Friendship and Faith

 

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to reflect on the gift of friendship that transcends difficulties in our lives.

Friendship springs to Life

 

The reading from the Acts of the Apostles describes the connection between Paul and the Jewish leaders in Rome.

 * [28:16] With Paul’s arrival in Rome, the programmatic spread of the word of the Lord to “the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8) is accomplished. In Rome, Paul is placed under house arrest, and under this mild form of custody he is allowed to proclaim the word in the capital of the civilized world of his day.1

Psalm 11 is a song of trust in God.

 

* [Psalm 11] A song of trust. Though friends counsel flight to the mountain country (a traditional hideout) to escape trouble (Ps 11:1–3), the innocent psalmist reaffirms confidence in God, who protects those who seek asylum in the Temple (Ps 11:4–7).2

In the Gospel of John, Jesus considers the Beloved Disciple.

 

* [21:23] This whole scene takes on more significance if the disciple is already dead. The death of the apostolic generation caused problems in the church because of a belief that Jesus was to have returned first. Loss of faith sometimes resulted; cf. 2 Pt 3:4.3

Tom Shanahan, S.J. commented in 2010 that Pentecost is considered the birth of the church.  We have been seeing for the past seven weeks since the resurrection how the disciples continued the mission of Jesus in Jerusalem, in the surrounding areas, to the farthest parts of the known world, and all the inhabitants of that world, Jew and Gentile alike. Surely Peter, Paul and the other disciples caught the fire of the Holy Spirit and warmed the hearts of those who heard them.

 

And so these last words are, from our perspective today, in many respects a kind of beginning.  We are invited to be like Peter and Paul: just as they preached the joy of the Christ Risen, so are we invited to receive that same Easter joy and then to share it with those with whom we come in contact.  And so we pray today at the end of this Easter season:  Keep us faithful to your Word which begins in you and comes to us through the preaching of the Apostles.  Help us to receive the joy that you desire us to experience in the Risen Christ and to bring that joy to your people as they seek you, the source of their goodness.4

Don Schwager quotes “Peter follows, John remains,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

 

"The Lord either said what he said to Peter about his martyrdom, or he said it about the gospel of John. As regards the martyrdom and this 'Follow me,' [he means] suffer for me, suffer what I did. Because Christ was crucified, Peter too was crucified... while John experienced none of this. That is what is meant by, 'It is thus that I wish him to remain.' Let him fall asleep without wounds, without torment, and wait for me. You, Peter, 'Follow me,' suffer what I did. That's one way these words can be explained… "As regards the Gospel of John, though, this is what I think is meant: that Peter wrote about the Lord, others too wrote; but their writing was more concerned with the Lord's humanity... But while there is something about the divinity of Christ in Peter's letters, in John's gospel it is very much to the fore... He soared above the clouds and soared above the stars, soared above the angels, soared above every creature and arrived at the Word through which all things were made." (excerpt from Sermon 253.5.5)5

The Word Among Us Meditation on Acts 28:16-20, 30-31 comments that we know how hard it can be to evangelize. A voice inside of us whispers words of doubt or fear, and we remain quiet when an opportunity to talk about the Lord arises. We want to avoid sounding awkward or too “religious,” so we avoid the subject—sometimes even when someone asks us directly about our faith.

 

This is where St. Paul can encourage us. His boldness in preaching the gospel sprang from his confidence in Christ. Paul knew that no matter what his circumstances, Jesus lived in him, and his Spirit would continue to fill him with God’s love. Whatever happened as a result of his preaching, he knew he could lean on the Spirit, and that gave him strength and courage. Even in prison.6

Friar Jude Winkler notes that Paul remained under house arrest for two years because Nero did not fulfill his responsibilities. Luke wanted to show Christians were good citizens and declare the spread of the Gospel to the political center, Rome. Friar Jude suggests John 21 was added to the Gospel to respond to Authority in the Church and the question of the Beloved disciple.

 

A post by Franciscan Media comments that though beatified in 1626, St. Rita of Cascia was not canonized until 1900. She has acquired the reputation, together with Saint Jude, as a saint of impossible cases.

