Alignment with the Father’s will

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today underline the benefit to our understanding of approaching our relationship with God as a journey through which we experience both Divine limitlessness and intimacy.

Journey in faith

The passage from the Book of Exodus describes the rout of the Egyptians who are pursuing the Israelites.

 Rout of the Egyptians1

In the response from Exodus 15, the ancient hymn celebrates God’s saving power.

* [15:1–21] This poem, regarded by many scholars as one of the oldest compositions in the Bible, was once an independent work. It has been inserted at this important juncture in the large narrative of Exodus to celebrate God’s saving power, having miraculously delivered the people from their enemies, and ultimately leading them to the promised land.2 

The true family of Jesus follows the will of the Father as proclaimed in the Gospel from Matthew.

* [12:46–50] See Mk 3:31–35. Matthew has omitted Mk 3:20–21 which is taken up in Mk 3:31 (see note on Mt 12:22–32), yet the point of the story is the same in both gospels: natural kinship with Jesus counts for nothing; only one who does the will of his heavenly Father belongs to his true family.3 

Mike Cherney comments that he may not always be on the same page with God. He sees a God who can be destructive in the passages from Exodus and who leads him to question family loyalty in the second.

I also take note of the difference in the way this message is presented in the Old vs. the New Testament. In the first reading from Exodus Moses leads his people out Egypt. God clears their path and subdues those who would stand in the way. In the Gospel, I think the message is far more subtle. Rather than leaving his family behind, Jesus shows the acceptance and degree of closeness He feels to those who believe. This is a closeness that extends beyond ethnicity or social status.4 

Don Schwager asks “What is the essence of being a Christian?”

 It is certainly more than doctrine, precepts, and commandments. It is first and foremost a relationship - a relationship of trust, affection, commitment, loyalty, faithfulness, kindness, thoughtfulness, compassion, mercy, helpfulness, encouragement, support, strength, protection, and so many other qualities that bind people together in mutual love and unity. God offers us the greatest of relationships - union of heart, mind, and spirit with himself, the very author and source of love (1 John 4:8,16).5 

He quotes “My mother through faith,” by Gregory the Great (540-604 AD).

"If someone can become the brother of the Lord by coming to faith, we must ask how one can become also his mother. We must realize that the one who is Christ’s brother and sister by believing becomes his mother by preaching. It is as though one brings forth the Lord and infuses him in the hearts of one's listeners. And that person becomes his mother if through one's voice the love of the Lord is generated in the mind of his neighbor. (excerpt from FORTY GOSPEL HOMILIES 3.2)5 

The Word Among Us Meditation on Exodus 14:21–15:1 notes the Exodus miracles seem beyond anything we can fathom. St. John Chrysostom, an early Church father who died in AD 407, taught that, as marvelous as it was, the Israelites’ exodus was just a foreshadowing of what God would accomplish through Baptism.

“Before yesterday you were captives, but now you are free and citizens of the Church; lately you lived in the shame of your sins, but now you live in freedom and justice. You are not only free, but also holy. You are not only holy, but also righteous. You are not only righteous, but also sons. You are not only sons, but also heirs. You are not only heirs, but also brothers of Christ. You are not only brothers of Christ, but also joint heirs. You are not only joint heirs, but also members. You are not only members, but also the temple. You are not only the temple, but also instruments of the Spirit.”6 

A post by Franciscan Media on Saint Bridget of Sweden is a reflection on her visions.

 … rather than isolating her from the affairs of the world, involved her in many contemporary issues, whether they be royal policy or the years that the legitimate Bishop of Rome lived in Avignon, France. She saw no contradiction between mystical experience and secular activity, and her life is a testimony to the possibility of a holy life in the marketplace.7

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the archaeological evidence of the “Reed Sea” defeat of the Egyptians. The hymn of Exodus 15 may date to the 13th Century BCE. Friar Jude reminds us of the sweep of Jesus family that includes “cousins” and Mary who is the model of following the will of God.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, presents the work of Howard Thurman, who like many mystics, saw that humans need to relate to a God that is both beyond rational thought—what I might call a force field of love—and very relatable and personal.

