Advocate in Adversity

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today remind us of the atrocities in our world that will only be eliminated through love that motivates all our relationships, especially as we witness the actions of greed, revenge, and hatred that steal life from the children.

Adversity for Migrant Children

The reading from the First Letter of John proclaims God Is Light and Christ is Our Advocate.

* [1:8–10] Denial of the condition of sin is self-deception and even contradictory of divine revelation; there is also the continual possibility of sin’s recurrence. Forgiveness and deliverance from sin through Christ are assured through acknowledgment of them and repentance. (1 John, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

* [2:1] Children: like the term “beloved,” this is an expression of pastoral love (cf. Jn 13:33; 21:5; 1 Cor 4:14). Advocate: for the use of the term, see Jn 14:16. Forgiveness of sin is assured through Christ’s intercession and expiation or “offering”; the death of Christ effected the removal of sin. (1 John, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 124 offers thanksgiving for Israel’s Deliverance.

* [Psalm 124] A thanksgiving which teaches that Israel’s very existence is owed to God who rescues them. In the first part Israel’s enemies are compared to the mythic sea dragon (Ps 124:2b–3a; cf. Jer 51:34) and Flood (Ps 124:3b–5; cf. Is 51:9–10). The Psalm heightens the malice of human enemies by linking them to the primordial enemies of God’s creation. Israel is a bird freed from the trapper’s snare (Ps 124:6–8)—freed originally from Pharaoh and now from the current danger. (Psalms, PSALM 124 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew describes the Escape to Egypt and the Massacre of the Infants.

* [2:13] Flee to Egypt: Egypt was a traditional place of refuge for those fleeing from danger in Palestine (see 1 Kgs 11:40; Jer 26:21), but the main reason why the child is to be taken to Egypt is that he may relive the Exodus experience of Israel.

* [2:15] The fulfillment citation is taken from Hos 11:1. Israel, God’s son, was called out of Egypt at the time of the Exodus; Jesus, the Son of God, will similarly be called out of that land in a new exodus. The father-son relationship between God and the nation is set in a higher key. Here the son is not a group adopted as “son of God,” but the child who, as conceived by the holy Spirit, stands in unique relation to God. He is son of David and of Abraham, of Mary and of Joseph, but, above all, of God. (Matthew, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

Barbara Dilly notes that when winter nights turn to joy and good cheer, we first must pass through the longest night of the year. The earth in its orbit so far from the sun, let us all consider the good deeds of light left undone.

Now let us reflect on earth’s solstice sorrows: poverty, hatred, hunger, and violent storms.

Bigotry, racism, injustice, in all its forms. Let us seek light for our earth’s bright tomorrows.

Too many people are living in fear, in hopes that deliverance will soon be here,

Yet, we are mired in darkness so far from light, let us pause and consider what we can make right.

Too many hearts are weary and worn, too many children in anguish are born,

And too many people never see them at all, they live in the darkness and cannot hear their call.

Now is the season to seek warmth for our hearts, now is the season to make our new starts.

To work our way back to the glow of the Son and bring His life-giving blessings to everyone. (Dilly, 2023)

Don Schwager quotes “The first martyrs of Christ,” by Chromatius (died 406 AD).

"In Bethlehem therefore all the babies were slain. These innocents who died then on Christ's behalf became the first martyrs of Christ. David refers to them when he says, 'From the mouths of nursing babies you have perfected praise because of your enemies, that you might bring ruin to the enemy' (Psalm 8:2). ... For in this persecution even tiny infants and nursing babies were killed on Christ's behalf and attained to the consummate praise of martyrs. Meanwhile the wicked king Herod was destroyed, he who had usurped the realm to defend himself against the king of the heavens. Thus it is that those blessed babes have deservedly lasted beyond others. They were the first who were worthy to die on Christ's behalf."(excerpt from TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 6.2) [Note: Chromatius was an early Christian scholar and bishop of Aquileia, Italy. He was a close friend of John Chrysostom and Jerome. He died in 406 AD. Jerome described him as a "most learned and most holy man."] (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 John 1:5–2:2 comments that John reminds us that Jesus is “expiation for our sins” (1 John 2:2). By his sacrifice on the cross, Jesus has done more than just atone for our sins. He has released us from the very power of sin itself. That applies to our own personal sins but also to the sins of the whole world. John doesn’t want us to forget that Jesus can forgive and restore it all, even the heaviest, most heartbreaking, terrible things that we do to one another. None of it is a match for the redemption Jesus has won for us. This amazing truth can fill us with hope.