  Although we can easily imagine an ideal world in which to live out our baptismal vocation, such a world does not exist. An “If only ….” approach to holiness never quite gets underway, never produces the fruit that God has a right to expect. Rita became holy because she made choices that reflected her baptism and her growth as a disciple of Jesus. Her overarching, lifelong choice was to cooperate generously with God’s grace, but many small choices were needed to make that happen. Few of those choices were made in ideal circumstances—not even when Rita became an Augustinian nun.7

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares the therapeutic model Dr. Edith Eger developed over her four decades of practice that is based on freedom. She calls it “Choice Therapy, as freedom is about CHOICE—about choosing compassion, humor, optimism, intuition, curiosity, and self-expression.” [1] In this practice, drawn from her Jewish faith and tradition, she encourages us to find freedom through conscious choice.

 

In my therapeutic practice I have my own version of the four questions . . . [so patients] could liberate themselves from their victimhood.

1. What do you want? 

2. Who wants it? 

3. What are you going to do about it? 

4. When? 

I’ve never met a person who would consciously choose to live in captivity. Yet I’ve witnessed again and again how willingly we hand over our spiritual and mental freedom, choosing to give another person or entity the responsibility of guiding our lives, of choosing for us. [2]8

“Make a friend and bring a friend to Christ” is a journey we may have experienced that mirrors the evangelists of the first century.

 

References

1	(n.d.). Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 28 | USCCB. Retrieved May 22, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/28
2	(n.d.). Psalms, PSALM 11 | USCCB. Retrieved May 22, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/11
3	(n.d.). John, CHAPTER 21 | USCCB. Retrieved May 22, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/21
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - Online Ministries - Creighton University. Retrieved May 22, 2021, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/052221.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved May 22, 2021, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/
6	(n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved May 22, 2021, from https://wau.org/meditations/2021/05/22/189042/
7	(n.d.). Saint Rita of Cascia | Franciscan Media. Retrieved May 22, 2021, from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-rita-of-cascia
8	(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive: May 2021 - Daily Meditations Archives .... Retrieved May 22, 2021, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/2021/05/

 

Hard hearts in opposition

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today puts us on guard to the hardness of heart that may draw us away from our journey to truth, beauty, and goodness.

On the journey

Jeremiah addresses abuses in worship in the people of Jerusalem at the time of the exile.

Jeremiah... Abuses in Worship1

Psalm 95 is an invitation to praise God. It regularly opens the Church’s official prayer, the Liturgy of the Hours.

* [Psalm 95] Twice the Psalm calls the people to praise and worship God (Ps 95:1–2, 6), the king of all creatures (Ps 95:3–5) and shepherd of the flock (Ps 95:7a, 7b). The last strophe warns the people to be more faithful than were their ancestors in the journey to the promised land (Ps 95:7c–11). This invitation to praise God regularly opens the Church’s official prayer, the Liturgy of the Hours.2 

In the Gospel from Luke, Jesus answers the strange connection made by the people to Beelzebul.

* [11:19] Your own people: the Greek reads “your sons.” Other Jewish exorcists (see Acts 19:13–20), who recognize that the power of God is active in the exorcism, would themselves convict the accusers of Jesus. See also note on Mt 12:273 

MaryLee Brock shares “Praying and singing Psalm 95 has always been so meaningful for me: “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts”. I could not imagine a time when I would harden my heart to God’s voice. But now I realize that hearing the voice of God does not just happen in times of joy and gratitude and prayer.”

This Lent I pray for the grace to be open to hear the voice of God.  The first section of the prayer Teach Me To Listen by John Veltri, SJ is a wonderful meditation:  Teach me to listen, O God, to those nearest me, my family, my friends, my co-workers. Help me to be aware that no matter what words I hear, the message is, “Accept the person I am. Listen to me.”
Listening to the voice of God opens my heart to what truly matters.  Do you hear me?4 

Don Schwager quotes “God's help for our complete conversion,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"When we transform our old life and give our spirit a new image, we find it very hard and tiring to turn back from the darkness of earthly passions to the serene calm of the divine light. We must ask God to help us that a complete conversion may be brought about in us." (excerpt from Commentary on Psalm 6,5) 5 

The Word Among Us Meditation on Jeremiah 7:23-28 comments that as anyone on a journey knows, the best way to get to the destination is to keep moving forward. That’s what makes today’s first reading so poignant. Through the prophet Jeremiah, God laments that his people have been going backward and not forward. They have turned their backs to the Lord and started walking away from him and back into the darkness of sin.

