Unexpected Call

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to examine how the prompting of the Spirit may be leading us to our mission that transforms our talents to gather people in community with God.

Call to Service

The reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians declares the role of God’s Ministers.

* [3:21–23] These verses pick up the line of thought of 1 Cor 1:10–13. If the Corinthians were genuinely wise (1 Cor 3:18–20), their perceptions would be reversed, and they would see everything in the world and all those with whom they exist in the church in their true relations with one another. Paul assigns all the persons involved in the theological universe a position on a scale: God, Christ, church members, church leaders. Read from top to bottom, the scale expresses ownership; read from bottom to top, the obligation to serve. This picture should be complemented by similar statements such as those in 1 Cor 8:6 and 1 Cor 15:20–28. (1 Corinthians CHAPTER 3, n.d.)

Psalm 24 is a hymn for entrance into the Temple.

* [Psalm 24] The Psalm apparently accompanied a ceremony of the entry of God (invisibly enthroned upon the ark), followed by the people, into the Temple. The Temple commemorated the creation of the world (Ps 24:1–2). The people had to affirm their fidelity before being admitted into the sanctuary (Ps 24:3–6; cf. Ps 15). A choir identifies the approaching God and invites the very Temple gates to bow down in obeisance (Ps 24:7–10). (Psalms, PSALM 24, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus calls the First Disciples.

* [5:1–11] This incident has been transposed from his source, Mk 1:16–20, which places it immediately after Jesus makes his appearance in Galilee. By this transposition Luke uses this example of Simon’s acceptance of Jesus to counter the earlier rejection of him by his hometown people, and since several incidents dealing with Jesus’ power and authority have already been narrated, Luke creates a plausible context for the acceptance of Jesus by Simon and his partners. Many commentators have noted the similarity between the wondrous catch of fish reported here (Lk 5:4–9) and the post-resurrectional appearance of Jesus in Jn 21:1–11. There are traces in Luke’s story that the post-resurrectional context is the original one: in Lk 5:8 Simon addresses Jesus as Lord (a post-resurrectional title for Jesus—see Lk 24:34; Acts 2:36—that has been read back into the historical ministry of Jesus) and recognizes himself as a sinner (an appropriate recognition for one who has denied knowing Jesus—Lk 22:54–62). As used by Luke, the incident looks forward to Peter’s leadership in Luke-Acts (Lk 6:14; 9:20; 22:31–32; 24:34; Acts 1:15; 2:14–40; 10:11–18; 15:7–12) and symbolizes the future success of Peter as fisherman (Acts 2:41). (Luke, CHAPTER 5, n.d.)

Larry Hopp comments that If we can take our focus off the things of this life and focus instead upon what God has made each of us to do, we will be astonished at the results.  When the light comes on for us that God’s plans are truly better than anything we could have thought or imagined, as it did for Simon Peter, James & John, then we will be able to begin to grasp all that God can do through us.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, help us to never forget all that you are.  You created everything and are in charge of everything.  Help us see you in all the big and little details of our life.  Open our eyes and our hearts so that we can see your hand in every moment of our lives – to be  astonished in what you will accomplish through each of us.    

In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen (Hopp, 2022)

Don Schwager quotes “By faith Peter casts the nets of Christ's teaching,” by Maximus of Turin (died between 408-423 AD).

"'That you may understand that the Lord was speaking of spiritual fishing, however, Peter says, 'Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.' It is as if he were saying, 'Through the whole night our fishing has brought us nothing, and we have been laboring in vain. Now I will not fish with fishing gear but with grace, not with diligence acquired by skill but with the perseverance acquired by devotion.' When Peter lets down the nets at the word, therefore, he is in fact letting down the teachings in Christ. When he unfolds the tightly woven and well-ordered nets at the command of the Master, he is really laying out words in the name of the Savior in a fitting and clear fashion. By these words he is able to save not creatures but souls. 'We toiled all night,' he says, 'and took nothing.' Peter, who beforehand was unable to see in order to make a catch, enduring darkness without Christ, had indeed toiled through the whole night. But when the Savior's light shone upon him the darkness scattered, and by faith he began to discern in the deep what he could not see with his eyes." (excerpt from SERMON 110.2.1) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 5:1-11 comments that Peter knew that he was a sinner and that the man standing before him had just revealed the glory of God. He also knew that God’s glory had a reputation for burning away sinfulness—and sinful people. So he feared that he might be doomed unless he could convince Jesus to “depart” from him before anything happened to him (Luke 5:8). Jesus didn’t share Peter’s assessment of the situation. Peter had nothing to be afraid of; no one had to go anywhere!

