Abominations and Absolution

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to seek the guidance of the Spirit to follow Jesus Way in resolution of offence in our community.

Resolving Our Problems

The reading from the Prophet Ezekiel is a vision of the Slaughter of the Idolaters.

* [9:4] Ezekiel emphasizes personal accountability; the innocent inhabitants of Jerusalem are spared while the idolatrous are punished. An X: lit., the Hebrew letter taw.

* [10:15–19] The throne represents God’s presence as ruler and protector of the land. In chap. 1, God is revealed as the lord of the world who can appear even in a far-off land; here God is about to abandon the Temple, that is, hand the city over to its enemies. God and the throne return again in 43:1–3.

* [10:20–22] The repetition of description from the preceding verses is a device intended to suggest the rapid, constantly changing motion of the vision and the difficulty of describing the divine in human language. (Ezekiel, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 113 praises God the Helper of the Needy.

* [Psalm 113] A hymn exhorting the congregation to praise God’s name, i.e., the way in which God is present in the world; the name is mentioned three times in Ps 113:1–3. The divine name is especially honored in the Temple (Ps 113:1) but its recognition is not limited by time (Ps 113:2) and space (Ps 113:3), for God is everywhere active (Ps 113:4–5) especially in rescuing the lowly faithful (Ps 113:7–9). (Psalms, PSALM 113 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus explains reproving another Who Sins.

* [18:15–20] Passing from the duty of Christian disciples toward those who have strayed from their number, the discourse now turns to how they are to deal with one who sins and yet remains within the community. First there is to be private correction (Mt 18:15); if this is unsuccessful, further correction before two or three witnesses (Mt 18:16); if this fails, the matter is to be brought before the assembled community (the church), and if the sinner refuses to attend to the correction of the church, he is to be expelled (Mt 18:17). The church’s judgment will be ratified in heaven, i.e., by God (Mt 18:18). This three-step process of correction corresponds, though not exactly, to the procedure of the Qumran community; see 1QS 5:25–6:1; 6:24–7:25; CD 9:2–8. The section ends with a saying about the favorable response of God to prayer, even to that of a very small number, for Jesus is in the midst of any gathering of his disciples, however small (Mt 18:19–20). Whether this prayer has anything to do with the preceding judgment is uncertain.

* [18:15] Your brother: a fellow disciple; see Mt 23:8. The bracketed words, against you, are widely attested but they are not in the important codices Sinaiticus and Vaticanus or in some other textual witnesses. Their omission broadens the type of sin in question. Won over: literally, “gained.”

* [18:16] Cf. Dt 19:15.

* [18:17] The church: the second of the only two instances of this word in the gospels; see note on Mt 16:18. Here it refers not to the entire church of Jesus, as in Mt 16:18, but to the local congregation. Treat him…a Gentile or a tax collector: just as the observant Jew avoided the company of Gentiles and tax collectors, so must the congregation of Christian disciples separate itself from the arrogantly sinful member who refuses to repent even when convicted of his sin by the whole church. Such a one is to be set outside the fellowship of the community. The harsh language about Gentile and tax collector probably reflects a stage of the Matthean church when it was principally composed of Jewish Christians. That time had long since passed, but the principle of exclusion for such a sinner remained. Paul makes a similar demand for excommunication in 1 Cor 5:1–13.

* [18:18] Except for the plural of the verbs bind and loose, this verse is practically identical with Mt 16:19b and many scholars understand it as granting to all the disciples what was previously given to Peter alone. For a different view, based on the different contexts of the two verses, see note on Mt 16:19.

* [18:19–20] Some take these verses as applying to prayer on the occasion of the church’s gathering to deal with the sinner of Mt 18:17. Unless an a fortiori argument is supposed, this seems unlikely. God’s answer to the prayer of two or three envisages a different situation from one that involves the entire congregation. In addition, the object of this prayer is expressed in most general terms as anything for which they are to pray.

* [18:20] For where two or three…midst of them: the presence of Jesus guarantees the efficacy of the prayer. This saying is similar to one attributed to a rabbi executed in A.D. 135 at the time of the second Jewish revolt: “…When two sit and there are between them the words of the Torah, the divine presence (Shekinah) rests upon them” (Pirqê ’Abôt 3, 3). (Matthew, CHAPTER 18 | USCCB, n.d.)

Maureen McCann Waldron comments that today's gospel seems to be asking us to behave in a radically different way.  We are asked to take our role as victim and use it as a special way to care for the one who hurt us, transforming not only the injury, but ourselves.  As humans we are bound to be at both ends of committing hurts.  Wouldn't this be a wonderful guideline for life when we are the ones who inevitably will have hurt someone else?

In a clear departure from our tell-all culture, Jesus asks us to be silent about the wrong against us, except to return to the person who hurt us and talk to him or her.  We are invited to care for that person by talking, discussing the injury privately, trying to resolve our differences.  If the person does not respond, Jesus says we may ask someone else to help moderate it, even bringing it to the church.  Each of these steps is designed not to get our own well-deserved justice, but as a way of caring for the other person.

