Victory and Doers

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with the experiences in our lives where our faith and the support of our community became the rocks of refuge and restoration.

Rocks of Support

The reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah proclaims Judah’s Song of Victory.

* [26:1–19] This text is a mixture of praise for the salvation that will take place, a confession of Judah’s inability to achieve deliverance on its own, and earnest prayer that God may quickly bring about the longed-for salvation.

* [26:1] Strong city: Jerusalem, the antithesis of the “city of chaos” (24:10); see note on 24:1–27:13. (Isaiah, CHAPTER 26 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 118 is A Song of Victory.

* [Psalm 118] A thanksgiving liturgy accompanying a procession of the king and the people into the Temple precincts. After an invocation in the form of a litany (Ps 118:1–4), the psalmist (very likely speaking in the name of the community) describes how the people confidently implored God’s help (Ps 118:5–9) when hostile peoples threatened its life (Ps 118:10–14); vividly God’s rescue is recounted (Ps 118:15–18). Then follows a possible dialogue at the Temple gates between the priests and the psalmist as the latter enters to offer the thanksgiving sacrifice (Ps 118:19–25). Finally, the priests impart their blessing (Ps 118:26–27), and the psalmist sings in gratitude (Ps 118:28–29). (Psalms, PSALM 118 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches concerning Self-Deception and  Hearers and Doers.

* [7:21–23] The attack on the false prophets is continued, but is broadened to include those disciples who perform works of healing and exorcism in the name of Jesus (Lord) but live evil lives. Entrance into the kingdom is only for those who do the will of the Father. On the day of judgment (on that day) the morally corrupt prophets and miracle workers will be rejected by Jesus.

* [7:23] I never knew you: cf. Mt 10:33. Depart from me, you evildoers: cf. Ps 6:9.

* [7:24–27] The conclusion of the discourse (cf. Lk 6:47–49). Here the relation is not between saying and doing as in Mt 7:15–23 but between hearing and doing, and the words of Jesus are applied to every Christian (everyone who listens). (Matthew, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB, n.d.)

Susan Naatz comments that To be a rock for someone may require great courage and resilience.   They are there when times are difficult, joyful, or challenging. They consistently do what they say they will do and deeply care for others. They are a safe haven.

Have you had someone in your life who you would describe as your rock?  Picture them right now. Think of their precious qualities and inherent goodness.  You might want to take a moment to thank them and tell them what they mean to you.  It is often through those relationships that we encounter God.

Matthew’s gospel invites us to have faith in God who is our eternal rock. God provides strength, love, and hope. God roots us and anchors us when the winds of life push and pull.  We can ask ourselves if we are building the dreams of our life on the rock, who is God.  Or are we settling on the sand of cultural disruptions and superficiality which can blow us away from God when the storms surge in? (Naatz, 2024)

Don Schwager quotes “Turn your vision to the Savior,” by Verecundus (died 552 AD).

"When Hezekiah, the king of Judah and son of Ahaz, was gravely ill and had learned of his coming death by the prophecy of Isaiah, he turned his face to the wall and wept bitterly (2 Kings 20:1-3). Immediately the Lord in his mercy not only averted the destruction of imminent death but also added fifteen years to the man's life. Then, at last, Hezekiah sang this song (Isaiah 38:10-20). Hezekiah, a holy man who reigned at that time over all of Israel, displayed the Lord's form: clearly he had every movement of body, soul and mind in subjection to himself, and he accepted the consequences of his infirmity and weakness. He knew without doubt through the prophetic message that the end of his life was approaching. For the longer we seem to live, the more indubitably is our future death foreknown to us. And if we turn our face to the wall when struck by the fear of death, that is, if we direct the vision of our hearts to the Savior, who is here represented by the wall because he is elsewhere called 'a wall,' we will be saved, inasmuch as he saves the faithful who dwell within him from a great many attacks. 'In the city of our strength,' says Isaiah, 'is the Savior established as a wall and a fortress' (Isaiah 26:1). Behold, the Savior is said to be a wall." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON THE CANTICLE OF EZEKIEL 5.1-2)

[Verecundus was an African Christian writer and bishop in the 6th century AD.] (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 7:21, 24-2 invites us to picture a large flat rock by the ocean, covering a wide expanse of beach. Now imagine the sand nearby. The rock has been there for ages; it hasn’t moved or been damaged despite the many storms that have pounded it. The sand, however, is always shifting. Depending on the tides, it can get pushed out to sea and then end up back on the beach in the same day.

