Covenant and Prophecy

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to ponder how the promise made to our spiritual ancestors is lived today as we prepare for Christmas.

The Dawn from On High

In the reading from the Second Book of Samuel, the Oracle of Nathan declares God’s Covenant with David.

* [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. (2 Samuel, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 89 praises God’s Covenant with David.

* [Psalm 89] The community laments the defeat of the Davidic king, to whom God promised kingship as enduring as the heavens (Ps 89:2–5). The Psalm narrates how God became king of the divine beings (Ps 89:6–9) and how the Davidic king became king of earthly kings (Ps 89:20–38). Since the defeat of the king calls into question God’s promise, the community ardently prays God to be faithful to the original promise to David (Ps 89:39–52).

* [89:3–5] David’s dynasty is to be as long-lasting as the heavens, a statement reinforced by using the same verbs (establish, stand) both of the divine love and loyalty and of the Davidic dynasty and throne, cf. Ps 89:29–30. (Psalm 89, n.d.)

The Gospel of Luke proclaims Zechariah’s Prophecy.

* [1:68–79] Like the canticle of Mary (Lk 1:46–55) the canticle of Zechariah is only loosely connected with its context. Apart from Lk 1:76–77, the hymn in speaking of a horn for our salvation (Lk 1:69) and the daybreak from on high (Lk 1:78) applies more closely to Jesus and his work than to John. Again like Mary’s canticle, it is largely composed of phrases taken from the Greek Old Testament and may have been a Jewish Christian hymn of praise that Luke adapted to fit the present context by inserting Lk 1:76–77 to give Zechariah’s reply to the question asked in Lk 1:66.

* [1:69] A horn for our salvation: the horn is a common Old Testament figure for strength (Ps 18:3; 75:5–6; 89:18; 112:9; 148:14). This description is applied to God in Ps 18:3 and is here transferred to Jesus. The connection of the phrase with the house of David gives the title messianic overtones and may indicate an allusion to a phrase in Hannah’s song of praise (1 Sm 2:10), “the horn of his anointed.”

* [1:76] You will go before the Lord: here the Lord is most likely a reference to Jesus (contrast Lk 1:15–17 where Yahweh is meant) and John is presented as the precursor of Jesus.

* [1:78] The daybreak from on high: three times in the LXX (Jer 23:5; Zec 3:8; 6:12), the Greek word used here for daybreak translates the Hebrew word for “scion, branch,” an Old Testament messianic title. (Luke, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Carol Zuegner comments that in the Gospel of Luke, as in the earlier reading, the promises made are recalled, and the story retold of what has come before.

My prayer for today as I wait and anticipate what these words have foretold is in the last words of the Gospel: “In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in the darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”  I pray for light and peace (Zuegner, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “My words will not pass away,” by an anonymous early author from the Greek church

"'O forerunner of Christ!... O Baptist inspired by God! We glorify Christ who bowed his head before you in the Jordan and sanctified the nature of mortal humankind... O wise John the forerunner, you have looked down from the bank of the river upon the glory of the Father's Word, even the Son as he stood in the waters; and you have seen the Spirit descend as a dove, cleansing and enlightening the ends of the earth. To you the mystery of the Trinity was revealed; and to you we sing, honoring your divine festival.

"O Baptist and forerunner, strengthened by the divine grace of Christ you have shown us the lamb that takes away all the sins of the world (John 1:29,35-36), and with joy you have this day brought two disciples to him (John 1:35-42). Entreat him that peace and great mercy may be given to our souls." (excerpt from SYNAXIS OF JOHN THE BAPTIST) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 1:67-79 comments that both Zechariah and Scrooge experienced a “dawn from on high” breaking upon them and giving them a fresh start and a new beginning (Luke 1:78).

So turn to the Lord with a sense of hope and expectation. It’s never too late for miracles to happen. Just ask Ebenezer Scrooge—or Zechariah! Let the magnitude of Jesus’ birth make you bold and confident enough to ask the Lord for your own miracle. It may be for healing for you or someone you love. It may be for the grace to overcome some persistent problem. Don’t be shy; ask for something you think is impossible. God won’t mind. He loves seeing his children reach out to him in faith.