If none of this works, we are asked to simply avoid that person.  We are not asked to talk about that person or carry the injury or hurt for years. (McCann Waldron, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “If someone has done you injury,” by Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD).

"If someone has done you injury and you have suffered, what should be done? You have heard the answer already in today's scripture: 'If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone.' If you fail to do so, you are worse than he is. He has done someone harm, and by doing harm he has stricken himself with a grievous wound. Will you then completely disregard your brother's wound? Will you simply watch him stumble and fall down? Will you disregard his predicament? If so, you are worse in your silence than he in his abuse. Therefore, when any one sins against us, let us take great care, but not merely for ourselves. For it is a glorious thing to forget injuries. Just set aside your own injury, but do not neglect your brother's wound. Therefore 'go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone,' intent upon his amendment but sparing his sense of shame. For it might happen that through defensiveness he will begin to justify his sin, and so you will have inadvertently nudged him still closer toward the very behavior you desire to amend. Therefore 'tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother,' because he might have been lost, had you not spoken with him. " (excerpt from Sermon 82.7) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Ezekiel 9:1-7; 10:18-22 comments that Jesus reveals his glory whenever “two or three are gathered together” in his name (Matthew 18:20). In so many ways, he shows us that he is with his people “always, until the end of the age” (28:20).

What a wonderful promise! You are living in the age of the Church, when Jesus dwells “in the midst” of his people. He is reaching out to you through his Church—in the sacraments, in the kindness of a friend after Mass, in the prayers of God’s people. You are a member of the family of Christ. Jesus welcomes you, and your brothers and sisters pray for you. Rejoice today, and be open to his loving presence.

“Lord, thank you for the gift of your glory, present in your Church and in the world. Help me to see you wherever I go.” (Meditation on Ezekiel 9:1-7; 10:18-22, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the vision of Ezekiel as the first letter of the Torah is marked on the faithful. This resonates with the Jewish custom of carrying a portion of the Law in the phylactery on the forehead. In Revelations the Greek Tau, representing the Cross marks the followers of Christ. Friar Jude reminds us of the connection of binding and loosing to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the rabbinic authority of the Apostles.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that Julian of Norwich, known for her radically optimistic theology revelations, offers a loving alternative to the focus on sin which characterized the theology of her time. Mirabai Starr clarifies where Julian located the impact of sin.

Julian informs us that the suffering we cause ourselves through our acts of greed and unconsciousness is the only punishment we endure. God, who is All-Love, is “incapable of wrath.” And so it is a complete waste of time, Julian realized, to wallow in guilt. The truly humble thing to do when we have stumbled is to hoist ourselves to our feet as swiftly as we can and rush into the arms of God where we will remember who we really are. (Rohr, n.d.)

We may instinctively seek to punish and reject people who have transgressed and brought injury to ourselves or our companions but our openness to the Spirit reveals a path of reconciliation based on care, compassion, and love.

References

Ezekiel, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 14, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ezekiel/9?1 

Matthew, CHAPTER 18 | USCCB. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 14, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/18? 

McCann Waldron, M. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. OnlineMinistries. Retrieved August 14, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/081424.html 

Meditation on Ezekiel 9:1-7; 10:18-22. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved August 14, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/08/14/1047507/ 

Psalms, PSALM 113 | USCCB. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 14, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/113?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). A Focus on Love, Not Sin. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 14, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-focus-on-love-not-sin/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 14, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=aug14 

Storms and Safety

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today warn us of the storms that may arise in our lives when we choose self aggrandizement over care for people in our environment in need of support, calm assurance, and love. 

Calming the Storms

The reading from the Prophet Amos is a First Summons in response to Israel’s Guilt and Punishment.

* [3:2] You alone I have known: precisely because Israel enjoyed a special status among the nations of the world in the eyes of the Lord (but see 9:7) it was called to a high degree of fidelity to God. Because Israel has failed in this expectation, it must experience God’s punishment.

* [3:3–8] The metaphors in these sayings illustrate the principle of cause and effect, and lead up to the conclusion in v. 8. (Amos, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB, n.d.)

* [4:12] Therefore thus I will do to you: this climax of vv. 6–12, announcing the sentence the Lord intends to pass on Israel, is open-ended. (Amos, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 5 praises Trust in God for Deliverance from Enemies.

* [Psalm 5] A lament contrasting the security of the house of God (Ps 5:8–9, 12–13) with the danger of the company of evildoers (Ps 5:5–7, 10–11). The psalmist therefore prays that God will hear (Ps 5:2–4) and grant the protection and joy of the Temple. (Psalms, PSALM 5 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus Stills the Storm.

* [8:23] His disciples followed him: the first miracle in the second group (Mt 8:23–9:8) is introduced by a verse that links it with the preceding sayings by the catchword “follow.” In Mark the initiative in entering the boat is taken by the disciples (Mk 4:35–41); here, Jesus enters first and the disciples follow.

