Mediation by the Son

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to be open to the call of the Spirit to engage in the mission and love demonstrated by Jesus, the High Priest.

Mission of the Son

The reading from the Letter to the Hebrews declares Jesus as Mediator of a better Covenant.

* [7:26–28] Jesus is precisely the high priest whom the human race requires, holy and sinless, installed far above humanity (Heb 7:26); one having no need to offer sacrifice daily for sins but making a single offering of himself (Heb 7:27) once for all. The law could only appoint high priests with human limitations, but the fulfillment of God’s oath regarding the priesthood of Melchizedek (Ps 110:4) makes the Son of God the perfect priest forever (Heb 7:28). (Hebrews, CHAPTER 7, n.d.)

* [8:1–6] The Christian community has in Jesus the kind of high priest described in Heb 7:26–28. In virtue of his ascension Jesus has taken his place at God’s right hand in accordance with Ps 110:1 (Heb 8:1), where he presides over the heavenly sanctuary established by God himself (Heb 8:2). Like every high priest, he has his offering to make (Heb 8:3; cf. Heb 9:12, 14), but it differs from that of the levitical priesthood in which he had no share (Heb 8:4) and which was in any case but a shadowy reflection of the true offering in the heavenly sanctuary (Heb 8:5). But Jesus’ ministry in the heavenly sanctuary is that of mediator of a superior covenant that accomplishes what it signifies (Heb 8:6). (Hebrews, CHAPTER 8, n.d.)

Psalm 40 offers Thanksgiving for Deliverance and Prayer for Help.

* [Psalm 40] A thanksgiving (Ps 40:2–13) has been combined with a lament (Ps 40:14–17) that appears also in Ps 70. The psalmist describes the rescue in spatial terms—being raised up from the swampy underworld to firm earth where one can praise God (Ps 40:2–4). All who trust God will experience like protection (Ps 40:5–6)! The Psalm stipulates the precise mode of thanksgiving: not animal sacrifice but open and enthusiastic proclamation of the salvation just experienced (Ps 40:7–11). A prayer for protection concludes (Ps 40:12–17). (Psalms, PSALM 40, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus teaches a Multitude at the Lakeside.

* [3:7–19] This overview of the Galilean ministry manifests the power of Jesus to draw people to himself through his teaching and deeds of power. The crowds of Jews from many regions surround Jesus (Mk 3:7–12). This phenomenon prepares the way for creating a new people of Israel. The choice and mission of the Twelve is the prelude (Mk 3:13–19). (Mark, CHAPTER 3, n.d.)

Carol Zuegner comments that maybe we all feel a little overwhelmed sometimes by the work, the expectations and the people in our lives. When all three combine, we look for ways to ease the stress, perhaps a break to take a walk outside.

What I take away from the readings is to renew my own efforts to carry out my work to the best of my ability, and to remember to care for those around me and for myself in doing that.  St. Ignatius said: “Love ought to show itself in deeds more than words.” Jesus did that for us. How can I show love in deeds today? How can I in small ways and big ways find God in all things? Love shown in deeds can quietly ripple out in my life and into the world. Think of how someone showed love to you in a small act of kindness or help and how that love blossomed inside of you. If I build on smaller acts of love, the everyday deeds of doing a good job, being considerate of others, lending a helping hand when it’s convenient and when it’s not convenient, giving someone grace or another chance. This I can do today and every day. My prayer today is that I practice showing love in deeds, large and small, in my work, and with my family and friends. (Zuegner, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Faith works by love,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"The 'faith that works by love' (Galatians 5:6), is not the same faith that demons have. 'For the devils also believe and tremble' (James 2:19) but do they love? If they had not believed, they would not have said: 'You are the holy one of God' or 'You are the Son of God' (Mark 3:11-12; Luke 4:34,41). But if they had loved, they would not have said: 'What have we to do with you?' (Matthew 8:29; Mark 5:7; Luke 8:28)" (excerpt from Letter 194, To Sixtus) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler explains the technique used in Hebrews of a smaller truth pointing to a greater truth. The sacrifice of Moses and the tent of meeting point to the greater sacrifice of Jesus celebrated in the heavenly court. Friar Jude notes the infrequent use of “Son of God” in Mark and how it declares the only begotten Son to the spirits and a pagan.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis, who writes about the ways both prophetic and personal truth-telling challenge us and the systems to which we belong.

