Accepting Our Transformation

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to respond to the nudges of the Spirit to accept the changes that will bring us fully into the wedding banquet of Jesus Way.

Welcome to the Banquet

The reading from the Prophet Ezekiel promises a Heart of Flesh.

* [36:25–26] God’s initiative to cleanse Israel (cf. 24:13–14) is the first act in the creation of a new people, no longer disposed to repeating Israel’s wicked past (chap. 20). To make this restoration permanent, God replaces Israel’s rebellious and obdurate interiority (“heart of stone”) with an interiority (“heart of flesh”) susceptible to and animated by God’s intentions (“my spirit,” v. 27). (Ezekiel, CHAPTER 36 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 51 is a Prayer for Cleansing and Pardon.

* [Psalm 51] A lament, the most famous of the seven Penitential Psalms, prays for the removal of the personal and social disorders that sin has brought. The poem has two parts of approximately equal length: Ps 51:3–10 and Ps 51:11–19, and a conclusion in Ps 51:20–21. The two parts interlock by repetition of “blot out” in the first verse of each section (Ps 51:3, 11), of “wash (away)” just after the first verse of each section (Ps 51:4) and just before the last verse (Ps 51:9) of the first section, and of “heart,” “God,” and “spirit” in Ps 51:12, 19. The first part (Ps 51:3–10) asks deliverance from sin, not just a past act but its emotional, physical, and social consequences. The second part (Ps 51:11–19) seeks something more profound than wiping the slate clean: nearness to God, living by the spirit of God (Ps 51:12–13), like the relation between God and people described in Jer 31:33–34. Nearness to God brings joy and the authority to teach sinners (Ps 51:15–16). Such proclamation is better than offering sacrifice (Ps 51:17–19). The last two verses express the hope that God’s good will toward those who are cleansed and contrite will prompt him to look favorably on the acts of worship offered in the Jerusalem Temple (Ps 51:19 [20–21]). (Psalms, PSALM 51 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus presents the Parable of the Wedding Banquet.

* [22:1–14] This parable is from Q; see Lk 14:15–24. It has been given many allegorical traits by Matthew, e.g., the burning of the city of the guests who refused the invitation (Mt 22:7), which corresponds to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70. It has similarities with the preceding parable of the tenants: the sending of two groups of servants (Mt 22:3, 4), the murder of the servants (Mt 22:6), the punishment of the murderers (Mt 22:7), and the entrance of a new group into a privileged situation of which the others had proved themselves unworthy (Mt 22:8–10). The parable ends with a section that is peculiar to Matthew (Mt 22:11–14), which some take as a distinct parable. Matthew presents the kingdom in its double aspect, already present and something that can be entered here and now (Mt 22:1–10), and something that will be possessed only by those present members who can stand the scrutiny of the final judgment (Mt 22:11–14). The parable is not only a statement of God’s judgment on Israel but a warning to Matthew’s church.

* [22:2] Wedding feast: the Old Testament’s portrayal of final salvation under the image of a banquet (Is 25:6) is taken up also in Mt 8:11; cf. Lk 13:15.

* [22:3–4] Servants…other servants: probably Christian missionaries in both instances; cf. Mt 23:34.

* [22:7] See note on Mt 22:1–14.

* [22:10] Bad and good alike: cf. Mt 13:47.

* [22:11] A wedding garment: the repentance, change of heart and mind, that is the condition for entrance into the kingdom (Mt 3:2; 4:17) must be continued in a life of good deeds (Mt 7:21–23).

* [22:13] Wailing and grinding of teeth: the Christian who lacks the wedding garment of good deeds will suffer the same fate as those Jews who have rejected Jesus; see note on Mt 8:11–12. (Matthew, CHAPTER 22 | USCCB, n.d.)

George Butterfield comments that Jesus taught us to pray, “Our father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”

Let us live so that God’s name is hallowed. Let us live with hearts of flesh and not hearts of stone. Let us live in the Spirit of God who helps us to observe God’s decrees. May the blessings of this great God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be with us all. Amen. (Butterfield, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “A guest with no wedding garment,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).

"But since you have already come into the house of the marriage feast, our holy church, as a result of God's generosity, be careful, my friends, lest when the King enters he find fault with some aspect of your heart's clothing. We must consider what comes next with great fear in our hearts. But the king came in to look at the guests and saw there a person not clothed in a wedding garment. What do we think is meant by the wedding garment, dearly beloved? For if we say it is baptism or faith, is there anyone who has entered this marriage feast without them? A person is outside because he has not yet come to believe. What then must we understand by the wedding garment but love? That person enters the marriage feast, but without wearing a wedding garment, who is present in the holy church. He may have faith, but he does not have love. We are correct when we say that love is the wedding garment because this is what our Creator himself possessed when he came to the marriage feast to join the church to himself. Only God's love brought it about that his only begotten Son united the hearts of his chosen to himself. John says that 'God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son for us' (John 3:16)." (excerpt from FORTY GOSPEL HOMILIES 38.9) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 22:1-14 asks what exactly is the “wedding garment” he was expected to wear, and how can we make sure we’re wearing it (Matthew 22:11)?

