Revelation in Time

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today remind us that our journey within time through experiences both good and bad is the environment in which the Spirit reveals the Love of God to us. The reading from the Book of Ecclesiastes expresses that everything has its time as we consider our God-Given task.

Guiding our Journey

* [3:1–8] The fourteen pairs of opposites describe various human activities. The poem affirms that God has determined the appropriate moment or “time” for each. Human beings cannot know that moment; further, the wider course of events and purposes fixed by God are beyond them as well.

* [3:11] The timeless: others translate “eternity,” “the world,” or “darkness.” The author credits God with keeping human beings ignorant about God’s “work”—present and future. (Ecclesiastes, CHAPTER 3, n.d.)

Psalm 144 is a prayer for national deliverance and security.

* [Psalm 144] The Psalm may reflect a ceremony in which the king, as leader of the army, asked God’s help (Ps 144:1–8). In Ps 144:9 the poem shifts abruptly from pleading to thanksgiving, and (except for Ps 144:11) shifts again to prayer for the people. The first section (Ps 144:1–2) is a prayer of thanks for victory; the second (Ps 144:3–7a), a humble acknowledgment of human nothingness and a supplication that God show forth saving power; the third (Ps 144:9–11), a promise of future thanksgiving; the fourth (Ps 144:12–15), a wish for prosperity and peace. A prayer for deliverance from treacherous foes serves as a refrain after the second and third sections (Ps 144:7b–8, 11). Except for its final section, the Psalm is made up almost entirely of verses from other Psalms. (Psalms, PSALM 144, n.d.)

The Gospel of Luke presents Peter’s declaration about Jesus, Who foretells His Death and Resurrection.

* [9:18–22] This incident is based on Mk 8:27–33, but Luke has eliminated Peter’s refusal to accept Jesus as suffering Son of Man (Mk 8:32) and the rebuke of Peter by Jesus (Mk 8:33). Elsewhere in the gospel, Luke softens the harsh portrait of Peter and the other apostles found in his Marcan source (cf. Lk 22:39–46, which similarly lacks a rebuke of Peter that occurs in the source, Mk 14:37–38).

* [9:18] When Jesus was praying in solitude: see note on Lk 3:21.

* [9:20] The Messiah of God: on the meaning of this title in first-century Palestinian Judaism, see notes on Lk 2:11 and on Mt 16:13–20 and Mk 8:27–30. (Luke, CHAPTER 9, n.d.)

David Crawford uses the idea of a tandem bike to talk about a relationship with God.

 We begin our relationship with Christ seated in back, helping us by pedaling while we maintain control of where we want to go.  At some point, we reluctantly switch places, although (the poet notes): I did not trust Him, at first, in control of my life. I thought He'd wreck it[.]”  However, Jesus is a better bike/life pilot, able to navigate in ways we cannot, to take us places we otherwise could not go, and to do things we otherwise could not do.  All aspects of the journey became so much better once the poet learned to trust.

Joy is also essential.  Bishop Desmond Tutu talks about joy, not as a feeling, but as a faithful way of approaching life in good times and bad.  His bad times, of course, included a long battle against South African apartheid and a fight with cancer in his later years.(Crawford, 2018)

Don Schwager quotes “Peter confesses that Jesus is God's Anointed Son and Savior of all,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"You see the skillfulness of the question. He [Jesus] did not at once say, 'Who do you say that I am?' He refers to the rumor of those that were outside their company. Then, having rejected it and shown it unsound, he might bring them back to the true opinion. It happened that way. When the disciples had said, 'Some, John the Baptist, and others, Elijah, and others, that some prophet of those in old time has risen up,' he said to them, 'But you, who do you say that I am?' Oh! how full of meaning is that word you! He separates them from all others, that they may also avoid the opinions of others. In this way, they will not conceive an unworthy idea about him or entertain confused and wavering thoughts. Then they will not also imagine that John had risen again, or one of the prophets. 'You,' he says, 'who have been chosen,' who by my decree have been called to the apostleship, who are the witnesses of my miracles. Who do you say that I am?'"(excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 49) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 9:18-22 comments that we have become convinced that Jesus truly is the Son of God—something even the disciples weren’t sure about at the time. We proclaim this truth every week at Mass when we recite the Creed. We do it so often, in fact, that it can seem routine, even ordinary. But it is extraordinary. Together as one body, we declare our belief in a God who became human, who suffered, died, and rose again. We have come to know Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, and so we boldly proclaim our faith in him as the Son of God.

You might want to try focusing on a portion of the Creed in your prayer each day. Think about each statement as you declare it. Ask the Lord to highlight one or two phrases to you and to reveal himself even more to you. Then, on Sunday at Mass, pause before the Creed and thank Jesus for revealing his truth to you, to whatever degree you understand it. Pray that the Spirit would help you to find a way to share this great good news with someone so that they too can join Peter in his proclamation.