In my faith tradition we call that speaking the truth—in love. As a clergyperson, I have many truth-telling strategies. Sometimes I’m gentle, needing to take good care of the one who is listening. Sometimes I’ve got my fists in the air while marching for the truth, for justice and liberation. Always my intention is to free up the energy that’s caught in the story, to liberate myself and the other with whom I’m in relationship to find a way forward. Can we win this action? Will the politician change policy or give in to demands? Will the congregant or colleague hear my point of view, and can I hear theirs? Can I change the story in the public square in a compelling way and open eyes, hearts, and minds to new worldviews? Will [my husband] John and I become stronger because of this difficult talk? Telling the truth is an act of love, an act of resistance, an act of courage. Its end is liberation, freedom, and, if possible, reconciliation. But there can be no reconciliation without truth.… (Rohr, n.d.)

We are gifted by the Spirit when we address the needs and truths in our life and in the stories of the people we meet.

References

Hebrews, CHAPTER 7. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/hebrews/7?25 

Hebrews, CHAPTER 8. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/hebrews/8 

Mark, CHAPTER 3. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/3?7 

Psalms, PSALM 40. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/40?7 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/love-speaks-the-truth-2023-01-19/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). All Pressed upon Jesus to Touch Him. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=jan19 

Zuegner, C. (n.d.). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/011923.html 

Confidence and Courage

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate the level of confidence we have in experiencing full life through our relationship with Christ.

Sharing Joy in Life

 

The reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians urges our vigilance in anticipation of the Day of the Lord.

* [5:5] Children of the light: that is, belonging to the daylight of God’s personal revelation and expected to achieve it (an analogous development of imagery that appears in Jn 12:36).1

 

Psalm 27 is a triumphant song of confidence.

* [27:13] In the land of the living: or “in the land of life,” an epithet of the Jerusalem Temple (Ps 52:7; 116:9; Is 38:11), where the faithful had access to the life-giving presence of God.2 

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus heals the man with an unclean spirit.

* [4:34] What have you to do with us?: see note on Jn 2:4. Have you come to destroy us?: the question reflects the current belief that before the day of the Lord control over humanity would be wrested from the evil spirits, evil destroyed, and God’s authority over humanity reestablished.3

 

Tamora Whitney comments that they are starting back to school at Creighton with everyone vaccinated, but we still don’t know for sure what’s going to happen. The plan is to be in school in person like normal. She hopes that works out. But she still needs to be on guard, be careful, and do her best to stay safe.

Like we need to be alert and on guard for the return of the Lord. We don’t know when it will happen or what it will look like. “The day of the Lord will come like a thief at night.” The Thessalonians thought it would be any minute. They expected the return, like, that year. It’s been 2000 years and we’re still waiting, but we can’t slack off. We need to stay alert and stay positive. We didn’t expect this past year, and we don’t know what the next will bring. We don’t know what will happen or when, but we need to be alert, do what’s right, and be ready to respond.4 

Don Schwager quotes “New creation begins on the Sabbath,” by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.

"He describes the works of divine healing begun on the sabbath day, to show from the outset that the new creation began where the old creation ceased. He showed us that the Son of God is not under the law but above the law, and that the law will not be destroyed but fulfilled (Matthew 5:17). For the world was not made through the law but by the Word, as we read: 'By the Word of the Lord were the heavens established' (Psalm 33:6). Thus the law is not destroyed but fulfilled, so that the renewal of humankind, already in error, may occur. The apostle too says, 'Stripping yourselves of the old man, put on the new, who was created according to Christ' (Colossians 3:9-10, Ephesians 4:22,24). He fittingly began on the sabbath, that he may show himself as Creator. He completed the work that he had already begun by weaving together works with works. (excerpt from EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 4.58)5

 

The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6, 9-11 comments that we can end up thinking, acting, and praying as if God has destined us for wrath and not for salvation. Even when we aren’t fully aware of it, we might sometimes imagine God as a severe judge who is in the business of condemning people. We hear a harsh voice in our heads saying, “You keep messing up—what’s wrong with you?” Or “I know you’re not really a good person; it’s just a façade.” And if we’re not careful, we mistake this for the voice of God.

