Worthy and Weeping

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to contemplate the imagery of Christ as the Lamb of God and the consolation of our faith to our experience of sorrow on our journey.

Weeping over the City

The reading from the Book of Revelation presents images of The Scroll and the Lamb.

* [5:1–14] The seer now describes a papyrus roll in God’s right hand (Rev 5:1) with seven seals indicating the importance of the message. A mighty angel asks who is worthy to open the scroll, i.e., who can accomplish God’s salvific plan (Rev 5:2). There is despair at first when no one in creation can do it (Rev 5:3–4). But the seer is comforted by an elder who tells him that Christ, called the lion of the tribe of Judah, has won the right to open it (Rev 5:5). Christ then appears as a Lamb, coming to receive the scroll from God (Rev 5:6–7), for which he is acclaimed as at a coronation (Rev 5:8–10). This is followed by a doxology of the angels (Rev 5:11–12) and then finally by the heavenly church united with all of creation (Rev 5:13–14).

* [5:1] A scroll: a papyrus roll possibly containing a list of afflictions for sinners (cf. Ez 2:9–10) or God’s plan for the world. Sealed with seven seals: it is totally hidden from all but God. Only the Lamb (Rev 5:7–9) has the right to carry out the divine plan.

* [5:5] The lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David: these are the messianic titles applied to Christ to symbolize his victory; cf. Rev 22:16; Gn 49:9; Is 11:1, 10; Mt 1:1.

* [5:6] Christ is the Paschal Lamb without blemish, whose blood saved the new Israel from sin and death; cf. Ex 12; Is 53:7; Jn 1:29, 36; Acts 8:32; 1 Pt 1:18–19. This is the main title for Christ in Revelation, used twenty-eight times. Seven horns and seven eyes: Christ has the fullness (see note on Rev 1:4) of power (horns) and knowledge (eyes); cf. Zec 4:7. [Seven] spirits: as in Rev 1:4; 3:1; 4:5. (Revelation, CHAPTER 5, n.d.)

Psalm 149 offers Praise for God’s Goodness to Israel.

* [Psalm 149] A hymn inviting the people of Israel to celebrate their God in song and festive dance (Ps 149:1–3, 5) because God has chosen them and given them victory (Ps 149:4). The exodus and conquest are the defining acts of Israel; the people must be ready to do again those acts in the future at the divine command (Ps 149:6–9). (Psalms, PSALM 149, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem.

* [19:41–44] The lament for Jerusalem is found only in Luke. By not accepting Jesus (the one who mediates peace), Jerusalem will not find peace but will become the victim of devastation.

* [19:43–44] Luke may be describing the actual disaster that befell Jerusalem in A.D. 70 when it was destroyed by the Romans during the First Revolt. (Luke, CHAPTER 19, n.d.)

The Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries was not available at publication time.

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus fulfills the beatitude for those who weep,” by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD).

"When our Lord and Savior approached Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept... By his example, Jesus confirms all the Beatitudes that he speaks in the Gospel. By his own witness, he confirms what he teaches. 'Blessed are the meek,' he says. He says something similar to this of himself: 'Learn from me, for I am meek.' 'Blessed are the peacemakers.' What other man brought as much peace as my Lord Jesus, who 'is our peace,' who 'dissolves hostility' and 'destroys it in his own flesh' (Ephesians 2:14-15). 'Blessed are those who suffer persecution because of justice.'

"No one suffered such persecution because of justice as did the Lord Jesus, who was crucified for our sins. The Lord therefore exhibited all the Beatitudes in himself. For the sake of this likeness, he wept, because of what he said, 'Blessed are those who weep,' to lay the foundations for this beatitude as well. He wept for Jerusalem and said,'If only you had known on that day what meant peace for you! But now it is hidden from your eyes,' and the rest, to the point where he says, 'Because you did not know the time of your visitation'" (excerpt from HOMILY ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 38.1-2) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 19:41-44 comments that we, too, are living in the time of our visitation. Can we recognize Jesus? Can we see that he is offering us everything we need that “makes for peace” (Luke 19:42)? By his cross, he offers us a right relationship with God. Through his blood, he offers us forgiveness for our sins. And through his teachings, he offers us the way to live at peace with the people around us.

So let’s accept Jesus, our Prince of Peace, today. Let’s ask him to open our eyes so that we can see him in our midst. And let’s join him in praying for those who have yet to recognize the time of their visitation. May they, too, come to know “what makes for peace”!