So of course, we weep and mourn, as Rachel did for her children (Matthew 2:18), every time we see the damage that sin inflicts on our world. But in the midst of our lamentation, our hearts can be lifted up by a sure and certain hope—the hope that Jesus, who took on flesh and came into our darkened world to redeem it, is there with us. He is holding out his hands to all of us: receiving victims into his embrace, reaching out to comfort the ones left behind, and even inviting those responsible to come and receive his mercy.

As we suffer with those who suffer, we can know that Jesus, who has forgiven and healed our sins and those of the whole world, is standing with us.

“Jesus, Redeemer, even in the face of tragedy, I place my hope in you!” (Meditation on 1 John 1:5–2:2, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler contrasts the theology of expiation in the Letter of John with the Gospel of John and its emphasis on revelation of God through love. We are called to perfection but we are not there yet. Friar Jude notes that the megalomaniac Herod may have been responsible for 50,000 deaths during his reign.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Choctaw elder and retired Episcopal bishop Steven Charleston who writes about how prophets arise in periods of crisis or “apocalypse” to chart a message of resilience and hope. Charleston believes that everyone can be a prophet if we awaken to the possibility and responsibility of our time.

I invite you to join me in becoming a prophet.… It does not matter what your race or religion may be. It does not matter what age or gender you are. We can all become prophets of our own time. We are all needed….

We are all prophets. We are not divine messengers. We do not speak for God. We are not miracle workers or moral judges. Instead, we are … human beings living in extraordinary times. We are what the Hopi are: communities seeking a spiritual purpose to their lives. We are question askers. We are vision seekers. We strive to be common-sense advocates for what will work best to help our people.…

Believe in yourself. You are a prophet. You are already making your migration. You have been chosen because you have been born. You are a prophet because you are awake. You are a keeper of revelation: a person with a thought that may create a new world. Do not hide that piece of the sacred tablet, for the time is short, but give it to as many as you can, as often as you can, until the apocalypse becomes a blessing. (Rohr, 2023)

We identify with the murder of the innocents through the ravages of war, greed, and insecurity in our world that kill children daily.

References

Dilly, B. (2023, December 28). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. Online Ministries. Retrieved December 28, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/122823.html 

Matthew, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 28, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/2?13 

Meditation on 1 John 1:5–2:2. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved December 28, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/12/28/861575/ 

1 John, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 28, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1john/1?5 

1 John, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 28, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1john/2 

Psalms, PSALM 124 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 28, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/124?2 

Rohr, R. (2023, December 28). We Are All Prophets — Center for Action and Contemplation. CAC Daily Meditations 2023. Retrieved December 28, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/we-are-all-prophets/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Rachel Weeping for Her Children. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 28, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=dec28 

Love unites

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today assert the power of Love to unite all people in relationship as neighbours.

Neighbours gather

The Book of Ruth tells of the love that overcomes long standing tribal hatred.

* [1:1–2] Back in the time of the judges: the story looks back three generations before King David (4:17) into the time of the tribal confederation described in the Book of Judges. David’s Moabite connections are implied in 1 Sm 22:3–4. Bethlehem of Judah: Bethlehem, a town in which part of the Judean clan-division called Ephrathah lived; cf. 1 Chr 2:50–51; 4:4; Mi 5:1. Jos 19:15 mentions a different Bethlehem in the north. The plateau of Moab: on the east side of the Jordan valley rift, where the hills facing west get more rain, and where agricultural conditions differ from those in Judah. Ephrathites: a reminder of David’s origins; cf. Mi 5:1.1 

Psalm 146 proclaims there is no other source of strength except the merciful God.