The Messiah is coming, and nothing will ever be the same!

“Jesus, thank you for coming to live among us. Your birth means that my life cannot and must not stay the same!” (Meditation on Luke 1:67-79, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler asks if David is “Doing a favour for God?” as he suggests building for God, a Temple. The Dynastic Oracle is proclaimed by Nathan ending the charismatic choice of leaders of Israel. Friar Jude reminds us that the Canticle of Zechariah, written as a literary chiasmus, underlines that God has remembered His Holy Covenant.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces author Cole Arthur Riley who reflects on how the incarnation of Jesus in Mary invites us to radically embrace our own embodiment. Riley offers this Advent prayer, reminding us to honor experiences of our own helplessness.

It is not lost on us that you submitted to the body of a woman, trusting in it to protect and grow you. As we remember the nine months you dwelt in the womb, the body of God being nurtured and carried, remind us that our own bodies are worthy of such care and tenderness. May this be a season of sacred pause, as we allow time to be near to our own bodies, to protect and strengthen them. In a world that demands so much of us, remind us that Christ did not come to us in physical independence, allowing the world to take and use him without limitation. Show us the face of the Christ who was gravely dependent, who needed to be held, fed, washed. Who needed to be soothed and rocked to sleep. If we are to honor the divine in us, may it be this divinity—fully embodied, fully dignified in the body. Amen. [2] (Rohr, n.d.)

As we prepare to begin our celebration of the Nativity of the Lord, we contemplate the promise of fullness of life that we are anointed to proclaim as fulfillment of ancient prophecy.

References

Luke, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 24, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/1?67 

Meditation on Luke 1:67-79. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved December 24, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/12/24/1157889/ 

Psalm 89. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 24, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/89?2 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Honoring Jesus’ Embodiment and Our Own. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 24, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/honoring-jesus-embodiment-and-our-own/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Nothing Is Impossible with God. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 24, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=dec24 

2 Samuel, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 24, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2samuel/7?1 

Zuegner, C. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. Creighton University's Online Ministries. Retrieved December 24, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/122424.html 

Bringing Abundant Life

 

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to expand our sense of love  to bring more abundant life to the people we encounter on our journey.

Love in the community

 

The reading from the Prophet Ezekiel describes life giving water flowing from the Temple.

 

* [47:1–12] The life and refreshment produced wherever the Temple stream flows evoke the order and abundance of paradise (cf. Gn 1:20–22; 2:10–14; Ps 46:5) and represent the coming transformation Ezekiel envisions for the exiles and their land. Water signifies great blessings and evidence of the Lord’s presence (cf. Jl 2:14).1

Psalm 46 praises God’s defense of His City and People.

 

* [Psalm 46] A song of confidence in God’s protection of Zion with close parallels to Ps 48. The dominant note in Ps 46 is sounded by the refrain, The LORD of hosts is with us (Ps 46:8, 12). The first strophe (Ps 46:2–4) sings of the security of God’s presence even in utter chaos; the second (Ps 46:5–8), of divine protection of the city from its enemies; the third (Ps 46:9–11), of God’s imposition of imperial peace.2

In the Gospel of John, Jesus Heals on the Sabbath.

 * [5:14] While the cure of the paralytic in Mk 2:1–12 is associated with the forgiveness of sins, Jesus never drew a one-to-one connection between sin and suffering (cf. Jn 9:3; Lk 12:1–5), as did Ez 18:20.3

Eileen Wirth comments that the church of her childhood was strictly “letter of the law”. Girls would put a tissue on their heads before entering a church even if it was just to pay a quick visit.  Did you dare attend a Protestant wedding or even a funeral? Had you committed a sin by opening a King James Bible? Vatican II freed us from a lot of this nonsense, and she rejoices every time Pope Francis says something like “who am I to judge?”

