Freedom Wisdom and Restoration

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to respond to the prompting of the Spirit to let go of our comfort in conventions to live in a deeper connection to the Way of Jesus.

Free to Live

The reading from the Letter of Paul to the Galatians presents an allegory on Christian freedom.

* [4:21–31] Paul supports his appeal for the gospel (Gal 4:9; 1:6–9; 2:16; 3:2) by a further argument from scripture (cf. Gal 3:6–18). It involves the relationship of Abraham (Gal 3:6–16) to his wife, Sarah, the freeborn woman, and to Hagar, the slave woman, and the contrast between the sons born to each, Isaac, child of promise, and Ishmael, son of Hagar (Gn 16; 21). Only through Isaac is the promise of God preserved. This allegory (Gal 4:24), with its equation of the Sinai covenant and Mosaic law with slavery and of the promise of God with freedom, Paul uses only in light of previous arguments. His quotation of Gn 21:10 at Gal 4:30 suggests on a scriptural basis that the Galatians should expel those who are troubling them (Gal 1:7). (Galatians, CHAPTER 4, n.d.)

Psalm 113 praises God, the Helper of the needy.

* [Psalm 113] A hymn exhorting the congregation to praise God’s name, i.e., the way in which God is present in the world; the name is mentioned three times in Ps 113:1–3. The divine name is especially honored in the Temple (Ps 113:1) but its recognition is not limited by time (Ps 113:2) and space (Ps 113:3), for God is everywhere active (Ps 113:4–5) especially in rescuing the lowly faithful (Ps 113:7–9). (Psalms, PSALM 113, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus refers to the Sign of Jonah.

* [11:29–32] The “sign of Jonah” in Luke is the preaching of the need for repentance by a prophet who comes from afar. Cf. Mt 12:38–42 (and see notes there) where the “sign of Jonah” is interpreted by Jesus as his death and resurrection. (Luke, CHAPTER 11, n.d.)

Eileen Burke-Sullivan comments that in today’s Gospel we hear Jesus telling us that it is an evil generation who demands the security of signs and structures of certainty.  Faith is a relationship that must be lived in freedom and commitment even when it is unbelievably difficult – and seemingly against all odds.

 If we are not willing to enter prayer seriously, if we are not prepared to live in faith not human security, if we won’t come out of our gated communities of “our people” rather than the tremendous uncertainty of “all people,” if we will not be faithful to the Church that bears the teachings of Jesus into history, then faith will die out in in hearts and lives – and it will not be available for that generation of beautiful children being born right now.  We have nothing to hand on to them if we do not live it now.

Today, and every day we are invited to pray for the ability to pray.  We are called to believe the humanly unbelievable because with God ALL THINGS are possible.  We are invited to live in the freedom of discerned decisions of God’s grace supported by the promise of God’s mercy instead of the surety of laws and institutions.  We have been given the Grace of Baptism and are continuously invited to the Eucharist to affirm that Baptism and grow into its Divine characteristics within us.

As this year of our Lord passes into history, I pray that I will be more authentic in living the Christian Faith and I invite you to pray with me in asking this for yourself and each person you love. (Burke, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “The sign of Jonah,” by an anonymous early author from the Greek church.

"'What is the sign of Jonah? The stumbling block of the cross. So it is not the disputers of knowledge who will be saved but those who believe true teaching. For the cross of Christ is indeed a stumbling block to those who dispute knowledge but salvation to those who believe. Paul testifies to this: 'But we, for our part, preach the crucified Christ - to the Jews indeed a stumbling block and to the Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God' (1 Corinthians 1:23-24). Why do the Jews seek signs and the Greeks seek wisdom? God pointed to the sign of the stumbling block of the cross to both the Jews and the Greeks. Thus those who wish to find Christ not through faith but through wisdom will perish on the stumbling block of foolishness. Those who wish to know the Son of God not through faith but through a demonstration of signs will remain trapped in their disbelief, falling on the stumbling block of his death. It is no small wonder that the Jews, considering the death of Christ, thought he was merely a man, when even Christians - as they purport to be but really are not - because of his death are reluctant to declare the only begotten, the crucified, as incomparable majesty." (excerpt from INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 30, the Greek fathers). (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 11:29-32 comments that we have all had times when we asked for some dramatic sign in order to confirm our faith in the Lord.