When you are faced with temptation today, keep this image in your mind. Remember that the choice is always yours: whether to take a step backward, away from your goal, or to walk forward, out of the swirling drives and urges and into the arms of your heavenly Father. Commit yourself today to continuing on with your journey of trust and love, keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus and his heavenly throne.
Remember too that the journey forward is not one you take alone. You are surrounded by the saints and angels. You have the witness, prayer, and support of brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world. Best of all, Jesus himself is always with you “until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).6 

Friar Jude Winkler relates that the people blame Jeremiah for judgement that has come upon them from their hard hearted turn from God. Beelzebul, the lord of the flies, is a clever word play involving Baal and the place of pagan worship. Friar Jude is alerted by the dualistic expression in the Gospel that sometimes we have to make crucial choices.

David Benner, a friend of Richard Rohr, OFM, and depth psychologist, explores what it means to grow in Christ He cites Cynthia Bourgeault and Meister Eckhart [c. 1260–c. 1328] as he observes that mystics [across all spiritual traditions] love the Divine so much that they no longer see any boundaries between God and mortals.

I have been blessed to have the opportunity to know well several people for whom union with God was not just a momentary experience but a relatively stable part of their ongoing journey. . . .


What struck me most as I related to them over time was that their ever-deepening journey into God made them more deeply human, not less human. . . . None showed an avoidance of the realities of life, and none seemed to use their spiritual experience as an escape. Although by this point they had all established a contemplative dimension to their life, they all were active in serving others in the world. This, they knew, was their home, and it was here that they had learned to meet God.7 

Our inner journey centering our prayer and seeking our true self leads us to live and be more open to listen and act in support of others.

References

1	(n.d.). Jeremiah, chapter 7 - usccb. Retrieved March 28, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/jeremiah/7
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 95 - usccb. Retrieved March 28, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/95
3	(n.d.). Luke, chapter 11 - usccb. Retrieved March 28, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke/11
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - OnlineMinistries - Creighton University. Retrieved March 28, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 28, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). 3rd Week of Lent - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily Meditations for .... Retrieved March 28, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/03/28
7	(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive: March 2019 - Daily Meditations Archives .... Retrieved March 28, 2019, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/2019/03/

Change guided by Wisdom

The text from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today suggest contemplation about the Wisdom we show in the decisions we make in our relationship with God and others.

Wisdom in working with others

The passage from Genesis outlines the change in the understanding of Adam and Eve as a consequence of deciding to choose what God had denied to them.

* [3:1] Cunning: there is a play on the words for “naked” (2:25) and “cunning/wise” (Heb. ‘arum). The couple seek to be “wise” but end up knowing that they are “naked.”1 

In the Gospel from Mark Jesus takes care to respect privacy in The Healing of a Deaf Man.

 * [7:36] The more they proclaimed it: the same verb proclaim attributed here to the crowd in relation to the miracles of Jesus is elsewhere used in Mark for the preaching of the gospel on the part of Jesus, of his disciples, and of the Christian community (Mk 1:14; 13:10; 14:9). Implied in the action of the crowd is a recognition of the salvific mission of Jesus; see note on Mt 11:5–6.2

Carol Zuegner suggests that Jesus wanted to respect the dignity of the deaf and mute man by taking him aside to heal him. Jesus wanted people to listen to him and to hear his message of love and caring. Sometimes that must have gotten lost in the glow of a deaf and mute man being able to hear and speak. Sometimes we as humans need more to believe. Jesus understood that then and now.

In my own life, I have to focus on listening to the word of God and living it, not expecting God to produce a sideshow for me to believe. How am I showing and living my love for God and my neighbor every day? How can I respect the dignity of everyone I encounter?  I, too, often need my ears opened to hear what God is saying to me in the Gospels, in prayer. I need my inner ears opened to listen to my best self, to do the right thing with my family, my colleagues, my friends. I can feel when I start to close off that best self and do the easy thing. I don’t listen when that inner voice is cringing when I am short or rude or dismissive of those I should be attentive to.  When I think “Oh, that doesn’t really matter.” It does matter.3 

Don Schwager quotes “The touch of the Lord,” by Ephrem the Syrian (306-373 AD).

