does [Jesus] command the holy apostles, who are innocent men and 'sheep,' to seek the company of wolves, and go to them of their own will? Is not the danger apparent? Are they not set up as ready prey for their attacks? How can a sheep prevail over a wolf? How can one so peaceful conquer the savageness of beasts of prey? 'Yes,' he says, 'for they all have me as their Shepherd: small and great, people and princes, teachers and students. I will be with you, help you, and deliver you from all evil. I will tame the savage beasts. I will change wolves into sheep, and I will make the persecutors become the helpers of the persecuted. I will make those who wrong my ministers to be sharers in their pious designs. I make and unmake all things, and nothing can resist my will.'" (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 61) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Nehemiah 8:1-12 notes what a great grace it is when the Spirit reveals our failings to us! Though it might sadden us at first, it means that we don’t have to be stuck in our old ways. By repenting and receiving God’s mercy, we are able to rediscover our identity as members of his special people: as sons and daughters who can live in the freedom that Christ won for us.

This is why we need to make repentance a regular part of our time with the Lord each day. It’s also why the Sacrament of Reconciliation is so important. When we ask God to move in our hearts so that we can see where we have strayed, he will show us. And when we repent and experience his mercy, what joy we will feel! That joy will be the source of our strength (Nehemiah 8:10)—the strength we need to face our sin and turn to our merciful God each and every day!

“Father, today I repent of _______. Help me to rejoice today in your unfailing mercy.” (Meditation on Nehemiah 8:1-12, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the transformation initiated as Nehemiah and Ezra proclaim the Law to the people gathered in Jerusalem for a festival. In Luke, Seventy Two disciples, the number of the elders in the camp of Israel, are sent as sheeps among wolves to acceptance and rejection. Friar Jude reminds us to do our best and leave the results in God's hands.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Lutheran minister and public theologian Nadia Bolz-Weber who offers a sermon on the sacred nature of the human body. The woman with the bent back [Luke 13:10–17] has made her think a lot about the bodies of God’s children specifically. Our individual containers of the holy. These inconvenient and disappointing and majestic wonders of God that carry us through this life from womb to tomb.

All of this is to say that God saves you IN your body, not FROM your body. Your body is in the same form and substance as that which God chose to put on and walk among us as Jesus. Your body is holy and beautiful to God—your young, old, fit, fat, cis, queer, disabled, strong body. For after all, it is the human body in which God placed God’s image, the imago dei. God could have chosen to place the imago dei—the image of God—in the mountains, but instead she put it in our bodies. We might experience the awesomeness of God in the mountains … but we see the image of God in the human body in all its perfectly glorious diversity. (Rohr, 2023)

We contemplate our situation today and invite the Spirit to lead us to use our experience today to present the Presence of God to the people we encounter as we journey in the Way of the Mission of His disciples. 

References

Luke, CHAPTER 10. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 5, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/10? 

Meditation on Nehemiah 8:1-12. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved October 5, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/10/05/799088/ 

Nehemiah, CHAPTER 8. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 5, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/nehemiah/8?1 

Psalms, PSALM 19. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 5, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/19?8 

Rohr, R. (2023, October 5). Our Bodies Are Wholly Holy — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 5, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/our-bodies-are-wholly-holy/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). The Kingdom of God Has Come near to You. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 5, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=oct5 

Zuegner, C. (2023, October 5). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved October 5, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/100523.html 

 

Justice and Blessing

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to escape from notions of our destiny being constrained by our ancestry, inherited traits, or place in society by responding to the prompts of the Spirit to live with childlike honesty and humility.

Bring the Children

The reading from the Prophet Ezekiel declares that individual retribution and personal responsibility are involved in our relationship with God.

* [18:25] The LORD’s way is not fair: this chapter rejects the idea that punishment is transferred from one generation to the next and emphasizes individual responsibility and accountability. (Ezekiel, CHAPTER 18, n.d.)

Psalm 51 is a prayer for cleansing and pardon.

* [Psalm 51] A lament, the most famous of the seven Penitential Psalms, prays for the removal of the personal and social disorders that sin has brought. The poem has two parts of approximately equal length: Ps 51:3–10 and Ps 51:11–19, and a conclusion in Ps 51:20–21. The two parts interlock by repetition of “blot out” in the first verse of each section (Ps 51:3, 11), of “wash (away)” just after the first verse of each section (Ps 51:4) and just before the last verse (Ps 51:9) of the first section, and of “heart,” “God,” and “spirit” in Ps 51:12, 19. (Psalms, PSALM 51, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus blesses little children.

