Persecution and Division

 

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to examine the bias and habits in our lives that inhibit our best choices for building compassion, mercy, and love.

Check our bias

 

The reading from the Prophet Jeremiah presents his response to his life being threatened.

 

“Let us destroy the tree in its vigor;

let us cut him off from the land of the living,so that his name will be spoken no more.”1

Psalm 7 is a plea for help against persecutors.

 * [Psalm 7] An individual lament. The psalmist flees to God’s presence in the sanctuary for justice and protection (Ps 7:2–3) and takes an oath that only the innocent can swear (Ps 7:4–6). The innocent psalmist can thus hope for the just God’s protection (Ps 7:7–14) and be confident that the actions of the wicked will come back upon their own heads (Ps 7:15–17). The justice of God leads the psalmist to praise (Ps 7:18).2

In the Gospel of John bias creates division among the people and reveals the unbelief of those in authority.

 

* [7:40–53] Discussion of the Davidic lineage of the Messiah.3

Cindy Costanzo shares imaging herself listening and observing Jesus and the events of today’s Gospel.

 As I place myself in the crowd and imagine myself listening and observing Jesus and the events, I am very attentive. I am troubled at what I am hearing from the crowd and yet when I am near Jesus, I can feel the stirrings in my ‘heart’ and ‘gut.’  I have a feeling of safety, calmness, love and grace. I want to follow this man they call Messiah… This past week I read a disturbing email and I wanted to respond with a ‘critical-cautionary’ email … but I paused. Perhaps I did not understand the situation, I needed to recognize and respect that there could be a new and different way to proceed …. God was present, reminding me too not be critical. To let it go, to step back, to pause.  Thank you, God for today’s scripture reading which reminded me to be open to new ways. 4

Don Schwager quotes “Not by walking but by loving,” by Saint Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

 

"We approach God not by walking but by loving. The purer our love for him toward whom we are striving, the more present to us will he be. To him, therefore, who is everywhere present and everywhere whole, we must proceed not by our feet but by our moral virtues - judged not by the object of our knowledge but by the object of our love." (excerpt from Letter 155,13)5

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 7:40-53 notes that Jesus was from Galilee, but he healed the sick, drove out demons, and raised the dead. He spoke with the authority of God himself. Surely that said more about him than his obscure origins.

 It’s not too much of a stretch to see how this type of reasoning can creep into our minds even today. We may fall into the trap of thinking that we know someone based on their level of education or job, their hometown or background, or even where—or whether—they go to church. If you’ve ever made those kinds of judgments, now is probably a good time to take a deeper look at your thoughts.6

Friar Jude Winkler reviews the failure of the people to convert their hearts in the light of Jeremiah’s words. Vindicator or redeemer are two possible words that could be in the plea that Jeremiah makes to God. Friar Jude uses the example of Nicodemus to underline how the gift of faith needs attention to grow over time.

 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that Francis of Assisi did not just tolerate or endure simplicity, he loved it and found his freedom there. He understood that living simply was a way to remedy selfish habits and cultivate generosity. This week’s practice from Kyle David Bennet invites us to consider ways that we might simplify our lives and material possessions.

 

Use “spring cleaning” or however you clean your apartment or house to examine and evaluate how you can live simply. Every year I end up purging inessential books that I’ll never read again and donating clothes that no longer fit. Frequent exercises in purging can help us live simply.7

Our bias may be to confirm what we already believe or to consider different ideas negatively. (CAC faculty member Brian McLaren has done thoughtful and helpful research about what makes us see things so differently from one another. He identified thirteen biases.) Openness to a nudge from the Spirit may reveal truth, beauty, or goodness that our prejudice has hidden from sight.

 

References

1	(2021, March 19). Gospel and Word of the Day - 20 March 2021 - Vatican News. Retrieved March 20, 2021, from https://www.vaticannews.va/en/word-of-the-day/2021/03/20.html
2	(n.d.). Psalms, PSALM 7 | USCCB. Retrieved March 20, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/7
3	(n.d.). John, chapter 7 - USCCB. Retrieved March 20, 2021, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/john/7:40
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - Online .... Retrieved March 20, 2021, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/032021.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 20, 2021, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/
6	(n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved March 20, 2021, from https://wau.org/meditations/2021/03/20/181232/
7	(n.d.). An Expanding Love: Weekly Summary — Center for Action and .... Retrieved March 20, 2021, from https://cac.org/an-expanding-love-weekly-summary-2021-03-20/

 

Theophany then and now

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite contemplation of the signs in our life that point to God with us in our journey.

Signs of Presence

The passage from the Book of Exodus describes the theophany involved in the call and commission of Moses.