Not only is faith a way of knowing, a form of knowledge, but it is also one of life’s great teachers. At no point is this fact more clearly demonstrated than in an individual’s growing knowledge of God. It is obvious that, in the last analysis, proof of the existence of God is quite impossible. A simple reason for this is the fact that, if there is that to which God may be finally reduced, then He is not ultimate. But let us not be led astray by this apparent abstraction. Faith teaches a man that God is. The human spirit has two fundamental demands that must be met relative to God. First, He must be vast, limitless, transcendent, all-comprehensive, so that there is no thing that is outside the wide reaches of His apprehension. The stars in the universe, the great galaxies of spatial groupings moving in endless rhythmic patterns in the trackless skies, as well as the tiny blade of grass by the roadside, are all within His grasp. The second demand is that He be personal and intimate. A man must have a sense of being cared for, of not being alone and stranded in the universe. All of us want the assurance of not being deserted by life nor deserted in life. Faith teaches us that God is—that He is the fact of life from which all other things take their meaning and reality. When Jesus prayed, he was conscious that, in his prayer, he met the Presence, and this consciousness was far more important and significant than the answering of his prayer. It is for this reason primarily that God was for Jesus the answer to all the issues and the problems of life. When I, with all my mind and heart, truly seek God and give myself in prayer, I, too, meet His Presence, and then I know for myself that Jesus was right.8 

In our relationship with God, we may comprehend miraculous changes in and around us like that of the Israelites. We are called to journey to the intimacy of Jesus family within which our alignment with the will of the Father becomes more possible.

References

1	(n.d.). Exodus, chapter 14. Retrieved July 23, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/exodus/14
2	(n.d.). Exodus, chapter 15 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved July 23, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/exodus/15
3	(n.d.). Matthew, chapter 12 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved July 23, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/12
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - OnlineMinistries - Creighton University. Retrieved July 23, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 23, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). Saint Bridget, Religious (Optional Memorial) - Mass Readings and .... Retrieved July 23, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/07/23/
7	(n.d.). Saint Bridget of Sweden - Franciscan Media. Retrieved July 23, 2019, from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-bridget/
8	(2019, July 23). Faith Teaches — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 23, 2019, from https://cac.org/faith-teaches-2019-07-23/

The Will of One who sent me

The texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate images of God that shed some light on how Jesus does the Will of the Father.

Like a mother

The passage from Isaiah uses the image of a mother to conclude a reassurance of the liberation and restoration of Zion during the Exile.

 [49:8] You: the individual is not named; perhaps Cyrus or the prophet.1

Psalm 145 is a poem that declares the “works of God” make God present and invite human praise.

* [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.2 

In the Gospel from John, Jesus connects the work of the Son to the Will of the Father.

* [5:21] Gives life: in the Old Testament, a divine prerogative (Dt 32:39; 1 Sm 2:6; 2 Kgs 5:7; Tb 13:2; Is 26:19; Dn 12:2).
* [5:22] Judgment: another divine prerogative, often expressed as acquittal or condemnation (Dt 32:36; Ps 43:1).
* [5:28–29] While Jn 5:19–27 present realized eschatology, Jn 5:28–29 are future eschatology; cf. Dn 12:2.3 

John Shea, S.J., who works with models, comments that this analogy of models works well when he talks about God and the images of God... Our readings provide two images of God. Isaiah offers the image of a mother who can never forget her child. And so, we may imagine God looking at us with the tenderness of a nursing mother. Jesus offers a second image: God the Father. As used by Jesus, this image suggests a deep and intimate relationship.

The Gospel gives us another way to understand God. Recall that Jesus is the Word made Flesh, the incarnate God. Jesus tells us that he is uniquely qualified to represent God. Jesus is doing and saying what God sent him to do. We will never fully understand the nature of God. We will never fully understand the Trinity. We will never fully understand exactly how Jesus can be both different from and united to God. This Ultimate Reality will elude our understanding. Our images of God will always fall short. But we do have Jesus who is God incarnate. We are invited to know Jesus more intimately and so, enter into a deeper relationship with Ultimate Reality.4 

Don Schwager quotes “The wonderful exchange,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Unless the Word of God had first assumed our mortal flesh he could not have died for us. Only in that way was the immortal God able to die and to give life to mortal humans. Therefore, by this double sharing he brought about a wonderful exchange. We made death possible for him, and he made life possible for us." (excerpt from Sermon 218c,1) 5 

The Word Among Us Meditation on Isaiah 49:8-15 comments on promises that your God knows you intimately. He knows your needs, your worries, and your sorrows. He won’t forget you, not even for an instant. Even if a mother forgets her child, God will never forget you (Isaiah 49:15).

You may have already experienced God’s comfort in a personal way. Maybe you felt him strengthen you during a stressful time. Or maybe he guided you through a confusing situation. Even so, the difficulties of life can tempt you to think that God is far away. He isn’t. He walks beside you: suffering with you, persevering with you, and comforting you, even if you aren’t sure that he is there.6 

Friar Jude Winkler describes the consolation offered by God in Isaiah as a second Exodus, perhaps better than the first. The feminine image of God in Isaiah 49 is rare in the Hebrew Testament. Friar Jude shares the life giving authority of Jesus that is realized today and in our share in His resurrection.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, cites Angeles Arrien, who wrote “The Second Half of Life: Opening the Eight Gates of Wisdom” where she described approaching what she called the Gold Gate.