* [19:13–15] This account is understood by some as intended to justify the practice of infant baptism. That interpretation is based principally on the command not to prevent the children from coming, since that word sometimes has a baptismal connotation in the New Testament; see Acts 8:36. (Matthew, CHAPTER 19, n.d.)

Steve Scholer asks how do we regain the childlike humility we once had? He offers an old prayer that many of us may have said often. It remains a powerful reminder that the key to our salvation is inextricably tied to our willingness to become less self-centered and more Christ-centered.

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I, Jesus grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, grant me the grace to desire it. (Scholer, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “To such belongs the Kingdom,” by Epiphanius the Latin (late 5th century).

"Why did the disciples keep the children back? Not because of the children's wickedness but because it was not the right time. They did not want the Lord to be tired by the great crowd. To them he said, 'Let the children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.' For children are ignorant of wickedness. They do not know how to return evil for evil or how to do someone an injury. They do not know how to be lustful or to fornicate or to rob. What they hear, they believe. They love their parents with complete affection. Therefore, beloved, the Lord instructs us that what they are by the gift of nature, we should become by the fear of God, a holy way of life and love of the heavenly kingdom - for unless we are alien to all sin just like children, we cannot come to the Savior." (excerpt from INTERPRETATION OF THE GOSPELS 25) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 19:13-15 comments that Jesus corrected them in his stunning words: “The Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14). The disciples had been wrong. They misunderstood Jesus’ mission; they didn’t see what he thought was important. Not only were the children not an interruption, but they were also a prophetic sign of his kingdom. What’s more, the disciples needed to learn from these little ones how to come to Jesus. And so do we.

Jesus came to remove every barrier between God and his people. He is eager to have a relationship—with the children, with the disciples, and with you. So come to him freely, with a teachable and humble heart. Bring him your burdens, your hopes, and your fears. Come with confidence in his love. The kingdom of heaven is open to you.

“Lord, I come to you with trust today.” (Meditation on Matthew 19:13-15, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler uses the passage from Ezekiel to comment on our concept of original sin as a weakness we inherit. We are each responsible for our sin and we deserve the consequences. Friar Jude reminds us that the Kingdom of Heaven, a phrase used by the Pharisee editor to avoid writing “Kingdom of God”, is close to those with childlike innocence, goodness, and wonder.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, summarizes the Embodied Knowing theme and introduces spiritual guide and author Christine Valters Paintner who has found spiritual healing by moving her body regularly with gentle yoga and dance. She invites us to meditate with our bodies to music.

Your invitation is to enter into movement through the breath. Put on a piece of flute music, which is music of the breath. . . .

I invite you to integrate softening, stability, and statio [1] into this movement. Begin with several long, slow breaths. Play the flute music, but don’t start moving right away. Pause first, practicing this monastic statio, aware that you are on the threshold between stillness and moving.

As you feel the impulse to move arising in your body, follow it. It may be as simple as raising your arms on the inhale and lowering them on the exhale. Let the movement be very slow and mindful so that you remain present to the experience. Let this be a time of exploring the vow of stability by staying fully with yourself; whenever your attention drifts, simply bring it back to this moment. Feel free to pause whenever you need to.

Notice places in your body that feel tight with tension, and bring your breath there. Perhaps make some slow circles to open the space there.

After several minutes of moving meditation, staying present to yourself, and listening as well as you can to your body’s impulses and following them, pause again. Notice the energy moving through your body and any shifts from when you first began. (Rohr, n.d.)

We are invited by the Spirit to accept Jesus' invitation to renew our childlike openness to love, sincerity, and awe as we journey to fullness of life.

References

Ezekiel, CHAPTER 18. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 13, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ezekiel/18?1 

Matthew, CHAPTER 19. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 13, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/19?13 

Meditation on Matthew 19:13-15. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved August 13, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/08/13/467523/ 

Psalms, PSALM 51. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 13, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/51?12 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 13, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/embodied-wisdom-weekly-summary-2022-08-13/ 

Scholer, S. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. OnlineMinistries. Retrieved August 13, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/081322.html 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Let the Children Come to Me. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 13, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=aug13