“Jesus, you are the Christ, the Son of God!” (Meditation on Luke 9:18-22, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in the Book of Qoheleth, we consider that there is a rhythm in life that we should not fight but we “go with the flow”. After praying, one of 11 times in Luke, Jesus hears Peter’s proclamation of His identity as Messiah. Friar Jude reminds us that Jesus connects His identity to the “Son of Man” in Daniel and the “Suffering Servant” in Isaiah.

The Franciscan Media post about Padre Pio notes that Pope John Paul II canonized Padre Pio of Pietrelcina on June 16, 2002. It was the 45th canonization ceremony in Pope John Paul’s pontificate. More than 300,000 people braved blistering heat as they filled St. Peter’s Square and nearby streets. They heard the Holy Father praise the new saint for his prayer and charity. “This is the most concrete synthesis of Padre Pio’s teaching,” said the pope. He also stressed Padre Pio’s witness to the power of suffering. If accepted with love, the Holy Father stressed, such suffering can lead to “a privileged path of sanctity.”

Referring to that day's Gospel (Matthew 11:25-30) at Padre Pio’s canonization Mass in 2002, Saint John Paul II said: “The Gospel image of ‘yoke’ evokes the many trials that the humble Capuchin of San Giovanni Rotondo endured. Today we contemplate in him how sweet is the ‘yoke’ of Christ and indeed how light the burdens are whenever someone carries these with faithful love. The life and mission of Padre Pio testify that difficulties and sorrows, if accepted with love, transform themselves into a privileged journey of holiness, which opens the person toward a greater good, known only to the Lord.” (Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, n.d.)

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, draws on the archetype of the wise ruler to describe what it means to be a “grand” parent, someone who has become a mature elder.

The soul of the grand parent is large enough to embrace the death of the ego and to affirm the life of God in itself and others, despite all imperfections. Its spaciousness accepts all the opposites in life—masculine and feminine, unity and difference, victory and defeat, us and them and so on—because it has accepted the opposition of death itself. Grand parents know that their beliefs have less to do with unarguable conclusions than scary encounters with life and the living God. They have come to realize that spiritual growth is not so much learning as it is unlearning, a radical openness to the truth no matter what the consequences or where it leads. They understand that they do not so much grasp the truth as let go of their egos, which are usually nothing more than obstacles to the truth.

I cannot imagine a true grand father or grand mother who is not a contemplative in some form. And contemplatives are individuals who live in and return to the center within themselves, and yet they know that they are not the Center. They are only a part, but a gracious and grateful part at that. (Rohr, 2022)

Even as we “go with the flow” in our journey, we encounter events that reveal a vision of Divine Presence and care that maintains our love and joy in life.

References

Crawford, D. (2018, December 5). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. OCreighton University's Online Ministries. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/092322.html 

Ecclesiastes, CHAPTER 3. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ecclesiastes/3?1 

Luke, CHAPTER 9. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/9?18 

Meditation on Luke 9:18-22. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/09/23/494365/ 

Psalms, PSALM 144. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/144?1 

Rohr, R. (2022, September 23). Becoming a Grand Parent — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/becoming-a-grand-parent-2022-09-23/ 

Saint Pio of Pietrelcina. (n.d.). Franciscan Media. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-pio-of-pietrelcina 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Who Do You Say That Jesus Is? Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=sep23 

Perplexed about Purpose

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with some of the experience of the “three score and ten people” mentioned by the psalmist.

Life Expectations

The reading from the Book of Ecclesiastes expresses the vanity of human toil.

* [1:2] Vanity of vanities: a Hebrew superlative expressing the supreme degree of futility and emptiness.

* [1:3] Under the sun: used throughout this book to signify “on the earth.”

* [1:8] All things are wearisome: or, “All speech is wearisome.”

* [1:11] Movement in nature and human activity appears to result in change and progress. The author argues that this change and progress are an illusion: “Nothing is new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes, CHAPTER 1, n.d.)

Psalm 90 praises God’s Eternity and human frailty.

* [Psalm 90] A communal lament that describes only in general terms the cause of the community’s distress. After confidently invoking God (Ps 90:1), the Psalm turns to a complaint contrasting God’s eternity with the brevity of human life (Ps 90:2–6) and sees in human suffering the punishment for sin (Ps 90:7–12). The Psalm concludes with a plea for God’s intervention (Ps 90:13–17). (Psalms, PSALM 90, n.d.)

The Gospel of Luke reveals Herod’s perplexity.

* [9:7] Herod the tetrarch: see note on Lk 3:1.

* [9:9] And he kept trying to see him: this indication of Herod’s interest in Jesus prepares for Lk 13:31–33 and for Lk 23:8–12 where Herod’s curiosity about Jesus’ power to perform miracles remains unsatisfied. (Luke, CHAPTER 9, n.d.)

Eileen Wirth comments that a recent book, “Jesus and John Wayne,” by Kristin Kobes Du Mez, an evangelical historian, sheds light on a far more militaristic version of Christianity than she espouses. Eileen feels it’s extremely important for people like her to understand that viewpoint. Jesus commands us to love our enemies but opponents should not be enemies. It can be just as hard to listen with an open heart to good people who fundamentally disagree with us as to love enemies. We must find ways to embrace each other by finding  common ground whenever possible.