 * [3:12] Sign: a visible display of the power of God. The ancient notion of a sign from God does not coincide with the modern understanding of “miracle,” which suggests some disruption in the laws governing nature. While most any phenomenon can become a vehicle for displaying the purposes and providence of God, here the sign intended to confirm Moses’ commission by God seems to be the burning bush itself. Since normally the giving of such a sign would follow the commission rather than precede it (see Jgs 6:11–24), some see Israel’s service of God at Sinai after the exodus from Egypt as the confirmatory sign, albeit retroactively. It is more likely, however, that its mention here is intended to establish the present episode with Moses alone as a prefigurement of God’s fiery theophany to all Israel on Mount Sinai. Serve God: Hebrew ‘-b-d, “serve,” includes among its meanings both the notion of “serving or working for another” and the notion of “worship.” The implication here is that the Israelites’ service/worship of God is incompatible with their service to Pharaoh.1

In Psalm 103, the speaker begins by praising God for personal benefits (Ps 103:1–5), then moves on to God’s mercy toward all people.

* [Psalm 103] The speaker in this hymn begins by praising God for personal benefits (Ps 103:1–5), then moves on to God’s mercy toward all the people (Ps 103:6–18). Even sin cannot destroy that mercy (Ps 103:11–13), for the eternal God is well aware of the people’s human fragility (Ps 103:14–18). The psalmist invites the heavenly beings to join in praise (Ps 103:19–22).2 

Jesus prayer in the Gospel of Matthew is praise of the Father for revealing truth to the simple and humble.

* [11:25–27] This Q saying, identical with Lk 10:21–22 except for minor variations, introduces a joyous note into this section, so dominated by the theme of unbelief. While the wise and the learned, the scribes and Pharisees, have rejected Jesus’ preaching and the significance of his mighty deeds, the childlike have accepted them. Acceptance depends upon the Father’s revelation, but this is granted to those who are open to receive it and refused to the arrogant. Jesus can speak of all mysteries because he is the Son and there is perfect reciprocity of knowledge between him and the Father; what has been handed over to him is revealed only to those whom he wishes.3 

Carol Zuegner shares we often search for signs, for some kind of indication that we are doing the right thing.

Moses isn’t sure he’s up to the task: Who am I to do this, he asks God. I do that too, sometimes when I know I should be doing the right thing, but peer pressure, habit can lead to the easier way. But, like Moses, I can’t use the excuse that I was just walking by and happened upon a burning bush.  I have to do the right thing and I can because God is with me.
The gospel is simple, yet powerful. It carries through the theme of how we each are chosen by God. You do not have to be the wise and learned – some things are revealed to the childlike.  To me, that means that I can be chosen by God as a leader in my own life, even as I continue to work on understanding and learning what that role should be and how I should live that life. My relationship with God evolves and changes as I evolve and change.4 

Don Schwager quotes “Revealed to babes,” by Epiphanius the Latin (late 5th century).

"And he revealed these things to children. To which children? Not those who are children in age but to those who are children in respect to sin and wickedness. To them Jesus revealed how to seek the blessings of paradise and the things to come in the kingdom of heaven, because thus it was well pleasing before God that 'they should come from the east and the west and that they should lie down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but that the sons of this worldly kingdom should be cast into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:11-12).'" (excerpt from INTERPRETATION OF THE GOSPELS 26)5 

The Word Among Us Meditation on Exodus 3:1-6, 9-12 suggests we put ourselves in Moses’ shoes for a moment. He’s a fugitive from justice. A death sentence hangs over him for having killed an Egyptian. He’s a Hebrew, yet he is married to a Gentile who worships other gods. Would anyone take him seriously? This is likely what Moses was thinking when God commissioned him to deliver the Israelites from Egypt. Who, me? he must have thought. How is that ever going to happen?

Haven’t you felt like Moses at one time or another? We’ve all faced situations when it seems that God is asking us to do something that we don’t feel equipped or capable of pulling off. We protest, saying, “Lord, you’re asking the wrong person. I can’t do this.” And God gives us the same five-word message he gave to Moses: “I will be with you.” It can seem too simple. It can seem inadequate. But remember, this is almighty God who is making the promise. The One who defeated Pharaoh’s armies is with you. The One who created the universe is with you. The One who loved you enough to send his only Son is with you—always.6 

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the situation of Moses in Midian. Two responses to theophany are drawing closer and fear from our unworthiness. Friar Jude reminds that Jesus prayer points to simple trust and humility as conditions for surrender to God.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that when we honor and accept the divine image within ourselves, we cannot help but see it in everybody else, too, and we know it is just as undeserved and unmerited as it is in us.

Mystics are human like the rest of us, and none of us are perfect. We are inconsistent creatures with blind spots and cultural limitations. Outside of flashes of insight and unitive experience, mystics are products of their place in time. For example, they may have sexist, anti-Semitic, or other biases common for that period, as we see even in the much-idealized Desert Fathers. In spite of momentary glimpses of universal and unconditional grace, they may still be rooted in a retributive understanding of God. It takes more than a lifetime for us to grasp the Mystery that we experience during moments of deep presence and surrender. [1]7 

Our mystical experience of Christ in others is revelation that, like Moses, we can count on God with us.

References

1	(n.d.). Exodus, chapter 3 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved July 17, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/exodus/3
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 103 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved July 17, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/103
3	(n.d.). Matthew, chapter 11 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved July 17, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/11
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved July 17, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 17, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). 15th Week in Ordinary Time - Mass Readings and .... Retrieved July 17, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/07/17/
7	(2019, July 17). Our Response — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 17, 2019, from https://cac.org/our-response-2019-07-17/