Are there times you have struggled with that harsh voice in your head and think that’s how God sees you? Imagine the Father as he really is: the God who wraps his arms around you and says, “You are my precious child. I love you and I forgive you.” “Father, when I hear that negative voice in my head, remind me that it’s not coming from you.”6 

Friar Jude Winkler explains the concern of the Thessalonians about the Day of the Lord. Children of God, living a good lifestyle, are welcomed by Jesus. Friar Jude contrasts the awe and wonder of the people in Capernaum with Jesus' rejection in Nazareth.

 

Barbara Holmes shares the contemplative practices she learned from her family and ancestors.

On occasion, there were stories brought back from the “betwixt and between” regions where the ill dwell. These stories of a reality where healing became a tangible activity included their awareness not just of Aunt Becky’s herbal ministrations and the prayers of the community but also of the spirits of the ancestors and divine messengers. Thus, the community received spiritual witness to their beliefs about the multivalent aspects of reality and the multiple conduits to this transcendent space. In these small communities, contemplation was an everyday practice that included nurture of the body and the spirit.7 

Our contemplation of Christ during the challenges of life builds our courage as His disciples and our confidence in His enduring Presence.

 

References

1	(n.d.). 1 Thessalonians, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB. Retrieved August 31, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1thessalonians/5
2	(n.d.). Psalm 27 - USCCB. Retrieved August 31, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/27
3	(n.d.). Luke, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB. Retrieved August 31, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/4
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - Online Ministries. Retrieved August 31, 2021, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/083121.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 31, 2021, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2021&date=aug31
6	(2021, August 30). Mass Readings and Catholic Daily Meditations for August 31, 2021. Retrieved August 31, 2021, from https://wau.org/meditations/2021/08/31/190724/
7	(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive: 2021 - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 31, 2021, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/2021/

 

Spirit of Truth and Love

 

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with many of the spiritual touchstones in my experience of Truth and Love as a follower of Jesus.

Image: Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton in St. Paul Catholic Church, Westerville, Ohio | photo by Nheyob

 

  The reading from the First Letter of John advises believers about testing the Spirits.

 

* [3:19–24] Living a life of faith in Jesus and of Christian love assures us of abiding in God no matter what our feelings may at times tell us. Our obedience gives us confidence in prayer and trust in God’s judgment. This obedience includes our belief in Christ and love for one another.1

and...

 

* [4:1–6] Deception is possible in spiritual phenomena and may be tested by its relation to Christian doctrine (cf. 1 Cor 12:3): those who fail to acknowledge Jesus Christ in the flesh are false prophets and belong to the antichrist. Even though these false prophets are well received in the world, the Christian who belongs to God has a greater power in the truth.2

Psalm 2 states God’s promise to His anointed that happy are all who take refuge in him.

* [Psalm 2] A royal Psalm. To rebellious kings (Ps 2:1–3) God responds vigorously (Ps 2:4–6). A speaker proclaims the divine decree (in the legal adoption language of the day), making the Israelite king the earthly representative of God (Ps 2:7–9) and warning kings to obey (Ps 2:10–11). The Psalm has a messianic meaning for the Church; the New Testament understands it of Christ (Acts 4:25–27; 13:33; Heb 1:5).3 

In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus Begins His ministry in Galilee addressing the needs of crowds of people.

