Righteousness and Service

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with our need to ponder our role on our life journey and the faith, hope, and charity we hope will be our legacy for the future.

A legacy for the future

The reading from the Book of Wisdom confirms the Destiny of the Righteous

* [3:1–12] The author affirms that, for the righteous, sufferings are not punishments but purification and opportunities to show fidelity, whereas for the wicked suffering is truly a punishment.

* [3:6] Offerings: the image is that of the burnt offering, in which the victim is completely consumed by fire.

* [3:7] Judgment: the Greek episkopē is God’s loving judgment of those who have been faithful to him; the same word is used in 14:11 for the punishment of the wicked at God’s judgment. Cf. also v. 13. (Wisdom, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 34 offers praise for Deliverance from Trouble

* [Psalm 34] A thanksgiving in acrostic form, each line beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In this Psalm one letter is missing and two are in reverse order. The psalmist, fresh from the experience of being rescued (Ps 34:5, 7), can teach the “poor,” those who are defenseless, to trust in God alone (Ps 34:4, 12). God will make them powerful (Ps 34:5–11) and give them protection (Ps 34:12–22). (Psalms, PSALM 34 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus exhorts the attitude of a servant.

* [17:7–10] These sayings of Jesus, peculiar to Luke, which continue his response to the apostles’ request to increase their faith (Lk 17:5–6), remind them that Christian disciples can make no claim on God’s graciousness; in fulfilling the exacting demands of discipleship, they are only doing their duty. (Luke, CHAPTER 17, n.d.)

Edward Morse comments that the disposition that puts the Lord’s needs first is not easy.  We like to be served more than to serve.  We like to be honored more than to honor.  We like to receive gratitude more than to be grateful.  The contrary disposition that Jesus is teaching us to follow can also be costly in a world where others find it foolish and easy to exploit.  Can we trust God to follow him in those times? 

Lord, like the apostles, we cry out to you, “please increase our faith.”  We are prone to forget and to lose hope, particularly in the midst of tough times and struggles.  Save us from envy.  And help us to encourage one another, remembering that “Grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with his elect.”  Thanks be to God. (Morse, 2023)

Don Schwager quotes “We are called to humble service,” by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.

"You do not say to your servant, 'Sit down,' but require more service from him and do not thank him. The Lord also does not allow only one work or labor for you, because so long as we live we must always work.

"Know that you are a servant overwhelmed by very much obedience. You must not set yourself first, because you are called a son of God. Grace must be acknowledged, but nature not overlooked. Do not boast of yourself if you have served well, as you should have done. The sun obeys, the moon complies (Joshua 10:12-13; Baruch 6:60), and the angels serve... Let us not require praise from ourselves nor prevent the judgment of God and anticipate the sentence of the Judge but reserve it for its own time and Judge." (excerpt from EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 17.7-10) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Wisdom 2:23–3:9 comments that we may struggle to believe in eternal life, for our loved ones or for ourselves. But this struggle is familiar to Jesus. His prayer in Gethsemane reveals his anguish as he faced the cross (Matthew 26:36-45). But trusting the Father, he offered himself up to death. After passing through this refiner’s fire, Jesus arose and shone forth, “as sparks through stubble” (Wisdom 3:7).

So bring him your heartaches, confusion, and pain. He will walk beside you and your loved ones through the valley of the shadow of death until the day when his victory will be your own, and “the faithful shall abide with him in love” (Wisdom 3:9).

“Lord, help me to trust you in this life so that I may rejoice with you in eternity.” (Meditation on Wisdom 2:23–3:9, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the theme of the passage from Wisdom to address the question of the Greeks about eternal life. The Greek influence in the Book of Wisdom is evident in the concept of the separation of the soul and body in eternal life. Friar Jude recalls the Baltimore Catechism as he reminds us of our participation in the Love of the Father and the Son as we take up the Cross of service.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, and the CAC Staff share about the mission of the Christian Contemplative Movement.