* [Psalm 146] A hymn of someone who has learned there is no other source of strength except the merciful God. Only God, not mortal human beings (Ps 146:3–4), can help vulnerable and oppressed people (Ps 146:5–9). The first of the five hymns that conclude the Psalter.2 

In the Gospel from Matthew, Jesus, underlines Love in his presentation of the Greatest Commandment.

* [22:37–38] Cf. Dt 6:5. Matthew omits the first part of Mark’s fuller quotation (Mk 12:29; Dt 6:4–5), probably because he considered its monotheistic emphasis needless for his church. The love of God must engage the total person (heart, soul, mind).
* [22:39] Jesus goes beyond the extent of the question put to him and joins to the greatest and the first commandment a second, that of love of neighbor, Lv 19:18; see note on Mt 19:18–19. This combination of the two commandments may already have been made in Judaism.3

Tamora Whitney shares her experience that family is not just who shares your blood, it’s also who shares your space and your experience and your love.

When I married Gordi I got his family too, and my life is richer because of that. And I’m glad that even though I lost him, I still have in my life people who knew him and loved him and we share that. Naomi and Ruth are family by marriage and have a shared connection of love. But we need an even broader definition of family. Loving our neighbor as ourselves makes the whole world our family and we should treat all our brothers and sisters with love.4 

Don Schwager quotes “Loving God with heart, mind, and soul,” by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD).

"Worthy is he, confirmed in all his gifts, who exults in the wisdom of God, having a heart full of the love of God, and a soul completely enlightened by the lamp of knowledge and a mind filled with the word of God. It follows then that all such gifts truly come from God. He would understand that all the law and the prophets are in some way a part of the wisdom and knowledge of God. He would understand that all the law and the prophets depend upon and adhere to the principle of the love of the Lord God and of neighbor and that the perfection of piety consists in love." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 13)5 

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 22:34-40 asserts that we love God by proclaiming that he—not forms of escape like alcohol, drugs, or pornography—is strong enough to deliver and restore us. We love him as we trust that God is just as willing to bring us out of patterns of sin or indifference as he was to bring the chosen people out of Egypt.

Let the knowledge of this love fill your heart. Let it move you to tell him about your love in return. Set aside the phone, computer, laundry, or bills to pray and give thanks for all the ways God has shown his love to you. As you praise him for his kindness and goodness, you are opening yourself to receive even more of his love.
And how do we love our neighbors? As God’s love fills us, it will also flow out of us. It will expand our hearts and increase our capacity to love more humbly and more fully.
More than just performing acts of service, you love your neighbors by honoring and respecting them. You love by restraining angry words or lustful and insulting thoughts. You look at people the way God sees them, with the same love that he showers on you.6 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, insists that to create peaceful change, we must begin by remembering who we are in God. The following came out of a recent meeting of the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative: Nonviolence is the universal ethic at the heart of creation.

Jesus lived and proclaimed this universal ethic of nonviolence: a paradigm of the fullness of life putting love into action, returning good for evil, rejecting violence and killing, and nurturing a just, peaceful, sustainable, and reconciled world. It springs from his foundational understanding of God and of the nonviolent life that God calls us to live: to make peace with one another; to resist the violence and injustice that threaten or destroy this peace; and to foster a world where the fullness of peace is the birthright of all. Jesus showed us how to live this way of faithful nonviolence, even in the midst of violence and oppression, by calling us to love our enemies, to not kill, to put down the sword, and to respond actively to the cry of the poor.7 

The vertical and horizontal aspects of our Love are the foundation of our strength, generosity, and nonviolence.

References

1	(n.d.). Ruth, chapter 1 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved August 23, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/ruth/1
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 146 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved August 23, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/146
3	(n.d.). Matthew, chapter 22 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved August 23, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/22
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved August 23, 2019, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 23, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). Saint Rose of Lima, Virgin (Optional Memorial) - Mass Readings and .... Retrieved August 23, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/08/23/
7	(2019, August 23). A Universal Ethic of Nonviolence — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 23, 2019, from https://cac.org/a-universal-ethic-of-nonviolence-2019-08-23/