Perhaps you know someone who has been shaken by the shifting sands beneath them. If so, you might want to remind them of this parable. Tell them how Jesus and his teachings have helped you weather the storms in your life. If you once followed one of these belief systems, tell them how and why you eventually found the Lord. Your witness just might convince them to build their own life on the rock of Christ!

“Jesus, thank you for being the firm ground beneath my feet!” (Meditation on Matthew 7:21, 24-2, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler notes the passage today, like yesterday, from the central section of Isaiah was probably written by a different author who declares Jerusalem as a refuge and home of a nation that is just. The Gospel of Matthew declares the just who live in fidelity to God’s will are able to stand firm in a tempest. Friar Jude reminds us to review our relationship with God who teaches us and gives us strength to do His Will.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, describes how love and grace are present and operational in the world. Scientist and theologian Ilia Delio, having studied the work of French priest and scientist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881–1955), writes:

Teilhard thought that love is the most mysterious and unknown energy in the universe. It is this center drawn to that center; this person drawn to that person. There is no logical explanation for this core energy of life; it is deeply personal and yet whimsical; … an energy field that is somehow entangled with an infinite energy of divine love—for God alone, who is absolute love, is completely personal and ineffable intimacy. Love is rooted in the fundamental nature of reality itself…. Love forms every star, atom, leaf, daffodil, bird, earthworm, cat, giraffe, tiger, and human; everything that exists is born from love. Even consciousness is born of love so that mind is not intellect alone but includes the body and senses and emotional life. Love makes the world go around because love makes the world; matter is formed by love. [3] (Rohr, n.d.)

We recall with great gratitude the tempests on our journey through which by the grace of God we found peace and the loving concern of family and friends.

References

Isaiah, CHAPTER 26 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 5, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/26?1 

Matthew, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/7?21

Meditation on Matthew 7:21, 24-2. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved December 5, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/12/05/1145637/ 

Naatz, S. (2024, December 5). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Retrieved December 5, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/120524.html 

Psalms, PSALM 118 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/118?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Love Is the Source of All. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 5, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/love-is-the-source-of-all/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 5, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=dec5 

Relying on the Rock

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today alert us to the risk of involvement in human intrigues that may divert us from trust in our relationship with Christ the Rock.

Build on the Rock

The reading from the Second Book of Kings describes the reign and captivity of Jehoiachin and the capture of Jerusalem.

* [24:12] The eighth year of his reign: that is, of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, not Jehoiachin’s. The year was 597 B.C.

* [24:14] People of the land: see note on 11:14. (2 Kings, CHAPTER 24 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 79 is a plea for Mercy for Jerusalem.

* [Psalm 79] A communal lament complaining that the nations have defiled the Temple and murdered the holy people, leaving their corpses unburied (Ps 79:1–4). The occasion is probably the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian army in 587 B.C. The people ask how long the withdrawal of divine favor will last (Ps 79:5), pray for action now (Ps 79:6–7), and admit that their own sins have brought about the catastrophe (Ps 79:8–9). They seek to persuade God to act for reasons of honor: the nations who do not call upon the Name are running amok (Ps 79:6); the divine honor is compromised (Ps 79:1, 10, 12); God’s own servants suffer (Ps 79:2–4, 11). (Psalms, PSALM 79 | USCCB, n.d.)

At the end of the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches concerning Self-Deception and being Hearers rather than Doers like the True Disciples who choose the rock from the Two Foundations.

* [7:21–23] The attack on the false prophets is continued, but is broadened to include those disciples who perform works of healing and exorcism in the name of Jesus (Lord) but live evil lives. Entrance into the kingdom is only for those who do the will of the Father. On the day of judgment (on that day) the morally corrupt prophets and miracle workers will be rejected by Jesus.

* [7:23] I never knew you: cf. Mt 10:33. Depart from me, you evildoers: cf. Ps 6:9.

* [7:24–27] The conclusion of the discourse (cf. Lk 6:47–49). Here the relation is not between saying and doing as in Mt 7:15–23 but between hearing and doing, and the words of Jesus are applied to every Christian (everyone who listens).