Our dream is that Contemplative Christianity will be a robust movement of spiritual transformation that millions of people can participate in meaningfully and thoroughly. Social science research suggests it takes 3.5% of a population to create a seismic shift in attitudes on any given subject. Therefore, as an organization founded by Franciscan Fr. Richard Rohr, rooted in Christian traditions of action and contemplation, and positioned on the edge of the inside of the world’s largest religion, we seek to contribute to a movement of contemplative renewal in service to a great spiritual turning. Our aim is to support the conditions necessary for the catalytic growth of a contemplative Christian path for at least 3.5% of people in our national and international landscape. (Rohr, 2021)

We seek the Wisdom of the Holy Spirit as we come to understand our role as servants of the Lord and the people who we encounter daily in the hope that mercy, patience, and compassion will accompany our action and reflect Christ.

References

Luke, CHAPTER 17. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 14, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/17?7 

Meditation on Wisdom 2:23–3:9. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved November 14, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/11/14/829984/ 

Morse, E. (2023, November 14). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved November 14, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/111423.html 

Psalms, PSALM 34 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved November 14, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/34?2 

Rohr, R. (2021, September 22). Christian Contemplative Movement. CAC Daily Meditations 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-special-note-from-fr-richard-the-christian-contemplative-movement-2023-11-14/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved November 14, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=nov14 

Wisdom, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved November 14, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/wisdom/3 

Grace and Faithfulness

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to accept the Grace of the Gifts of the Spirit that lead us to knowledge of and faith for our role as workers in the vineyard.

Make a Friend

The reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians is a salutation to introduce the Corithians to their gifts as Followers of Christ.

* [1:1–9] Paul follows the conventional form for the opening of a Hellenistic letter (cf. Rom 1:1–7), but expands the opening with details carefully chosen to remind the readers of their situation and to suggest some of the issues the letter will discuss.

* [1:1] Called…by the will of God: Paul’s mission and the church’s existence are grounded in God’s initiative. God’s call, grace, and fidelity are central ideas in this introduction, emphasized by repetition and wordplays in the Greek. (1 CORINTHIANS, n.d.)

Psalm 145 praises the Greatness and the Goodness of God.

* [Psalm 145] A hymn in acrostic form; every verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Acrostic poems usually do not develop ideas but consist rather of loosely connected statements. The singer invites all to praise God (Ps 145:1–3, 21). The “works of God” make God present and invite human praise (Ps 145:4–7); they climax in a confession (Ps 145:8–9). God’s mighty acts show forth divine kingship (Ps 145:10–20), a major theme in the literature of early Judaism and in Christianity. (Psalms, PSALM 145, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches the parable of the Faithful or the Unfaithful Slave.

* [24:45–51] The second part of the discourse (see note on Mt 24:1–25:46) begins with this parable of the faithful or unfaithful servant; cf. Lk 12:41–46. It is addressed to the leaders of Matthew’s church; the servant has been put in charge of his master’s household (Mt 24:45) even though that household is composed of those who are his fellow servants (Mt 24:49).

* [24:45] To distribute…proper time: readiness for the master’s return means a vigilance that is accompanied by faithful performance of the duty assigned.

* [24:48] My master…delayed: the note of delay is found also in the other parables of this section; cf. Mt 25:5, 19.

* [24:51] Punish him severely: the Greek verb, found in the New Testament only here and in the Lucan parallel (Lk 12:46), means, literally, “cut in two.” With the hypocrites: see note on Mt 6:2. Matthew classes the unfaithful Christian leader with the unbelieving leaders of Judaism. Wailing and grinding of teeth: see note on Mt 8:11–12. (Matthew, CHAPTER 24, n.d.)

David Crawford comments that If we are to be the “faithful and prudent servant” from today’s readings, we must love our neighbor.  And given Jesus’ admonition about the sheep and goats (end of Matthew 25), it seems we should love ALL our neighbors.  In other words, we must continually and repeatedly extend God’s love, grace, mercy, kindness, and forgiveness to others.  You shall love the Lord, your God, ALL the time with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul, and with ALL your mind; and love ALL your neighbors as yourself. (Crawford, n.d.)

In our interactions, public and private, with individuals and groups who oppose and belittle us and our faith, we can be downright vicious, hostile, hateful – in short, un-Christian – forgetting that, as Dr. King put it: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”   We may even behave acceptably, by society’s standards, at our jobs, in politics, as members of community boards; but do we take actions and make decisions that prioritize loving our neighbors?  When we act unlovingly – individually or collectively, for whatever reason – we become that wicked servant Jesus warns against.