 

* [4:17] At the beginning of his preaching Jesus takes up the words of John the Baptist (Mt 3:2) although with a different meaning; in his ministry the kingdom of heaven has already begun to be present (Mt 12:28).4

Joan Blandin Howard reflects that we have been sitting in a darkness of disease, a pandemic. COVID-19.  Sitting in the darkness of pain, suffering, death.  Separation and isolation.  Facing challenges in every corner of life: employment, housing, food, education, parenting, marriage, family life, elder care, and on and on.  Each one of us sitting in our own unique darkness.  Many days and nights we might have prayed, where is the light?  When will this end?

 Recently, we may have asked the same questions – where are you God?  Jesus, why aren’t you here healing me and mine?  I can’t hear you. I can’t see you. I can’t feel you. Come, Lord, come – let me hear your voice, let me see your face, let me feel your touch.  I am begging you, come to me. Please...One morning I realized how well I had slept.  I awoke rested and refreshed.  Although alone, I knew I had been safely held.  In the day’s quiet, I experienced the smile of my grandmother and the giggle of my sister – not feeling as distant as they actually were.  In the brilliance of the sunrise, I felt the warmth of light. In the glow of the sunset, I was washed of the grit of my fears.  I knew that all along the way, even wearing a mask, I had seen, heard and felt the presence of my God… You are not alone.  I am with you.5

 

Philosopher, Gerard J. Hughes SJ, invites us to find, in the pictures on our Christmas cards and the presentation of our cribs, something of both the simplicity and the mystery of the Incarnation, for which our words are inadequate. Christmas – celebrating the birth of Jesus – is the perfect time to remind ourselves that we do have words for talking about things which simply surpass our understanding. Yet even when we talk about our own universe, with its mysterious origins, its ‘big bang’, it's ‘dark matter’, its tiny objects – strings, for want of a better word – vibrating in ten dimensions, we say what we can while at the same time recognising that our models and imagery are inadequate to capture that distant reality. Even comparatively ordinary concepts like ‘matter’ or ‘consciousness’ defy our precise understanding.

 

So it’s no wonder St Paul said that in this life we can see God only as if in a kind of dark mirror. To say that Jesus Christ is both God and man is the best we can do: but it will mislead us if we think that we can simply add his being God to his being a man, as if these were two realities on the same plane, one of them rather greater than the other. We need to recall that being God is not just an extra set of characteristics that Jesus has – some additional bits, as it were, to make him a special kind of man; his being God is an infinitely mysterious reality, an utterly other dimension, for which we do have words, but of which we have almost no grasp at all. Almost no grasp. We might think of the deepest experiences of the great mystics – people like Theresa of Avila, or John of the Cross, or Ignatius Loyola, who in many words (as Theresa and John did) or in very few (as Ignatius), tried to point us in the direction of an experience which, as they themselves would insist, is ultimately beyond any words.6

Don Schwager quotes “The true light of revelation to the Gentiles,” by Chromatius (died 406 AD).

"The Evangelist commemorated in this passage the prophet's words: 'Beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light' (Matthew 4:15-16) In what darkness? Certainly in the profound error of ignorance. What great light did they see? The light concerning which it is written: 'He was the true light that illumines everyone who comes into this world' (John 1:9) This was the light about which the just man Simeon in the Gospel declared, 'A light of revelation to the Gentiles and a glory for your people Israel' (Luke 2:32). That light had arisen according to what David had announced, saying, 'A light has arisen in the darkness to the upright of heart' (Psalm 112:4). "Also, Isaiah demonstrated that light about to come for the enlightenment of the church when he said, 'Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you' (Isaiah 60:1). Concerning that light also Daniel noted, 'It reveals the profound and hidden things, knowing those things which are in darkness and the light is with it' (Daniel 2:22), that is, the Son with the Father, for even as the Father is light, so too is the Son light. And David also speaks in the psalm: 'In your light shall we see light' (Psalm 36:9), for the Father is seen in the Son, as the Lord tells us in the Gospel: 'Who sees me, sees the Father' (John 14:9) From the true light, indeed, the true light proceeded, and from the invisible the visible. "He is the image of the invisible God," as the apostle notes (Colossians 1:15)." (excerpt from TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 15.1)7 

The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 John 3:22–4:6 comments that many have speculated over the centuries about the “antichrist,” referred to here and in several other places in John’s letters. But the word simply means someone who is opposed to Christ. In John’s time, that included people who claimed to be Christian but who rejected the truth that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine.