* [7:28–29] When Jesus finished these words: this or a similar formula is used by Matthew to conclude each of the five great discourses of Jesus (cf. Mt 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1).

* [7:29] Not as their scribes: scribal instruction was a faithful handing down of the traditions of earlier teachers; Jesus’ teaching is based on his own authority. Their scribes: for the implications of their, see note on Mt 4:23. (Matthew, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB, n.d.)

David Crawford asks what should be at the foundation of our faithful work? 

 When asked to name the greatest commandment, Jesus responded that loving God was first, loving your neighbor was second, and that “all the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-38)  I John 4 tells us that all who love know God, but those who do not love do not know God “because God is love.”  From the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthians (chapter 13), we know that prophecy, wisdom, faith or charitable acts without love are nothing.

Loving God, help us to love one another as Christ loves us.  Help us continually to love those around us, even the “enemy” who opposes us at work or who espouses views we abhor.  Help us so that we walk humbly with you, God Who is love, in our search for justice and mercy, in our attempts to forgive as You have forgiven us.  Holy Spirit, work in us and through us so that all we do is done lovingly and glorifies God. (Crawford, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “The house falls if Christ is not the rock and foundation,” by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD).

"'For neither death nor life nor angels nor other things can separate us from the love of Christ' (Romans 8:38-39). Neither can the flooding of rivers, as in the lands of Egypt and Assyria [symbolize worldly wisdom opposed to God], do harm. Only those are harmed who build on sand, who practice the wisdom of the world. The winds that blow are like the false prophets. All these, coming together in one place, 'beat upon' the house. If it is founded on rock, they do no harm. 'The way of a snake upon a rock' is not to be found (Proverbs 30:19). But in the form of temptations and persecutions, which may mount into a flood, they beat upon even the one who seems to be well-founded. The house falls if it does not have Christ as its basis and foundation. But the truly wise person builds one's house 'upon a rock.' This is the way the Lord builds his church - upon the rock, with steadfastness and strength. This is why 'the gates of hell shall not prevail against it' (Matthew 16:18). All the persecutions that fall upon that house accomplish nothing. The house is founded upon the rock. (excerpt from FRAGMENT 153) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 7:21-29 shares a reader’s testimony for today’s meditation.

“The house did not collapse. We’ve been married more than twenty-five years now. Things haven’t always been picture-perfect, but we keep trying to trust Jesus. His word has helped us so far, and we’re confident it will in the future.”

“Jesus, you help us weather the storms of life. Keep us on your firm foundation.” (Meditation on Matthew 7:21-29, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the events in Jerusalem before the 597 BCE exile of the king and ruling class from Jerusalem to Babylon. The Sermon on the Mount contains five major sections of teaching as a parallel to the Pentateuch. Friar Jude reminds us that a true relationship with God brings us trust in hard times.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces CAC friend Mirabai Starr who founded the online grief community, Holy Lament: The Transformative Path of Loss and Longing. It is a space for people to experience grief together.

What I experienced when my daughter died was two things. One was that nobody could possibly know what I’m going through right now. But quickly on the heels of that was, “Oh, every person ever who has experienced the death of a child knows.” I was realizing in the bones of my own body … that there had been mothers throughout time whose children had died and mothers right now [whose children are dying]…. We all belong to each other. In some ways that was the first time I ever took my seat in the web of interbeing—when I realized that I belong here and we belong to each other. Even if right now it was my turn to be held by that web, I couldn’t imagine it yet, but I knew somehow, someday I would be able to do some of that holding of the other mothers to come. And I have and I do. (Rohr, n.d.)

We seek the reassurance of the Spirit in the tough times that threaten our trust in God to guide us through our exile in grief and turmoil.

References

Crawford, D. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. OnlineMinistries. Retrieved June 27, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/062724.html 

Matthew, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 27, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/7? 

Meditation on Matthew 7:21-29. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved June 27, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/06/27/1008967/ 

Psalms, PSALM 79 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 27, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/79?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved June 27, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/grieving-together/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). The Wise Who Built Their House upon the Rock. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 27, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=jun27 

2 Kings, CHAPTER 24 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 27, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2kings/24?