Do not be afraid that you are unworthy to be in his presence. Instead, come to him and let him make you worthy: “Through the blood of Jesus we have confidence of entrance . . . by the new and living way he opened for us” (Hebrews 10:19, 20). He wants to welcome you and embrace you!

Jesus loves you far too much to reject you or condemn you. So come to him. Let his mercy wash over you, let his love fill your heart, and let his grace empower you to follow him. Do not be afraid.

“Here I am, Lord! Let me experience your presence today.” (Meditation on Luke 5:1-11, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that Paul is contrasting the wisdom of God with the wisdom of the world in the early chapters of 1 Corinthians. We are instructed to consider the foolishness of the passions with which we are divided by ideologies in our communities. The experience of the Presence of God is expressed by our awe and knowledge of our unworthiness. Friar Jude reminds us that God uses the transformation of our talents to make us fishers of people.

Cynthia Bourgeault introduces Barbara Brown Taylor who considers her usual response to the parable of the Sower scattering seed on different types of ground. She asks whether our familiar interpretation may miss the more dramatic message of God’s radical grace.

If this is really the parable of the Sower and not the parable of the different kinds of ground, then it begins to sound quite new. The focus is not on us and our shortfalls but on the generosity of our maker, the prolific sower who does not obsess about the condition of the fields, who is not stingy with the seed but who casts it everywhere, on good soil and bad, who is not cautious or judgmental or even very practical, but who seems willing to keep reaching into his seed bag for all eternity, covering the whole creation with the fertile seed of his truth. (Bourgeault, n.d.)

We are reminded by events in life, like that experienced by Peter, of the intimacy that God desires with us as we apply our talents to His Mission.

References

Bourgeault, C. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 1, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-sowers-generosity-2022-09-01/ 

Hopp, L. (2022, August 31). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved September 1, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/090122.html 

Luke, CHAPTER 5. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 1, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/5?1 

Meditation on Luke 5:1-11. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved September 1, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/09/01/480440/ 

1 Corinthians CHAPTER 3. (n.d.). USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/3?18

Psalms, PSALM 24. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 1, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/24?1 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). You Will Catch People for the Kingdom of God. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 1, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=sep1 

Growing into healing

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today lead us from immature separation into factions to contemplation of the mysteries that reveal our role in Divine interaction with people.

Care in dialogue

Paul exhorts his audience to be open to the Holy Spirit in guiding the Role of God’s Ministers in the First Letter to the Corinthians.

* [3:1] Spiritual people…fleshly people: Paul employs two clusters of concepts and terms to distinguish what later theology will call the “natural” and the “supernatural.” (1) The natural person (1 Cor 2:14) is one whose existence, perceptions, and behavior are determined by purely natural principles, the psychē (1 Cor 2:14) and the sarx (flesh, a biblical term that connotes creatureliness, 1 Cor 3:1, 3). Such persons are only infants (1 Cor 3:1); they remain on a purely human level (anthrōpoi, 1 Cor 3:4). (2) On the other hand, they are called to be animated by a higher principle, the pneuma, God’s spirit. They are to become spiritual (pneumatikoi, 1 Cor 3:1) and mature (1 Cor 2:6) in their perceptions and behavior (cf. Gal 5:16–26). The culmination of existence in the Spirit is described in 1 Cor 15:44–49.

The Gospel of Luke shows Jesus reaction to rejection is compassion brought to life in healing of body and spirit.

* [4:42] They tried to prevent him from leaving them: the reaction of these strangers in Capernaum is presented in contrast to the reactions of those in his hometown who rejected him (Lk 4:28–30).

Edward Morse finds that today’s gospel reflects the story of one of the behind-the-scenes workers, Simon’s mother-in-law.