Whenever you feel the desire to demand that God give you a dramatic sign, look back and recall the many ways you’ve already witnessed the Spirit at work in your life or in the life of a loved one. Recall the miracle of his very presence in you and his faithfulness to you. Let these truths convince you that no matter what your current need is, he sees it. He knows it. He embraces it. And he is working out his plan to help you with it.

“Holy Spirit, you are the greatest sign of God’s presence and power and love in my life. Help me trust in you even more.” (Meditation on Luke 11:29-32, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler identifies the “midrash” technique used by Paul as he compares two stories, positive and negative, from salvation history. The sign of Jonah is connected to the three days he spent in the whale and/or his preaching that preceded the conversion of Nineveh. Friar Jude reminds us of the message in Luke that the Gentiles were more willing to convert and that Jesus is connected to Wisdom Incarnate in the Hebrew Testament.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares how contemplation has transformed his view of reality through a “second gaze”. 

By my late 50s I had plenty of opportunities to see my own failures, shadow, and sin. The first gaze at myself was critical, negative, and demanding, not at all helpful to me or to others. I am convinced that such guilt and shame are never from God. They are merely protestations of the false self when shocked by its own poverty. God leads by compassion, never by condemnation. God offers us the grace to weep over our sins more than to perfectly overcome them, to humbly recognize our littleness rather than to become big. This kind of weeping and wandering keeps us both askew and awake at the same time.

My later life call is to “wander in the land of Nod,” enjoying God’s so-often-proven love and protection. I look back at my life, and everybody’s life, the One-and-Only-Life, marked happily and gratefully with the sign of Cain. Contemplation and compassion are finally coming together. This is my second gaze. It is well worth waiting for, because only the second gaze sees fully and truthfully. It sees itself, the other, and even God with God’s own compassionate eyes. True action must spring from this place. Otherwise, most of our action is merely reaction, and cannot bear “fruit that will last” (John 15:16). (Rohr, 2022)

We pray for guidance from the Spirit as we traverse the paradox of Wisdom Incarnate that is considered foolish and a stumbling block for so many.

References

Burke, E. (n.d.). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/101022.html 

Galatians, CHAPTER 4. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/galatians/4?22 

Luke, CHAPTER 11. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/11?29 

Meditation on Luke 11:29-32. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/10/10/508984/ 

Psalms, PSALM 113. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/113?1 

Rohr, R. (2022, October 10). A Second Gaze — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-second-gaze-2022-10-10/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). This Is an Evil Generation; It Seeks a Sign. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=oct10 

 

Blessed as Children

 

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to begin the New Year counting our blessings as children of God and contemplating a tweak to our response to others and difficult situations.

New Year for relationships

 

The reading from the Book of Numbers offers the Priestly Benediction of Aaron.

* [6:26] Peace: the Hebrew word Shalom includes the idea of happiness, good health, prosperity, friendship, and general well-being. To use this term as a greeting was to pray for all these things upon the one greeted.1 

In Psalm 67, the Nations are called to praise God.

* [Psalm 67] A petition for a bountiful harvest (Ps 67:7), made in the awareness that Israel’s prosperity will persuade the nations to worship its God.2 

The reading from the Letter to the Galatians promises that we might receive adoption as children.

 

* [4:6] Children: see note on Gal 3:26; here in contrast to the infant or young person not of age (Gal 3:1, 3). Abba: cf. Mk 14:36 and the note; Rom 8:15.3

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus Is named.

* [2:21] Just as John before him had been incorporated into the people of Israel through his circumcision, so too this child (see note on Lk 1:57–66).4

 

Eileen Wirth recalls a priest who explained that when we “received adoption as sons,” we became  God’s “real” children.

 

In other words, adoption makes us God’s “real” children just as it made me the “real” mother of my children – not their birth mother (a status that I deeply honor) but the “real” mom who loved them as deeply and permanently as any other parent. Who cares what we all look like or how we came together? The important this is that we are family just as all of us “adopted” children are members of God’s family on earth. Being an adoptive parent helps me understand that God never stops loving us even when we sin. God will never abandon us, his adopted children, any more than I could ever abandon my kids. Knowing this gives me great confidence in the strength of our relationship with God. As one of my favorite St. Louis Jesuit hymns, “Though the Mountains May Fall,” reminds us, no matter what happens, “he will not abandon you.” So rejoice in our adoption! It is holy and beautiful. Relationships are real. How they were formed is incidental.5

Don Schwager quotes “By Christ's faith, hope, and love we are purified,” by Bede the Venerable, 672-735 A.D.