The Gold Gate offers the wisdom gifts of freedom and liberation. Nonattachment, surrender, and acceptance foster our deliverance, while courage and faith strengthen our capacity to face our own suffering, pain, or sadness. . . . To hold onto nothing is the root of happiness and peace. If we allow ourselves to rest here, we find that it is a tender, open-ended place. This is where the path of fearlessness leads, and where we rest in expanded, unlimited peace. . . .
[We] make the conscious choice of living not in the past or future, but in each present moment. This takes great courage and the ability to make peace with your life: to live without hope or fear, to let go without regret, to know that you have lived fully. [2]7 

The image of God as Mother and the revelation that Jesus is our way to participate in living in accord with the will of God positions us to experience fullness of life today.

References

1	(n.d.). Isaiah, chapter 49 - usccb. Retrieved April 3, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/49
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 145 - usccb. Retrieved April 3, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/145
3	(n.d.). John, chapter 5 - usccb. Retrieved April 3, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/john/5
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - OnlineMinistries - Creighton University. Retrieved April 3, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 3, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). 4th Week of Lent - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily Meditations for .... Retrieved April 3, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/04/03
7	(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved April 3, 2019, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/

Furnished with good to do His will

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to find restoration of our body and soul in our intimate relationship with Jesus.

Opportunity to be Shepherd

The Letter to the Hebrews offers directions to members of the community who seek to do the will of Jesus.

 * [13:17–25] Recommending obedience to the leaders of the community, the author asks for prayers (Heb 13:17–19). The letter concludes with a blessing (Heb 13:20–21), a final request for the acceptance of its message (Heb 13:22), information regarding Timothy (Heb 13:23), and general greetings (Heb 13:24–25).1

In the Gospel from Mark, Jesus, as the Good Shepherd of Psalm 23 balances the rest required after the Return of the Twelve with the needs of the crowds who follow Him.

* [6:31–34] The withdrawal of Jesus with his disciples to a desert place to rest attracts a great number of people to follow them. Toward this people of the new exodus Jesus is moved with pity; he satisfies their spiritual hunger by teaching them many things, thus gradually showing himself the faithful shepherd of a new Israel; cf. Nm 27:17; Ez 34:15.2 

Mary Lee Brock can relate to the exhaustion felt by the apostles. As they had not even had time to eat, Jesus tells them to Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while. And like the apostles, she does not try to answer away her exhaustion but simply sees it as her current condition.

 As my prayer continues, I grow to appreciate the loving care Jesus shows the apostles.  Jesus must have been exhausted as well, yet he urged rest for those who have been serving with him.  What a gentle shepherd Jesus is during this exchange.
Jesus as shepherd is the main theme through all of the readings today, especially the beautiful and familiar Psalm 23.  A gift of reading scripture is each time I encounter the words new images and meaning spring forth.  Revisiting Psalm 23 today helps my exhaustion subside.  I pray for the desire to be open to Jesus as my shepherd.  Beside restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul. Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life.3

Don Schwager quotes “The good shepherd feeds us with the words of God,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"The pastures that this good shepherd has prepared for you, in which he has settled you for you to take your fill, are not various kinds of grasses and green things, among which some are sweet to the taste, some extremely bitter, which as the seasons succeed one another are sometimes there and sometimes not. Your pastures are the words of God and his commandments, and they have all been sown as sweet grasses. These pastures had been tasted by that man who said to God, 'How sweet are your words to my palate, more so than honey and the honeycomb in my mouth!' (Psalm 119:103)." (excerpt from Sermon 366.3)4 

Friar Jude Winkler notes that the treatise format of the Letter to the Hebrews ends in the manner of a Pauline epistle. The paraenesis of Hebrews refers to depending on the Good Shepherd example of Jesus in the Gospel. Friar Jude advises that balance is needed between private prayer and the apostolate. Our time of prayer is not always sacrosanct.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, offers the Spiritual Practice of Standing Before the Cross. He suggests that we picture ourselves before the crucified Jesus. We recognize that he became what we fear: nakedness, exposure, vulnerability, and failure. He became sin to free us from sin (see 2 Corinthians 5:21). He became what we do to one another in order to free us from the lie of punishing and scapegoating each other. He became the crucified, so we would stop crucifying. He refused to transmit his pain onto others.

Jesus, Crucified, you are my life and you are also my death. You are my beauty, you are my possibility, and you are my full self. You are everything I want, and you are everything I am afraid of. You are everything I desire, and you are everything I deny. You are my outrageously ignored and neglected soul.6 

The good energy to work with Jesus is nourished by the image of the Good Shepherd and our confidence that He provides all we need to do His will.