 

But the Incarnation—God becoming man—is one of the central mysteries of our faith. It is at the heart of the Creed we recite at Mass, and it is the basis for our belief in Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist. We might be tempted to view physical reality somewhat as these false teachers did—as tainted in some way. And that could lead us to think of ourselves primarily as souls who will one day be freed of their bodies to enjoy a “pure” union with God in heaven forever. That view fails to take into account two important truths. First, because God is all-good, everything that he created is good. As we see in Genesis, he is delighted with his creation; he even calls it “very good” (1:31). Original sin corrupted our human nature and physical reality, but that never was God’s design or intention.8

Friar Jude Winkler emphasizes holding on to tradition in our efforts to test the spirits. The “world” in 1 John, the “flesh” of Paul, and the “concupiscence” of Saint Augustine are conquered by Christ. Friar Jude reminds us that Jesus outreach to all begins with the pagan people in Galilee.

 

The Franciscan Media, Saint of the Day, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton writes that while in Italy with her dying husband, Elizabeth witnessed Catholicity in action through family friends. Three basic points led her to become a Catholic: belief in the Real Presence, devotion to the Blessed Mother and conviction that the Catholic Church led back to the apostles and to Christ. Many of her family and friends rejected her when she became a Catholic in March 1805. To support her children, she opened a school in Baltimore. From the beginning, her group followed the lines of a religious community, which was officially founded in 1809.

 

Elizabeth Seton had no extraordinary gifts. She was not a mystic or stigmatic. She did not prophesy or speak in tongues. She had two great devotions: abandonment to the will of God and an ardent love for the Blessed Sacrament. She wrote to a friend, Julia Scott, that she would prefer to exchange the world for a “cave or a desert.” “But God has given me a great deal to do, and I have always and hope always to prefer his will to every wish of my own.” Her brand of sanctity is open to everyone if we love God and do his will.9

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, quotes Paul: “For now we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.” —1 Corinthians 13:12.

 Contemplative prayer is a form of unveiling, because it reveals what is going on beneath the polished and busy surfaces of our minds, our hearts, and our bodies. When we finally get still enough, contemplation can live within us in pure, open moments of right here, right now. This is enough, this is fullness. If it is not right here, right now, it doesn’t exist. If we don’t know God now, how would we know God later? The mystics say we won’t. We will not recognize God later if we cannot recognize God now. It is a matter of seeing God now through the shadow and the disguise.10

Revelation of Love and Truth in Christ is an experience in the here and now as we orient our actions to follow the Will of God.

 

References

1	(n.d.). 1 John, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB. Retrieved January 4, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1john/3
2	(n.d.). 1 John, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB. Retrieved January 4, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1john/4
3	(n.d.). Psalms, PSALM 2 | USCCB. Retrieved January 4, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/2
4	(n.d.). Matthew, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB. Retrieved January 4, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/4
5	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - Online .... Retrieved January 4, 2021, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/010421-US.html
6	(2010, December 23). A Picture worth a Thousand Words | Thinking Faith: The online .... Retrieved January 4, 2021, from https://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/20101223_2.htm
7	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 4, 2021, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2021&date=jan4
8	(2021, January 4). Mass Readings and Catholic Daily Meditations for January 4 .... Retrieved January 4, 2021, from https://wau.org/meditations/2021/01/04/180523/
9	(n.d.). Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton | Franciscan Media. Retrieved January 4, 2021, from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-elizabeth-ann-seton
10	(n.d.). Theme: A Time of Unveiling - Center for Action and .... Retrieved January 4, 2021, from https://cac.org/themes/a-time-of-unveiling/