“Jesus, Lord and Prince of Peace, bring your peace into my life and, through me, into this world.” (Meditation on Luke 19:41-44, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that the Book of Revelation moves from revelation of the Father yesterday to an encounter with Jesus as the Lamb that was slain with the numerology of “seven” in His perfect authority and spiritual ability. Friar Jude reminds us that Luke probably wrote about the actual destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD in his Gospel account.

Barbara Holmes explains the essential conditions that give rise to crisis contemplation. She reflects on the distinct nature of crisis contemplation.

When the ordinary isn’t ordinary anymore and the crisis is upon us, the self can center in this refuge that I am calling “crisis contemplation,” a space that is neither the result of spiritual seeking nor the voluntary entry into meditative spaces. It is a cracking open, the rupture and shattering of self, community, expectations, and presumptions about how the world works. It is the result of trauma, freefall, and wounding…. 

Contemplation after or during crisis is a stillness in the aftermath of a primal scream, the abyss of unknowing, and the necessity of surviving the trauma together. Perhaps our definitions of “contemplation” need adjustment to reflect our unique social locations and inward journeys. As it turns out, there are many entry points into these sacred reflective spaces.  

I can enter alone or with my community. We can journey inward, with or without music, with our bodies as engaged as our minds, but we must relinquish control and seek grounding within the mystical depths of inner spaces. [2] (Holmes, n.d.)

We ponder the power of weeping to connect us to circumstances that deepen our experience of all that it means to be human and seek the enlightenment of the Spirit to celebrate our invitation to live in relationship with Christ.

References

Holmes, B. (n.d.). Crisis Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/crisis-contemplation/ 

Luke, CHAPTER 19. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/19?41 

Meditation on Luke 19:41-44. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/11/21/1134156/ 

Psalms, PSALM 149. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/149?1 

Revelation, CHAPTER 5. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/revelation/5?1 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=nov21 

New Life in Creation

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today emphasize Divine Presence in Creation and our invitation to participate in fullness of life through our relationship with Christ.

Presence in the Storm

In the reading from the Book of Job, the Lord answers Job.

* [38:1] Now the Lord enters the debate and addresses two discourses (chaps. 38–39 and 40–41) to Job, speaking of divine wisdom and power. Such things are altogether beyond the capacity of Job. Out of the storm: frequently the background of the appearances of the Lord in the Old Testament; cf. Ps 18; 50; Na 1:3; Hb 3:2–15. (Job, CHAPTER 38 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 107 is a thanksgiving for deliverance from Many Troubles.

* [Psalm 107] A hymn inviting those who have been rescued by God to give praise (Ps 107:1–3). Four archetypal divine rescues are described, each ending in thanksgiving: from the sterile desert (Ps 107:4–9), from imprisonment in gloom (Ps 107:10–16), from mortal illness (Ps 107:17–22), and from the angry sea (Ps 107:23–32). The number four connotes totality, all the possible varieties of rescue. The same saving activity of God is shown in Israel’s history (Ps 107:33–41); whenever the people were endangered God rescued them. The last verses invite people to ponder the persistent saving acts of God (Ps 107:42–43). (Psalms, PSALM 107 | USCCB, n.d.)

The reading from the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians proclaims the ministry of Reconciliation  and our status as a New Creation.

* [5:16–17] Consequently: the death of Christ described in 2 Cor 5:14–15 produces a whole new order (2 Cor 5:17) and a new mode of perception (2 Cor 5:16). According to the flesh: the natural mode of perception, characterized as “fleshly,” is replaced by a mode of perception proper to the Spirit. Elsewhere Paul contrasts what Christ looks like according to the old criteria (weakness, powerlessness, folly, death) and according to the new (wisdom, power, life); cf. 2 Cor 5:15, 21; 1 Cor 1:17–3:3. Similarly, he describes the paradoxical nature of Christian existence, e.g., in 2 Cor 4:10–11, 14. A new creation: rabbis used this expression to describe the effect of the entrance of a proselyte or convert into Judaism or of the remission of sins on the Day of Atonement. The new order created in Christ is the new covenant (2 Cor 3:6).

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus stills a Storm.

* [4:35–5:43] After the chapter on parables, Mark narrates four miracle stories: Mk 4:35–41; 5:1–20; and two joined together in Mk 5:21–43. See also notes on Mt 8:23–34 and 9:8–26.

* [4:39] Quiet! Be still!: as in the case of silencing a demon (Mk 1:25), Jesus rebukes the wind and subdues the turbulence of the sea by a mere word; see note on Mt 8:26.

* [4:41] Jesus is here depicted as exercising power over wind and sea. In the Christian community this event was seen as a sign of Jesus’ saving presence amid persecutions that threatened its existence. (Mark, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB, n.d.)