My friend, for example, is active in his church’s outreach to the poor just as I am. Common ground. He abhors racism, more common ground. He has also raised a wonderful family, still more that we share.

I wish I were a model of being open-hearted as Jesus commands in the Sermon on the Mount. I’m not, especially when it comes to judging masses of people with whom I don’t have a relationship. It’s hard and like most people, I tend to fail when things are difficult.

Baby steps, I tell myself. Take baby steps. That’s why I’ve just invited my friend for dinner. Maybe we’ll just talk about sports and the weather but someday maybe we’ll have the courage to lovingly discuss the significant differences in our Christian beliefs. (Wirth, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Integrity is a hardship for the morally corrupt,” by Peter Chrysologus (400-450 AD).

"John aroused Herod by his moral admonitions, not by any formal accusation. He wanted to correct, not to suppress. Herod, however, preferred to suppress rather than be reconciled. To those who are held captive, the freedom of the one innocent of wrongdoing becomes hateful. Virtue is undesirable to those who are immoral; holiness is abhorrent to those who are impious; chastity is an enemy to those who are impure; integrity is a hardship for those who are corrupt; frugality runs counter to those who are self-indulgent; mercy is intolerable to those who are cruel, as is loving-kindness to those who are pitiless and justice to those who are unjust. The Evangelist indicates this when he says, "John said to him, 'It is not lawful for you to have the wife of your brother Philip.'" This is where John runs into trouble. He who admonishes those who are evil gives offense. He who repudiates wrongdoers runs into trouble. John was saying what was proper of the law, what was proper of justice, what was proper of salvation and what was proper certainly not of hatred but of love. And look at the reward he received from the ungodly for his loving concern!" (excerpt from SERMONS 127.6-7) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Ecclesiastes 1:2-11 asks shouldn’t believing in Jesus and obeying him put a smile on your face every moment of the day? Shouldn’t helping people be its own reward, no matter how futile it can seem at times? Of course, we know the answer to these questions should always be yes. But there’s often a difference between what we should experience and what we actually do experience. Some of our greatest saints, like Mother Teresa and John of the Cross, have faced the loneliness and confusion of feeling distant from God.

God wants to bless your efforts—but he has to have efforts to bless. So even if you feel unenthusiastic, take those first steps to accomplish the work he has put in front of you. The work may be unglamorous and hidden to the world, but God can still draw blessings from it. That’s because his faithfulness knows no bounds!

“Lord, give me the strength to carry your light into the world.” (Meditation on Ecclesiastes 1:2-11, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the musing of Qoheleth on the mystery of life. Doing the best we can is a response to the mystery of life. Herod, responsible for the deaths of John the Baptist and James, wants to know more of Jesus. Friar Jude reminds us how people may be brought to wonder by stories of faith.

James Finley shares his thoughts on spiritual maturity as a form of ripening. The lifelong process of ripening brings about a corresponding ripening of our ability to understand the fundamentals in a wiser, peace-giving manner. . . . As a person ripens in unsayable intimacies in God, they ripen in a paradoxical wisdom. They come to understand God as a presence that protects us from nothing, even as God unexplainably sustains us in all things. This is the Mystery of the Cross that reveals whatever it means that God watches over us; it does not mean that God prevents the tragic thing, the cruel thing, the unfair thing, from happening. Rather, it means that God is intimately hidden as a kind of profound, tender sweetness that flows and carries us along in the intimate depths of the tragic thing itself—and will continue to do so in every moment of our lives up to and through death, and beyond.

And so it is with us. As we grow old we realize that, in all we have been through, Love has been using us for its own purposes. And for this we feel immensely grateful. We know, too, that our inevitable passing away, in which we fall into the ground and die, is not the end of our ripened and transformed life. It is rather our passage into an infinite and deathless fulfillment. Saint John of the Cross [1542–1591] talks about a windfall of delight. [1] When fruit becomes very ripe, the slightest wind can cause it to fall to the ground. This is also true of us, and not just in the sense in which we learn to be undone and fulfilled in all the unexpected little blessings that come to us throughout the day. The windfall of delight pertains as well to our last breath, which we know and trust will send us falling forever into the deathless depths of God. (Finley, 2022)

We are enlightened by the Spirit to respond with gratitude to the Presence of God in our journey that affirms our experience and inspires our hope.

References

Ecclesiastes, CHAPTER 1. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 22, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ecclesiastes/1?1 

Finley, J. (2022, September 22). A Windfall of Delight — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 22, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-windfall-of-delight-2022-09-22/ 

Luke, CHAPTER 9. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 22, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/9?7 

Meditation on Ecclesiastes 1:2-11. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved September 22, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/09/22/493713/ 

Psalms, PSALM 90. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 22, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/90?3 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture ... Retrieved September 22, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=sep22 

Wirth, E. (n.d.). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved September 22, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/092222.html