Banquets with the Good Shepherd

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to be attentive to the banquet of life in which we are called to material and spiritual care and feeding of all our brothers and sisters.

Invited to the Banquet

The reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah offers praise for God’s Deliverance and the Celebration in Zion

* [25:1–9] These verses praise God for carrying out his plan to destroy the enemy and to save the poor of his people in Zion (14:32), and they announce the victory banquet to be celebrated in the Lord’s city. (Isaiah, CHAPTER 25, n.d.)

Psalm 23 praises The Divine Shepherd

* [Psalm 23] God’s loving care for the psalmist is portrayed under the figures of a shepherd for the flock (Ps 23:1–4) and a host’s generosity toward a guest (Ps 23:5–6). The imagery of both sections is drawn from traditions of the exodus (Is 40:11; 49:10; Jer 31:10). (Psalms, PSALM 23, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus Cures Many People and Feeds the Four Thousand.

* [15:32–39] Most probably this story is a doublet of that of the feeding of the five thousand (Mt 14:13–21). It differs from it notably only in that Jesus takes the initiative, not the disciples (Mt 15:32), and in the numbers: the crowd has been with Jesus three days (Mt 15:32), seven loaves are multiplied (Mt 15:36), seven baskets of fragments remain after the feeding (Mt 15:37), and four thousand men are fed (Mt 15:38).

* [15:36] Gave thanks: see Mt 14:19, “said the blessing.” There is no difference in meaning. The thanksgiving was a blessing of God for his benefits. (Matthew, CHAPTER 15, n.d.)

Tamorah Whitney comments that the Lord provides. All the people in Isaiah come to the feast and are saved. The Psalm promises security and satisfaction. In the Gospel, Jesus heals the sick and feeds the hungry.

Our charge as Christians is to follow Jesus’ lead. We are charged to heal the sick and feed the hungry. I wish that was the case. I wrote last month in my reflection about how we should choose love instead of hate. I wish that was the case. I am so sad that the choice made was to not heal the sick, to not feed the hungry, and to hate instead of love. I wish that was not the case. (Whitney, 2024)

Don Schwager quotes “The joy of the hope rooted in Christ,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"Having said that the Lord will reign in Zion and Jerusalem, Isaiah leads us to the mystical meaning of the passage (Isaiah 25:6-10). Thus Zion is interpreted as a high place that is good for surveillance, and Jerusalem is the vision of the world. In fact, the church of Christ combines both: it is high and visible from everywhere, and is, so to speak, located on the mountain. The church may be understood as high also in another way: there is nothing low in it, it is far removed from all the mundane things, as it is written, 'I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!' (Psalm 47:7-8). Equally elevated are its orthodox and divine doctrines; thus the doctrine about God or about the holy and consubstantial Trinity is true, pure and without guile.

"'The Lord of hosts will make for all people,' not just for the Israelites elected for the sake of their patriarchs but for all the people of the world. What will he make? 'A feast of wines on the lees; they will drink joy, they will drink wine. They will be anointed with myrrh on the mountain.' This joy, of course, means the joy of hope, of the hope rooted in Christ, because we will reign with him, and with him we will enjoy every spiritual joy and pleasure that surpasses mind and understanding. By 'wine' he points to the mystical sacrament, that of the bloodless sacrifice, which we celebrate in the holy churches." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 25:6-7) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Isaiah 25:6-10 shares that we can experience a foretaste of that banquet here on earth. When we receive the Eucharist, we are joined to Jesus sacramentally. The “veil” that separates us is destroyed (Isaiah 25:7), and we have communion with him. We receive the “rich food and choice wines” (25:6) that nourish us spiritually until we can experience the unimaginable richness of heaven.

We can’t all make it to daily Mass, but we can all get a sense of the glory of heaven, this close presence of Jesus, as we pray. So as you approach Christmas, let your prayer stir your longing for heaven. And the next time Jesus spreads the Eucharistic feast for you, receive him with joy! What better way to prepare for Christmas—and for eternal life—than by partaking of this heavenly food?

“Lord, help me to long for the heavenly banquet that awaits me!” (Meditation on Isaiah 25:6-10, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the interlude chapters 24-27 in Isaiah that describe a banquet in which God will nourish all the people of the world. The first multiplication of food had twelve leftover baskets, for the tribes of Israel. Friar Jude reminds us that, in Matthew, the feeding continues and the seven leftover baskets use the perfect number to indicate enough food to nourish all the people.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces contemplative and physicist Joy Andrews Hayter affirms a mystical oneness at the heart of the cosmos. 

Whether you call it Sacred Unity, God, Universe, Ground of Being, the Source, or One, it is not out there somewhere, but is written into what we are and where we are…. Where could the Source of this loving, relational reality, the luminous web connecting all things, ever not be?  