If this feels a bit daunting, take heart. Thankfully, as Paul assures the Corinthians and us, God has bestowed His grace on us in Christ Jesus.  He provides for us and will keep us “firm to the end.” God is faithful!  Alleluia!  Amen.

Don Schwager quotes “You do not know the day,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).

"But his meaning is like this: If ordinary persons knew when they were going to die, they would surely be striving earnestly at that hour. In order therefore that they may strive, not at that hour only, he does not tell them the hour or day. He wants to keep them on their toes looking for it, that they may be always striving. This is why he made the end of each person's life so uncertain. In this passage he openly implies that he himself is Lord. Nowhere before has he spoken of this so distinctly. But here he seems to me also to be putting to shame those who remain careless about his lordship. They take much more care about a thief taking their money than about their own soul. Those who care about their house and do not want their possessions stolen take measures against the thief. They watch; they are prepared for the thief. So it is with you. You do not know when he will come. But you know assuredly that he will come. If you do not continue to watch, you will not be ready on that day. You will be unprepared. Destruction will come in your sleep. If the person had known when the thief was coming, he would have been prepared. So be like the one who is prepared at all times, so you will escape free. Having then mentioned the judgment, he directs his thoughts next to teachers, speaking of honorable and dishonorable actions. His discourse closes with that which is alarming, for he speaks first of those who do right, then of those who continue in sin." (excerpt from the THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 77.2-3) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 comments that Corinth was a leading Greek city in Paul’s day, a bustling seaport and commercial gateway between Rome in the West and the wealthy civilizations of the East. It attracted people from all over the world and had become a melting pot of different cultures. There was a Jewish community in the city, some of whom had begun to follow Jesus. In addition, some Gentiles had converted to Christianity, so this small church faced a challenge. It was one of the first places where Jews and Gentiles learned to live and worship together as one community. That combination led to a clash of cultures that crops up regularly in Paul’s letter.

Paul certainly gets his message across: Jesus is the center of it all. The Corinthians faced many challenges, and they had a lot to learn. But Paul wanted to remind them why they had come together in the first place: because Jesus had called them and changed their lives. He was their Lord, their source, their purpose, and their guide. He would be their strength and wisdom, the well they would draw from. Jesus would help them love one another and keep them standing firm until his return.

He will do the same for you.

“Jesus, be my strength and my joy today.” (Meditation on 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler discusses the background to Paul’s letter that comes from the geography and social circumstances of Corinth and the Greek emphasis on spirit over matter. The first verses of 1 Corinthians attribute qualities to Jesus that are normally associated with the Holy Spirit. Friar Jude reminds us of a  time of accounting message in the Gospel of Matthew.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, quotes Bill Plotkin, Soulcraft, on discovering our unique gift to bring to our community as an introduction to his own discernment about the Center for Action and Contemplation.

Well, the leadership team told me, “We are convinced that you have a gift for America—to preach the gospel to a first world country. There’s not much point in you talking about the poor in Kenya; you need to talk about it in North America.” It was the consensus of the whole group. They said, “It’s your decision, but we strongly recommend that you stay here and keep doing what you are doing. If you are worried about your success guilt, well, you can worry about it!”

I remember driving back from San Antonio, Texas, all the way through the Guadalupe Mountains, and everything was beautiful! I felt so happy, relieved and recommitted to working with the Center for Action and Contemplation. (Rohr, 2022)

We pause to invite the Spirit to inform our questions about our role as followers of Christ as we attempt to live faithfully each day.

References

Crawford, D. (n.d.). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved August 25, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/082522.html 

Matthew, CHAPTER 24. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 25, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/24?42 

Meditation on 1 Corinthians 1:1-9. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved August 25, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/08/25/474709/ 

1 CORINTHIANS. (n.d.). Corinthians. Retrieved August 25, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/1?1 

Psalms, PSALM 145. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 25, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/145?2 

Rohr, R. (2022, August 25). Seeking God's Will — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 25, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/seeking-gods-will-2022-08-25 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture ... Retrieved August 25, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=aug25