 

"He therefore received in the flesh the circumcision decreed by the law, although he appeared in the flesh absolutely without any blemish of pollution. He who came in the likeness of sinful flesh (Romans 8:3) - not in sinful flesh - did not turn away from the remedy by which sinful flesh was ordinarily made clean. Similarly, not because of necessity but for the sake of example, he also submitted to the water of baptism, by which he wanted the people of the new law of grace to be washed from the stain of sins... "The reason 'the child who was born to us, the son who was given to us ' (Isaiah 9:6), received the name Jesus (that is, 'Savior') does not need explanation in order to be understood by us, but we need eager and vigilant zeal so that we too may be saved by sharing in his name. Indeed, we read how the angel interprets the name of Jesus: 'He will save his people from their sins' (Matthew 1:21). And without a doubt we believe and hope that the one who saves us from sins is not failing to save us also from the corruptions which happen because of sins, and from death itself, as the psalmist testifies when he says, 'Who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases' (Psalm 103:3). Indeed, with the pardoning of all of our iniquities, all our diseases will be completely healed when, with the appearance of the glory of the resurrection, our last enemy, death, will be destroyed... We read that circumcision was done with knives made of rock (Joshua 5:2), and the rock was Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4). And by Christ's faith, hope and love the hearts of the good are purified not only in baptism but furthermore in every devout action. This daily circumcision of ours (that is, the continual cleansing of our heart) does not cease from always celebrating the sacrament of the eighth day. (excerpt from HOMILIES ON THE GOSPELS 1.11)6

The Word Among Us Meditation on Numbers 6:22-27 comments that just as the angel had promised, by making Mary the Mother of God, God blessed not only her but the whole world through her (Luke 1:31-33).

So how did Mary recognize and receive her blessings? She “kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). Mary remembered and she pondered. Perhaps she asked God, “What are you doing here? How are you fulfilling your promise to me? Teach me and help me to trust you.” As her life progressed, she continued to understand more and more about what it meant that her child was the eternal Son of God and what her role was in God’s plan of salvation. So Mary can teach us how to open our hearts to all of God’s blessings. Like Mary, recall God’s faithfulness. Try to identify his blessings from last year—some that were obvious and some that came wrapped in a package of suffering. Ask the Lord to help you see how he fulfilled his promise of blessing in 2020. And dream a little. How might God want to bless you this coming year? He is faithful to his promise. He will bless you! “Open my eyes to recognize and receive your blessings this year, Lord.”7

 

Friar Jude Winkler notes that the blessing of Aaron in Numbers was later adapted by Francis of Assisi for his friars. God sent His Son at the appointed time, Kairos, in Greek. Friar Jude reminds us of our blessing as adopted children who know God as “Abba” or “Daddy”.

 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments the first gaze is seldom compassionate. It is too busy weighing and feeling itself: “How will this affect me?” or “How does my self-image demand that I react to this?” or “How can I get back in control of this situation?” This leads to an implosion of self-preoccupation that cannot enter into communion with the other or the moment. In other words, we first feel our feelings before we can relate to the situation and emotion of the other. Only after God has taught us how to live “undefended” can we immediately (or at least more quickly) stand with and for the other, and for the moment.

In the second gaze, critical thinking and compassion are finally coming together. It is well worth waiting for, because only the second gaze sees fully and truthfully. It sees itself, the other, and even God with God’s own eyes, the eyes of compassion, which always move us to act for peace and justice. But it does not reject the necessary clarity of critical thinking, either. Normally, we start with dualistic thinking, and then move toward nondual for an enlightened response. As always, both/and!8

 

We are aware that adopted children of God are called to live in loving relationships with others.

 

References

1	(n.d.). Numbers, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. Retrieved January 1, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/numbers/6
2	(n.d.). Psalms, PSALM 67 | USCCB. Retrieved January 1, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/67
3	(n.d.). Galatians, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB. Retrieved January 1, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/galatians/4
4	(n.d.). Luke, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. Retrieved January 1, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/2
5	(n.d.). Daily Reflections - Online Ministries .... Retrieved January 1, 2021, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/010121.html
6	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 1, 2021, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2021&date=jan1
7	(n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved January 1, 2021, from https://wau.org/meditations/2021/01/01/180432/
8	(2021, January 1). The Second Gaze — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved January 1, 2021, from https://cac.org/the-second-gaze-2021-01-01/