When we discover and live from the coherence in our being, we discover that we are in a relational field with all beings, with a mystical spark at the center that connects us all. Merton saw this clearly at the corner of Fourth and Walnut, [when he realized “the gate of heaven is everywhere”] [2] and Teilhard de Chardin saw this and his writings are permeated with it. In Cosmic Life, he said, “To live the cosmic life is to live dominated by the consciousness that one is an atom in the body of the mystical and cosmic Christ.” [3]…  

Just as all began (from the Big Bang, or the Word, depending on whether you are talking about physics or the New Testament) and expanded into the myriad forms that are permeated with the One, all returns to Oneness, which could be described as the cosmic Body of Christ. [4] (Rohr, n.d.) 

We contemplate the wonder of the people in our lives and celebrate our opportunities to get together and recognize how Providence has enriched our lives.

References

Isaiah, CHAPTER 25. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 4, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/25?6 

Matthew, CHAPTER 15. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 4, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/15?29 

Meditation on Isaiah 25:6-10. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved December 4, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/12/04/1145025/ 

Psalms, PSALM 23. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 4, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/23?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 4, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/admiring-the-divine-handiwork/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 4, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=dec4 

Whitney, T. (2024, December 4). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Retrieved December 4, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/120424.html 

Called to Serve

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate our experiences of being called to serve others, especially when it was difficult and without affirmation for our efforts.

Called to Serve

The reading from the First Book of Samuel describes Saul being chosen to be King.

* [10:1] The sign: the role of the new ruler is confirmed by specific signs; cf. Ex 7:9.1

 

Psalm 21 is a thanksgiving for victory.

* [Psalm 21] The first part of this royal Psalm is a thanksgiving (Ps 21:2–8), and the second is a promise that the king will triumph over his enemies (Ps 21:9–13). The king’s confident prayer (Ps 21:3–5) and trust in God (Ps 21:8) enable him to receive the divine gifts of vitality, peace, and military success. Ps 21:14 reprises Ps 21:2. When kings ceased in Israel after the sixth century B.C., the Psalm was sung of a future Davidic king.2

 

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus calls Levi.

* [2:14] As he passed by: see note on Mk 1:16–20. Levi, son of Alphaeus: see note on Mt 9:9. Customs post: such tax collectors paid a fixed sum for the right to collect customs duties within their districts. Since whatever they could collect above this amount constituted their profit, the abuse of extortion was widespread among them. Hence, Jewish customs officials were regarded as sinners (Mk 2:16), outcasts of society, and disgraced along with their families. He got up and followed him: i.e., became a disciple of Jesus.3

 

David Crawford recalls when Fred Rogers, the Presbyterian minister best known for his children’s television show, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, was in New York City and encountered one young man whose appearance and language suggested he was street tough and perhaps even dangerous. Mister Rogers expressed that it was obvious that this young man had a lot of pain in his life, and seeing Mister Rogers brought joy as the young man recalled fond memories from his childhood.

It can be tempting, albeit subconsciously, to align with the Pharisees, dismissing “tax collectors and sinners” as I judge the actions of others and expect God to judge them in the same way.  I can forget what Jesus told Nicodemus (a Pharisee):  God sent his Son not to condemn the world but to save it (John 3:17).  I can forget Paul’s reminder that all have sinned – including and especially me – and fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23), or the admonition of Jesus to take the log out of my own eye before addressing the speck in another’s (Matthew 7: 4-5).  I can forget that God desires that all should be saved (I Timothy 2:4), even those whose actions I find appalling or those who don’t believe that they merit God’s love.4

 

Don Schwager quotes “No physician can avoid the arena of sickness,” by Gregory of Nazianzus (330 - 390 AD).

"When Jesus is attacked for mixing with sinners, and taking as his disciple a despised tax collector, one might ask: What could he possibly gain by doing so? (Luke 15:2) Only the salvation of sinners. To blame Jesus for mingling with sinners would be like blaming a physician for stooping down over suffering and putting up with vile smells in order to heal the sick." (excerpt from ORATION 45, ON HOLY EASTER 26)5

 

The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 2:13-17 comments on Matthew, a tax collector who had presumably lived in a manner opposed to God, choosing to respond to Jesus’ invitation to follow him. But the rich young man, (Mark 10:17-31) who has conscientiously followed the commandments his entire life, hesitates and walks away.