 

It’s easier to be a letter of the law person because you can go strictly by the book. You don’t risk suffering any consequences as Jesus did for violating regulations in order to obey the Great Commandments to love God and other people. Saints throughout the ages including our own era have suffered for breaking rules in the name of obeying those greater commandments. Heroes like Dorothy Day and the late Rep. John Lewis were beaten and jailed for refusing to practice a bland form of Christianity that followed legal rules but never challenged injustice. They spent their lives making “good trouble” at great personal cost, as Jesus did.4

Don Schwager quotes “Christ our physician,” by Saint Augustine of Hippo, 430-543 A.D.

 

"Our wound is serious, but the Physician is all-powerful. Does it seem to you so small a mercy that, while you were living in evil and sinning, He did not take away your life, but brought you to belief and forgave your sins? What I suffer is serious, but I trust the Almighty. I would despair of my mortal wound if I had not found so great a Physician." (excerpt from Sermon 352,3)5

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 5:1-16 comments that so often we turn to God to solve some problem or to grant us a blessing. Of course this is not bad in itself—Jesus started with the man’s natural desire: “Do you want to be well?” (John 5:6). But if our relationship with Jesus is limited to such prayers, it may mean that we are seeking him because of what he can do for us, not because of who he is.

 

Like the man by the pool, we can miss Jesus standing before us, the source of life and healing. He can quench our thirst for love, for forgiveness, for freedom and meaning. His presence can soothe us like living water. He can fill us with a peace that doesn’t come and go. In him we can find answers; we can find hope. We can find him who satisfies us like nothing else can. Jesus is offering you his living water today. You may see obstacles in your life; you may be waiting for the pool to stir or for someone to carry you. But Jesus stands ready to cut right through your circumstances, to heal and restore. “Jesus, Healer, I thirst for your living waters.”6

Friar Jude Winkler notes the distance in time and space between Ezekiel and Jerusalem during the Exile to underline the cosmic nature of worship. The chiastic structure of the signs in the Gospel pairs the healing today with that of the man born blind. Friar Jude notes the ambiguous approach to the relationship between sin and health.

 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, reflects that after years of counseling both religious and nonreligious people, it seems to him that most humans need a love object (which will hopefully become a mutual subject!) to keep themselves both sane and happy. That love object becomes our “North Star,” serving as our moral compass and our reason to keep putting one foot in front of the other in a happy and hopeful way. All of us need someone or something, or an animal (did anyone ever tell you that our English word animal comes from anima, the Latin for soul?) to connect our hearts with our heads. Love grounds us by creating focus, direction, motivation, even joy—and if we don’t find these things in love, we usually will try to find them in hate. We can certainly see the consequences of this unmet need for love in our society today!

 

In some ways, the object of our affection is arbitrary. It can begin as a love of golf, a clean house, your cat, or a desire to cultivate a certain reputation for yourself. Granted, the largeness of the object will eventually determine the largeness of the love, but God will use anything to get us started, focused, and flowing. Only a very few actually start this journey with God as the object. That is fully to be expected. God is not in competition with reality, but in full cooperation with it. All human loves, passions, and preoccupations can prime the pump, and only in time do most of us discover the first and final Source of those loves. God is clearly humble and does not seem to care who or what gets the credit. Whatever elicits the flow for you—in that moment and encounter, that thing is God for you! I do not say that without theological foundation, because my Trinitarian faith says that God is Relationship Itself. The names of the three “persons” of the Trinity are not as important as the relationship between them. That’s where all the power is—in the “in between”!7

Love calls us to extend our reach and become open to the Spirit of full life.

 

References

1	(n.d.). Ezekiel, CHAPTER 47 | USCCB. Retrieved March 16, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ezekiel/47
2	(n.d.). Psalms, PSALM 46 | USCCB. Retrieved March 16, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/46
3	(n.d.). John, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB. Retrieved March 16, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/5
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - Online .... Retrieved March 16, 2021, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/031621.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 16, 2021, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/
6	(n.d.). 4th Week of Lent - The Word Among Us. Retrieved March 16, 2021, from https://wau.org/meditations/2021/03/16/181219/
7	(n.d.). Love Is Life-Giving — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved March 16, 2021, from https://cac.org/love-is-life-giving-2021-03-16/