To be properly dressed in God’s eyes is to be clothed in love. So each morning as you are getting dressed, ask yourself how you can reflect God’s love in the day ahead. Who will you see today, and what might they need from you? As you put on your shoes, consider where your feet will take you and what opportunities might arise to show mercy or compassion or kindness. If you’re expecting a “stormy” day, be sure to bring the “umbrella” of patience and understanding. Don’t go out unprepared!

“Lord, help me to be properly dressed today!” (Meditation on Matthew 22:1-14, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler notes that God did not seek to transform the people in the passage from Ezekiel because they deserved it but because they needed it in Exile. In the Gospel of Matthew, the invitation to Jesus' Wedding Feast is extended to pagans representing all people. Friar Jude notes that wedding garments were available for guests at the door so refusal to wear one is a comment on our decisions that lead us to be self condemned.

 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, regards nondual thinking as an essential marker of a mentor. 

Many of us grow more rigid and opinionated as we age. We’re supposed to move from the dualistic thinking of young people to the nondual mind of experience and maturity. This is why, all things being equal, elders should be more skilled at patience, forgiveness, mercy, and compassion than teenagers. If we remain self-assured, self-righteous, self-seeking, dualistic thinkers, we cannot become bridge builders or agents of reconciliation—not even in our own families or neighborhoods.  

Presently, too many of our religious leaders seem uninterested in true interfaith dialogue. Our politicians seem incapable of seeking the common good, committing instead to win/lose models. Those at the helm of financial sectors live on extravagant bonuses while much of the world goes hungry. Instead of moving away from dualistic thinking, the people who could have become mentors have used the system to become even more entrenched and dualistic instead. [1] (Rohr, n.d.)

We contemplate our invitation to the great feast of love today and seek the guidance of the Spirit to transform our hearts from stones of selfishness to the flesh of love, compassion and mercy.

References

Butterfield, G. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. OnlineMinistries. Retrieved August 22, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/082224.html 

Ezekiel, CHAPTER 36 | USCCB. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 22, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ezekiel/36?23 

Matthew, CHAPTER 22 | USCCB. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 22, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/22?1 

Meditation on Matthew 22:1-14. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved August 22, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/08/22/1056409/ 

Psalms, PSALM 51 | USCCB. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 22, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/51?12 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. The Real Work of Mentoring. Retrieved August 22, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-real-work-of-mentoring/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). They Would Not Come to the Feast! Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 22, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=aug22 

Reversal of Fortune

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to the action required to bring about the reversal of fortune that our contemplation of Jesus Way shows us to be necessary for fullness of life in our society.

Reversal of Fortune

The reading from the Prophet Ezekiel is a taunt song proclamation against the King of Tyre.

* [28:1–10] Ezekiel mocks the arrogance of Tyre’s leader, who mistakes the city’s commercial success for evidence of his divinity. At the hands of a foreign army, commissioned by the only God worthy of the name, this leader dies a humiliating, unceremonious death.

* [28:3] Wiser than Daniel: see note on 14:14. (Ezekiel, CHAPTER 28 | USCCB, n.d.)

The response from Deuteronomy is a poetic sermon about Israel’s ingratitude and idolatry.

* [32:1–43] The whole song is a poetic sermon, having for its theme the Lord’s benefits to Israel (vv. 1–14) and Israel’s ingratitude and idolatry in turning to the gods of the nations; these sins will be punished by the nations themselves (vv. 15–29); in turn, the foolish pride of the nations will be punished, and the Lord’s honor will be vindicated (vv. 30–43). (Deuteronomy, CHAPTER 32 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew declares how riches are an obstacle.

* [19:23–24] Riches are an obstacle to entering the kingdom that cannot be overcome by human power. The comparison with the impossibility of a camel’s passing through the eye of a needle should not be mitigated by such suppositions as that the eye of a needle means a low or narrow gate. The kingdom of God: as in Mt 12:28; 21:31, 43 instead of Matthew’s usual kingdom of heaven.

* [19:25–26] See note on Mk 10:23–27.

* [19:28] This saying, directed to the Twelve, is from Q; see Lk 22:29–30. The new age: the Greek word here translated “new age” occurs in the New Testament only here and in Ti 3:5. Literally, it means “rebirth” or “regeneration,” and is used in Titus of spiritual rebirth through baptism. Here it means the “rebirth” effected by the coming of the kingdom. Since that coming has various stages (see notes on Mt 3:2; 4:17), the new age could be taken as referring to the time after the resurrection when the Twelve will govern the true Israel, i.e., the church of Jesus. (For “judge” in the sense of “govern,” cf. Jgs 12:8, 9, 11; 15:20; 16:31; Ps 2:10). But since it is connected here with the time when the Son of Man will be seated on his throne of glory, language that Matthew uses in Mt 25:31 for the time of final judgment, it is more likely that what the Twelve are promised is that they will be joined with Jesus then in judging the people of Israel.