What can we take from this? First, even if we have followed the Lord faithfully for years, he is continually calling us into a deeper relationship with him. Just as he wanted to move the rich young man further on in his faith, so he wants to move us along in our walk of discipleship. There is never a time in our lives when we can safely say, “Okay, I have arrived and will now stay here at this point in my friendship with God.” Second, God is always calling us, so we need to be on the alert at all times. We need to be ready, listening, and poised to act on the promptings of the Holy Spirit and do whatever God is asking of us. Because while discipleship begins with a call, it doesn’t end there. And for that we should give praise to God! “Jesus, thank you for calling me on in my walk with you. Help me to hear you and respond.”6 

Friar Jude Winkler explains how the anointing of Saul makes him a messiah. Levi, also known as Matthew, worked as a collaborator with the Roman conquerors. Friar Jude reminds us that Jesus sees the hurt that needs healing as He brings healing.

 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares the work of a Catholic writer about the new cosmology, Judy Cannato (1949–2011), who suggests a practice of being on the “receiving end” of Love, which is essential to participating in the trinitarian flow. She encourages readers to practice receiving love from both God and people in our lives.

Try this exercise: sit quietly and bring to mind those who care for you—in the present and in the past. As you recall each person, receive the love that is there for you. Let it into your heart. Even if someone has a quirky way of showing love, receive the love. Sift through the dysfunction if you have to, but receive the love. Never mind if the person has never said, “I love you.” Receive the love, one by one. Hold all that love in your heart. Let it penetrate your whole being. How does it feel to consciously, intentionally receive all of that love? Can you allow that to sustain your journey for today?7

 

As we meditate on the Love we have received, we are energized by the Spirit to renew our efforts to love when our efforts do not receive immediate affirmation.

 

References

1	(n.d.). 1 Samuel, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB. Retrieved January 15, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1samuel/10
2	(n.d.). Psalms, PSALM 21 | USCCB. Retrieved January 15, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/21
3	(n.d.). Mark, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. Retrieved January 15, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/2
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - Online Ministries. Retrieved January 15, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/011522.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 15, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=jan15
6	(n.d.). Mass Readings and Catholic Daily Meditations for January 15, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/01/15/292794/
7	(n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved January 15, 2022, from https://cac.org/trinity-weekly-summary-2022-01-15/

Open to hear the Lord

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to live in the tension between people who alternate between ignoring the Word of God and seeking to be open to Divine guidance even as we live in the time and space of relating to God as material beings with a timeless connection to cosmic events.

Connections to earth and cosmos

In the reading from the First Book of Kings, Ahijah announces Jeroboam’s kingship in Israel.

 * [11:26–43] The last major unit of the Solomon story tells how the prophet Ahijah announces the divine intention to take the larger part of Solomon’s kingdom from his control and give it to Jeroboam, Solomon’s servant. This counterbalances the first unit of the story, 1:1–2:12a, where another prophet, Nathan, managed to influence the royal succession and obtain the throne for Solomon. The unit is also the first part of the story of Jeroboam (11:26–14:20). It thus acts as a literary hinge connecting the two stories. Chronicles contains a death notice for Solomon in 2 Chr 9:29–31.1

In Psalm 81, the people hear a divine word they refused to obey. If Israel repents, God will be with them once again, bestowing protection and fertility.

 * [Psalm 81] At a pilgrimage feast, probably harvest in the fall, the people assemble in the Temple in accord with the Sinai ordinances (Ps 81:2–6). They hear a divine word (mediated by a Temple speaker) telling how God rescued them from slavery in Egypt (Ps 81:7–9), gave them the fundamental commandment of fidelity (Ps 81:9–11), which would bring punishment if they refused to obey (Ps 81:12–13). But if Israel repents, God will be with them once again, bestowing protection and fertility (Ps 81:14–16).2

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus cures a deaf man in pagan territory.

 * [7:24–37] The withdrawal of Jesus to the district of Tyre may have been for a respite (Mk 7:24), but he soon moved onward to Sidon and, by way of the Sea of Galilee, to the Decapolis. These districts provided a Gentile setting for the extension of his ministry of healing because the people there acknowledged his power (Mk 7:29, 37). The actions attributed to Jesus (Mk 7:33–35) were also used by healers of the time.3

Jay Carney comments that today’s gospel introduces another bizarre one-on-one encounter on a dusty road: Jesus and the deaf man. Again, the bodily materiality is striking – earwax, tongues, saliva, groaning. We even hear a rare word of Aramaic, Jesus’ mother tongue. If one ever doubted the humanity of Jesus – or the corporeality of the people he heals – this is the reading to clear things up. We are earthen vessels, not made of stone.