"That power which may not be handled came down and clothed itself in members that may be touched, that the desperate may draw near to him, that in touching his humanity they may discern his divinity. For that speechless man the Lord healed with the fingers of his body. He put his fingers into the man's ears and touched his tongue. At that moment with fingers that may be touched, he touched the Godhead that may not be touched. Immediately this loosed the string of his tongue (Mark 7:32-37), and opened the clogged doors of his ears. For the very architect of the body itself and artificer of all flesh had come personally to him, and with his gentle voice tenderly opened up his obstructed ears. Then his mouth which had been so closed up that it could not give birth to a word, gave birth to praise him who made its barrenness fruitful. The One who immediately had given to Adam speech without teaching, gave speech to him so that he could speak easily a language that is learned only with difficulty (Genesis 1:27-28). (excerpt from HOMILY ON OUR LORD 10.3)4 

The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 7:31-37 asks don’t you think the man from (Mark 5:19) had a part to play in the people’s openness? His words must have softened their hearts and piqued their interest in Jesus. Then the seeds he planted blossomed when these people encountered the Lord for themselves.

In the same way, you can sow seeds of faith—by your kindness, by showing mercy to someone who has wronged you, by sharing about what God has done in your own life. Those seeds have great potential to play a part in someone’s openness to the Lord. God really can use your witness to soften hearts and to stir up interest.
Of course, even after you’ve planted seeds of faith, you don’t always see people taking steps toward the Lord. Still, you can trust that God is working, even if you can’t detect any evidence of it. Just as the man from (Mark 5:19) probably never knew that Jesus was going to visit the Decapolis again, we never know when Jesus will “visit” the people with whom we’ve shared our faith. So let’s keep planting those seeds—and leave it to the Lord to make them bloom someday!5 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, asks do you recognize that any God worthy of the name must transcend creeds and denominations, time and place, nations and ethnicities, and all the vagaries of gender and sexuality, extending to the limits of all we can see, suffer, and enjoy? All of our human differences are “hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).

You are a child of God, and always will be, even when you don’t believe it.
This is why I can see Christ in my dog, the sky, and all creatures, and it’s why you, whoever you are, can experience God’s unadulterated care for you in your garden or kitchen. You can find Christ’s presence in your beloved partner or friend, an ordinary beetle, a fish in the deepest sea that no human will ever observe, and even in those who do not like you and those who are not like you.6 

The Wisdom of Christ is our guide to decisions we make for our life and ministry.

References

1	(n.d.). Genesis chapter 3 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved February 15, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/Genesis/3:1
2	(n.d.). Mark chapter 7 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved February 15, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/mark/7:31
3	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved February 15, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html l
4	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 15, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
5	(2019, February 53). 5th Week in Ordinary Time - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily .... Retrieved February 15, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/02/15
6	(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved February 15, 2019, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/2019/02/

Choices and self denial for Life

It is our choice

The Thursday after Ash Wednesday in the Roman Catholic Lectionary presents texts which encourage us to choose. The understanding of the importance of choice in our relationship with the Divine is too often treated lightly. Genesis presents choice as the human attribute. The text today from Deuteronomy encourages the Israelites to choose their relationship with God over a self reliant path. It is presented as a life or death choice. The psalmist advocates a path of daily meditation on the law of the Lord. The psalmist praises the wisdom of this choice and the fruit of this relationship. Luke relates Jesus presentation of the consequence of his mission. His choice would lead to great suffering and rejection. Those who chose to follow Him would also have to deny themselves and through this denial they would end up choosing the Life that is presented in the Garden of Eden, during the Exodus in the desert, at daily meditation and through self denial. It is our choice.

Choice and Innocents

A priest friend commented recently that the liturgy of the Church after Christmas brings us sharply back from the peacefulness of Christmas. Today, the Roman Catholic Lectionary brings texts for the feast of the first martyrs, the Holy Innocents, children which Matthew tells us were slaughtered by Herod after failure of his plan to find the Christ child in Bethlehem. We come back to reality in our world where innocents die daily. Unfortunately, we can call up many examples. Where is God in these atrocities? Many wanderers on the spiritual journey have wrestled with this question. It is an essential phase of our struggle to embrace holiness. A response is that God is the first to mourn the tragedies which result from the choices of people. The free choice of people to move toward intimacy with the Divine or to withdraw to the domain of the ego, pride and self-worship is essential for the relationship with the in dwelling Spirit to grow freely and fully.