Vivian Amu comments that when we feel cornered by the storms in our life, may we hear God say, “be still, I am here. The storm will pass.” When we are faced with big decisions and we feel a storm brewing in our souls, may we hear God say, “Let us cross to the other side together.” Sometimes we may find ourselves saying, “Lord, do you not care that my loved one is ill? that I am ill? that I have lost more than I can bear? That the world is hurting?” Maybe our deep focus on those storms causes us to throw our hands up or maybe even hold on too tightly to everything except the outstretched hand of Jesus.

Turn your attention to Jesus who has heard your call. Let us take his hand and let him lead us through the storms that show up in our lives. Have faith, even a little is sufficient to help us stay quiet and still in the storm while the one whom the wind and sea obey calms the storm and makes way for new and beautiful things in our lives.

Lord, help me see your outstretched hand in the storm and please do not let me lose sight of you. (Amu, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Awakening the Christ asleep within you,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"When you have to listen to abuse, that means you are being buffeted by the wind. When your anger is roused, you are being tossed by the waves. So when the winds blow and the waves mount high, the boat is in danger, your heart is imperiled, your heart is taking a battering. On hearing yourself insulted, you long to retaliate; but the joy of revenge brings with it another kind of misfortune - shipwreck. Why is this? Because Christ is asleep in you. What do I mean? I mean you have forgotten his presence. Rouse him, then; remember him, let him keep watch within you, pay heed to him... A temptation arises: it is the wind. It disturbs you: it is the surging of the sea. This is the moment to awaken Christ and let him remind you of those words: 'Who can this be? Even the winds and the sea obey him." (excerpt from Sermons 63:1-3) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 4:35-41 comments on the question the disciples ask: Who is this? He is the One whose word goes forth and accomplishes his purposes and plans in this world (Isaiah 55:11). He spoke, and all things came into being. His word has the same power in our lives, the power to bring the healing, forgiveness, and peace that he proclaims.

Who is this? This is Jesus, eternal Son of the Father, who creates and sustains all things (Colossians 1:16-17). He holds all of creation together. And he holds you and your loved ones as well.

“Jesus, I praise you, for through your word, you show me who you are—the all-powerful God!” (Meditation on Mark 4:35-41, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the conclusion of the Book of Job where God addresses the complaints and concerns of Job. As Paul proclaims in 2 Corinthians, our death with Christ brings us to the New Creation and New Life in Christ. Friar Jude reminds us of the contrast between the philosophical treatment in Luke of Jesus calming the sea compared to the conquering of fear of evil with the authority of God in the passage from Mark.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares the universal need to express our grief. Perhaps the simplest and most inclusive definition of grief is “unfinished hurt.” It feels like a demon spinning around inside of us and it hurts too much, so we immediately look for someone else to blame. We have to learn to remain open to our grief, to wait in patient expectation for what it has to teach us. When we close in too tightly around our sadness or grief, when we try to fix it, control it, or understand it, we only deny ourselves its lessons.

Saint Ephrem the Syrian (303–373) considered tears to be sacramental signs of divine mercy. He instructs: “Give God weeping, and increase the tears in your eyes: through your tears and [God’s] goodness the soul which has been dead will be restored.” [1] What a different kind of human being than most of us! In the charismatic circles in which I participated during my early years of ministry, holy tears were a common experience. Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi reportedly wept all the time—for days on end! 

The “weeping mode” is a different way of being in the world. It’s different than the fixing, explaining, or controlling mode. We’re finally free to feel the tragedy of things, the sadness of things. Tears cleanse our eyes both physically and spiritually so we can begin to see more clearly. Sometimes we have to cry for a very long time because we’re not seeing truthfully or well at all. Tears only come when we realize we can’t fix and we can’t change reality. The situation is absurd, it’s unjust, it’s wrong, it’s impossible. She should not have died; he should not have died. How could this happen? Only when we are led to the edges of our own resources are we finally free to move to the weeping mode. (Rohr, n.d.)

We are invited to see our world in the light of our relationship with Christ as a New Creation wherein our fullness of life is in communion with God, people and nature through all the circumstances of life.

References

Amu, V. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. OnlineMinistries. Retrieved June 23, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/062324.html 

Job, CHAPTER 38 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 23, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/job/38?1 

Mark, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 23, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/4?35 

Meditation on Mark 4:35-41. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved June 23, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/06/23/1006175/ 

Psalms, PSALM 107 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 23, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/107?23 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved June 23, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-universal-need-to-grieve/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 23, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=jun23 

2 Corinthians, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 23, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2corinthians/5?14