 Both Jesus and Ahijah stand in the biblical prophetic tradition, using powerful gestures to effect what they announce. The Catholic sacramental tradition is premised on a similar idea – namely that signs can effect what they symbolize, and God’s divine grace is always at work within our material creation. It’s easy to teach this, and every Catholic Mass witnesses to this sacramental principle. But I struggle at times to retain this sacramental imagination in my daily life. Perhaps it’s because I’m expecting “grace building on nature” to be smooth and predictable, when the reality is often much messier – and not according to my expectations.
Ephphatha! May God open our ears to hear, open our eyes to see, and open our mouths to proclaim the strange, earthy goodness of the Lord.4

Don Schwager quotes “The touch of the Lord,” by Ephrem the Syrian (306-373 AD).

 "That power which may not be handled came down and clothed itself in members that may be touched, that the desperate may draw near to him, that in touching his humanity they may discern his divinity. For that speechless man the Lord healed with the fingers of his body. He put his fingers into the man's ears and touched his tongue. At that moment with fingers that may be touched, he touched the Godhead that may not be touched. Immediately this loosed the string of his tongue (Mark 7:32-37), and opened the clogged doors of his ears. For the very architect of the body itself and artificer of all flesh had come personally to him, and with his gentle voice tenderly opened up his obstructed ears. Then his mouth which had been so closed up that it could not give birth to a word, gave birth to praise him who made its barrenness fruitful. The One who immediately had given to Adam speech without teaching, gave speech to him so that he could speak easily a language that is learned only with difficulty (Genesis 1:27-28). (excerpt from HOMILY ON OUR LORD 10.3)5

The Word Among Us Meditation on Psalm 81:10-15 connects to today’s first reading as it reminds us that God respects the free will he gave us, but he also respects the consequences that our acts of free will—both good and evil—bring about. That doesn’t mean he just leaves us to our own devices. No, God continued to watch over Israel and to work out his plan for them.

 There’s no such thing as undoing God’s plans or thwarting his goodness, not even through our sins. He is still faithful to his promises. He is still the Lord of history. The failures of human leaders—and us individually—clearly have real-world consequences, just as all sins do. But no matter what happens, we can still trust that God will not abandon us. We can trust that he will continue to call us back to himself—and to pave a way for us to follow.
God is always offering his people second chances—and third and fourth and fifth chances. After the kingdom of Israel split, he sent prophets to call his people back to him. Eventually, the people learned that security was not to be found in military strength or political intrigue. They needed to turn back to God. They needed a Messiah. And God came through by becoming their Messiah himself.6

Friar Jude Winkler fleshes out the history of the son of Solomon, Rehoboam, and poor policy toward taxing the people. The bodily ritual to “be opened” is an important part of Christian baptism. Friar Jude underlines that the ears are opened to learn the Word of God from Baptist witnesses.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that in her book Race and the Cosmos, Dr. Barbara Holmes presents a new way for us to address oppression by recognizing who we are and the commonality we share as members of the human race. When we encounter other ways of knowing, we may find ourselves discomforted and even distressed by the pain that our nation, our church, or even we ourselves have caused others. Today, Fr. Richard wants to offer a perspective that can lead to healing and wholeness, instead of our too ready defensiveness. Holmes writes:

 Perhaps the language of science, cosmology, and physics can help us to see our plight and our opportunity. . . . [With] chaos in our social systems, we are in such dire need of vision, imagination, and love of neighbor that this rhetorical experiment is worth a try. Currently, we are using language to disguise our commonalities and exacerbate our differences. Narratives about people of color often emphasize inherent inferiority and criminality, when the truth is that all of us embody stardust and a divine spark with cosmic origins. 
We come from mystery and return to it at the end of the life journey. What a gift to be on earth during an era when the universe is making itself known to and through the human race. We are part of an unfolding that is ongoing, yet, around the planet, people and systems are in crisis and we don’t seem to know what to do. . . . Perhaps the first steps require that we free ourselves from negative stereotypes and recognize our common cosmic origins.7

Our journey to truth, beauty, and goodness is undertaken in an imperfect earthen vessel that changes course to our passions in our materiality, yet is called to glorify God in our actions as we are open to the Spirit.

References

1	(n.d.). 1 Kings, chapter 11. Retrieved February 14, 2020, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/1kings11:1
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 81 - United States Conference. Retrieved February 14, 2020, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/81
3	(n.d.). Mark, chapter 7 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved February 14, 2020, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/mark/7
4	(n.d.). Daily Reflections - OnlineMinistries .... Retrieved February 14, 2020, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 14, 2020, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). Meditations - The Word Among Us. Retrieved February 14, 2020, from https://wau.org/meditations/2020/2/14/
7	(2020, February 14). Stardust and A Divine Spark — Center for Action and .... Retrieved February 14, 2020, from https://cac.org/stardust-and-a-divine-spark-2020-02-14/