* [8:24] Storm: literally, “earthquake,” a word commonly used in apocalyptic literature for the shaking of the old world when God brings in his kingdom. All the synoptics use it in depicting the events preceding the parousia of the Son of Man (Mt 24:7; Mk 13:8; Lk 21:11). Matthew has introduced it here and in his account of the death and resurrection of Jesus (Mt 27:51–54; 28:2).

* [8:25] The reverent plea of the disciples contrasts sharply with their reproach of Jesus in Mk 4:38.

* [8:26] You of little faith: see note on Mt 6:30. Great calm: Jesus’ calming the sea may be meant to recall the Old Testament theme of God’s control over the chaotic waters (Ps 65:8; 89:10; 93:3–4; 107:29). (Matthew, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB, n.d.)

Barbara Dilly comments that just as Jesus rebuked the chaos of the winds and sea and brought about calm to the disciples, we are to subdue evil forces as we speak peace and justice over the waves in our own lives and the lives of others.

That is not easy to do. But over the years, I have learned that if I subdue my own fears of evil forces and let the peace of Christ speak confidently in and through me, I can not only better navigate uncertainty, but I can also often even help others seeking God’s peace and justice. My prayer today is that we can all overcome the terror that so often surrounds us with a faith that grows stronger the more we face, not hide from, the storms of life. (Dilly, 2024)

Don Schwager quotes “Training in courage and endurance,” by John Chrysostom, 347-407 A.D.

"He took the disciples with him, not for nothing and not merely to face an absurd hazard but in order to permit them to witness the miracle that was to take place on the sea. For like a superb trainer, he was gradually coaching and fitting them for endurance. He had two objectives in mind. He wanted to teach them to remain undismayed amid dangers and modest in honors. So, to prevent them from thinking too much of themselves, having sent away the multitude, he kept them near him but permitted them to be tossed with a tempest. By doing so he disciplined them to bear trials patiently. His former miracles were indeed great, but this one contained a unique kind of discipline of exceptional importance. For it was a sign akin to that of old [referring to Moses parting the Red Sea]. To do this, he took his disciples with him by himself. He permitted others to see his other miracles, but when trials and terrors were rising, he took with him none but those he was training to be champions of the gospel. (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 28.1.2) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 8:23-27 comments that it’s fair to say that Jesus has set a high bar, even for us. But that doesn’t mean he will condemn us for not meeting that bar. It just means that he knows how much power his gift of faith has. He knows that the more we exercise our faith, the more we will see that faith bear fruit—in our life and in the lives of the people around us.

Is there a storm of some kind raging around you or within you right now? If so, try putting your faith to work. Imitate Jesus and try to rest in God’s presence, maybe for just a few minutes. Surrender the storm to him, and let him give you his peace.

“Lord, you know I believe. Help my unbelief!” (Meditation on Matthew 8:23-27, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in the wisdom sayings of Amos to the people of Israel, God will surely take action in their judgement. The violent storm experienced by the disciples on the Sea of Galilee is common due to the geography of the area. Friar Jude reminds us of two levels in the Gospel, a nature miracle and an exorcism of the evil associated with the Sea.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Spiritual director Ruth Haley Barton who describes a “rule of life” as key to experiencing the reign of God.

Christian tradition has a name for the structure that enables us to say yes to the process of spiritual transformation day in and day out. It is called a rule of life. A rule of life seeks to respond to two questions: Who do I want to be? How do I want to live? … [or] the interplay between these two questions: How do I want to live so I can be who I want to be? [1] (Rohr, n.d.)

Pastor Ken Shigematsu advises that a rule of life is not a “one-size-fits-all” solution.

Having a set of deliberate practices also allows us to build on our strengths and shore up areas of weakness. If we are experiencing a failure of self-control, we might deliberately practice fasting…. If we find ourselves overcommitted and distracted, engaging in a daily rhythm of ten or twenty minutes of silent prayer that centers us or meditating on a brief single passage in Scripture (lectio) may be a helpful practice. 

On the other hand, if we have a naturally contemplative bent and find ourselves spending a disproportionately large amount of time in private prayer and solitude, adding another way of praying may not be helpful. In fact, we might consider decreasing the amount of time we spend in formal prayer and perhaps enter into practices of justice or service so we can grow as a contemplative in action….   

Ultimately, a rule can enable us to live our lives, as Thomas Kelly writes, “from a Center, a divine Center … a life of amazing power and peace and serenity, of integration and confidence and simplified multiplicity.” [2] (Rohr, n.d.)

We encounter storms on our journey and we ask the Spirit to guide us to seek passage through the difficult times with the support of Jesus in our boat.

References

Amos, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 2, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/amos/3?1 

Amos, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 2, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/amos/4?12=#38004012 

Dilly, B. (2024, July 2). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved July 2, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/070224.html 

Matthew, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 2, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/8?23 

Meditation on Matthew 8:23-27. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved July 2, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/07/02/1014557/ 

Psalms, PSALM 5 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 2, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/5?4 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. A Centered Life. Retrieved July 2, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-centered-life/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Why Are You Afraid, O Men of Little Faith? Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 2, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=jul2