* [19:30] Different interpretations have been given to this saying, which comes from Mk 10:31. In view of Matthew’s associating it with the following parable (Mt 20:1–15) and substantially repeating it (in reverse order) at the end of that parable (Mt 20:16), it may be that his meaning is that all who respond to the call of Jesus, at whatever time (first or last), will be the same in respect to inheriting the benefits of the kingdom, which is the gift of God. (Matthew, CHAPTER 19 | USCCB, n.d.)

Matthew Walsh, S.J. comments that The Meditation on the Three Classes of Person is given during the Second Week of the Spiritual Exercises, “…to aid one toward embracing what is better.” (SE 149). All three “Classes” can see that they need to make an important decision to aid in doing what is “better”. The person typical of the First Class simply never makes the decision or change that is necessary. The person typical of the Second Class is willing to make a change, but according to what seems better to him or her. The person typical of the Third Class lives with a holy indifference that guides decision-making; this “Third Class” of person is a master of discernment, making decisions not by affect or reason or experience alone, but by cultivating a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.

This Meditation has been very helpful for me as I work and pray to be a person of discernment, attending to the movements of the Good Spirit throughout the day. It has also helped me to understand why Jesus deals differently with different people. The way that each individual is called is unique. Just as the call for Zacchaeus was different from the call of the Apostles, so, too, each individual is called in a unique way. While it is important to work for a holy indifference to possessions, it is most important to follow the promptings of the Good Spirit in dealing with possessions…and in all we do. (Walsh, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Who can enter the kingdom of heaven?” by John Chrysostom, 347-407 A.D.

"What then did Christ say? 'How difficult it will be for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.' He was not criticizing money itself but the wills of those who are taken captive by it. If it will be difficult for the rich, how much more so for the avaricious! For if stinginess with one's own wealth is an impediment to gaining the kingdom, think how much fire is amassed for taking someone else's. But why does he say that it is hard for the rich man to enter the kingdom, to the disciples, who were poor and had nothing? He teaches them not to be ashamed of their poverty and, as it were, gives the reason why he did not allow them to possess anything. After saying it is hard, he also shows them that it is impossible, and not simply impossible but even in an exaggerated way impossible. He shows this from the comparison of the camel and the needle: 'It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.' Hence Christ demonstrates that there is a significant reward for the wealthy who can practice self-denial. He also said that this had to be the work of God, that he might show that great grace is needed for anyone who is going to achieve it." (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 63.2) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 19:23-30 comments that when it comes to calculating the cost of following the Lord, Jesus asks us to count the cost in a very different way. In his kingdom, whatever we give up in order to follow him is promised back to us “a hundred times more” plus the greatest reward of all: eternal life with God in heaven (Matthew 19:29)! So the more we “spend” on Jesus, the more we will receive back.

This cost/benefit analysis can be a stretch for us to wrap our heads around when we are used to thinking in terms of our limited resources! Yet God’s love and generosity far exceed what we can calculate or imagine.

Sometimes when God calls us to a new path—perhaps to start a new business or to move to a new city—we only see what we are giving up. We can’t see what awaits us on the other side, and it can be hard to trust him as we move forward. But when God asks us to give up a plan or even a relationship that we hold close, he promises to give back to us even more generously—a hundred times more.

So yes, calculate your grocery budget. But don’t calculate your commitment to follow Jesus. He is worth all that you have.

“Lord, you are so generous! I want to spend everything on you.” (Meditation on Matthew 19:23-30, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that Ezekiel offers a taunt song, a powerful feature of Hebrew spirituality, that warns of the destruction of the rich and powerful by pagan nations. This taunt song resonates with the pattern used against Rome in Revelations. Friar Jude warns against interpretation of the passage from Matthew as the “Gospel of Wealth” as Jesus is promising everlasting life but not without crosses that call Christians to give all that we have.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces author and spiritual director Lerita Coleman Brown who comments on Howard Thurman’s (1899–1981) gift of mentoring others.

Who are you? How does the sound of the genuine come through to you?… Don’t be deceived and thrown off by all the noises that are a part even of your dreams, your ambitions… that you don’t hear the sound of the genuine in you because that is the only true guide that you will ever have and if you don’t have that you don’t have a thing. You may be famous, you may be whatever the other ideals are which are a part of this generation but you know you don’t have the foggiest notion of who you are, where you are going, what you want. Cultivate the discipline of listening to the sound of the genuine in yourself. [2] (Rohr, n.d.)

We witness the misapplication of power and wealth in our society even as we are reluctant to seek the guidance of the Spirit to guide our action in the reversal of fortune for the victims of the selfish philosophies that dominate our culture.

References

Deuteronomy, CHAPTER 32 | USCCB. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 20, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/deuteronomy/32? 

Ezekiel, CHAPTER 28 | USCCB. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 20, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ezekiel/28?1 

Matthew, CHAPTER 19 | USCCB. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 20, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/19? 

Meditation on Matthew 19:23-30. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved August 20, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/08/20/1055229/ 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Listen for the Sound of the Genuine. Retrieved August 20, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/listen-for-the-sound-of-the-genuine/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 20, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=aug20 

Walsh, M. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. OnlineMinistries. Retrieved August 20, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/082024.html