When she is stricken with illness, Jesus delivers healing through his word.  Her response is simple and profound – she returns to what, presumably, she had been doing before – preparing food and serving those around her.  Isn’t that a sure sign of the completeness of her healing? Aren’t we blessed to know people like this, who orient their lives toward doing what is needful, without calling attention to themselves?  This is surely a sign of maturity that we would do well to emulate.

Don Schwager quotes Jesus the Chief Physician, by Jerome (347-420 AD).

"'Now Simon's mother-in-law was kept in her bed sick with a fever.' May Christ come to our house and enter in and by his command cure the fever of our sins. Each one of us is sick with a fever. Whenever I give way to anger, I have a fever. There are as many fevers as there are faults and vices. Let us beg the apostles to intercede for us with Jesus, that he may come to us and touch our hand. If he does so, at once our fever is gone. He is an excellent physician and truly the chief Physician. Moses is a physician. Isaiah is a physician. All the saints are physicians, but he is the chief Physician."

The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 notes that over the centuries, the Church has been built upon the work of beloved saints, but also upon the efforts of countless unsung heroes.

Your work can seem inconsequential, but St. Paul has an answer to that: “Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:7). Even when you are doing “mundane” work, God is at work with you. He is behind the scenes, pouring out his grace and blessing. He is blessing you for your faithfulness, and he is blessing the people you are caring for. It’s not all about what you do; it’s also about what God does, hidden, in the hearts of the people around you.

Friar Jude Winkler shares that the Corinthians addressed by Paul don't know the depths of the mysteries of God. An example is factions in the community and the use of slogans and us against them positioning. Friar Jude concludes that our discipleship in Jesus is a journey and it is our obligation to share the Gospel in actions rather than words most of the time to avoid polemic.

Roger Nicole, an author on a website on Monergism, discusses Polemic Theology and How to Deal with Those Who Differ from Us. (the Monergism interpretation has not found favour with the Roman Catholic or Orthodox Churches, which have remained firmly synergistic.)

A Christian who carries on discussions with those who differ should not be subject to the psychology of the boxing ring where the contestants are bent upon demolishing one another. Rather “The Lord’s servant must not quarrel: instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses . . . ” (2 Tim. 2:24-26).

Dan Horan, OFM, suggests three factors that operate concurrently throughout Francis’s interreligious encounter with the sultan that form the foundation of what we might today call “Franciscan interreligious dialogue”.

These three factors are as follows:
The radical adhering to the evangelical value of solidarity
The preferential option for the discovery of common faith
The position of minority rooted in a commitment to lifelong conversion
(Horan, 2014, p181)

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that Barbara Holmes continues exploring the forgotten gifts of early Christianity, particularly from its African legacies. We are in need of those values central to African monasticism and early Christian hospitality; they include communal relationships, humility, and compassion.

Laura Swan sums up these virtues in the word apatheia, defined as “a mature mindfulness, a grounded sensitivity, and a keen attention to one’s inner world as well as to the world in which one has journeyed.” [3] Inevitably, the journey takes each of us in different directions; however, by virtue of circumstances or choice, each of us will at some point in our lives find ourselves on the outskirts of society listening to the silence coming from within. During these times, we realize that contemplation is a destination as well as a practice. The monastics knew this and valued both.

Methods that enable us to learn of the experience of revelation in our Christian community help to foster compassion and healing in our relationships with others.

References

(n.d.). 1 Corinthians chapter 3 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved September 5, 2018, from http://usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/3
(n.d.). Luke chapter 4 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved September 5, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/luke/4:38
(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved September 5, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 5, 2018, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
(n.d.). 22nd Week in Ordinary Time - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily .... Retrieved September 5, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/
Horan,D. (2014) The Franciscan Heart of Thomas Merton. Notre Dame, Indiana: Ave Maria Press
(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 5, 2018, from https://cac.org/richard-rohr/daily-meditations/daily-meditations-archive/
(n.d.). The Forgotten Desert Mothers - Laura Swan : PaulistPress. Retrieved September 5, 2018, from http://www.paulistpress.com/Products/4016-0/the-forgotten-desert-mothers.aspx