References

1	(n.d.). Hebrews, chapter 13 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved February 9, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/hebrews/13
2	(n.d.). Mark, chapter 6 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved February 9, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/mark/6
3	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved February 9, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
4	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 9, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
5	(n.d.).Mass Readings and .... Retrieved February 9, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/
6	(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive: February 2019 - Center for Action and .... Retrieved February 9, 2019, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/2019/02/

Related to the will

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to explore our relationship to Jesus as members of His family who need to discern contemplatively the will of the Father for us.

Discerning the Will

The Letter to the Hebrews expands upon Jesus conforming to the will of the Father as One Sacrifice instead of the many of the Hebrew Testament.

 * [10:1–10] Christian faith now realizes that the Old Testament sacrifices did not effect the spiritual benefits to come but only prefigured them (Heb 10:1). For if the sacrifices had actually effected the forgiveness of sin, there would have been no reason for their constant repetition (Heb 10:2). They were rather a continual reminder of the people’s sins (Heb 10:3). It is not reasonable to suppose that human sins could be removed by the blood of animal sacrifices (Heb 10:4). Christ, therefore, is here shown to understand his mission in terms of Ps 40:5–7, cited according to the Septuagint (Heb 10:5–7). Jesus acknowledged that the Old Testament sacrifices did not remit the sins of the people and so, perceiving the will of God, offered his own body for this purpose (Heb 10:8–10).1

In the Gospel from Mark Jesus poses and answers a question about the connection of the will of God to His family.

 * [3:20–35] Within the narrative of the coming of Jesus’ relatives (Mk 3:20–21) is inserted the account of the unbelieving scribes from Jerusalem who attributed Jesus’ power over demons to Beelzebul (Mk 3:22–30); see note on Mk 5:21–43. There were those even among the relatives of Jesus who disbelieved and regarded Jesus as out of his mind (Mk 3:21). Against this background, Jesus is informed of the arrival of his mother and brothers [and sisters] (Mk 3:32). He responds by showing that not family ties but doing God’s will (Mk 3:35) is decisive in the kingdom; cf. note on Mt 12:46–52

Kyle Lierk concludes, as his spiritual director advised, "Show up and shut up." Spend time in God's loving company with ears wide open. And if we're going to say anything at all, let it be, "Here I am Lord; I come to do your will." (PS 40: 8-9).

 The scriptures today remind us that it is not about how we show up or even necessarily what we do when we show up, but that we just keep showing up! As the community addressed in the Letter to the Hebrews was reminded, their regular sacrifices and offerings they hoped would expiate their sins clearly weren't working because their sin remained. It took the great act of Love, the sacrifice of the life of Jesus, to shed purifying light on the matter. This, then, is our charge: to show up to Jesus, as we are, and to avoid the temptation to present ourselves perfect and pretty and put together.
Jesus picks up on this in today's Gospel when he redirects the attention away from the fact that his family members are asking for him outside the home where he is meeting with an assembled group toward the fact that those inside the home are spending time with him. This, Jesus says, is what defines someone as a mother or brother or sister of Jesus. I hear him extending an affirmation to this audience for their faithful companionship of him. This is God's will (God's desire) for us.3

Don Schwager quotes “The cross of Christ as victory,” by Augustine of Hippo, 430-543 A.D.

 "[Mary] did the Father's will. It was this in her that the Lord magnified, not merely that her flesh gave birth to flesh... When he said, 'Blessed are they who hear the Word of God and keep it' (Luke 11:28), he was in effect saying: 'My mother whom you have called blessed is blessed for the reason that she keeps the Word of God, not that the Word was made flesh in her and dwelt among us (John 1:14), but that she keeps the very Word of God through which she was made and which was made flesh in her." (excerpt from TRACTATE ON JOHN 10.3.2)4

The Word Among Us Meditation on Hebrews 10:1-10 urges us to think about the word “consecrated” in today’s reading. To be consecrated means to be set apart, to be fitted for a special purpose.

 Every time we respond to God’s craftsmanship, we are giving him another opportunity to shape us for his purposes. These opportunities come to us all the time: when we say no to the temptation to shout at a rude driver or to eat that extra slice of pizza. When we drop something we are doing to go help someone else. These seemingly minor decisions are often far more important than we think. Each one bends us a little bit more. Each one chisels us a little bit more. Each one enables us to reflect our perfect Maker a little bit more.5

Friar Jude Winkler discusses the insufficiency of the sacrifices described in the Book of Hebrews. The Mass takes us outside of time making us present at Jesus sacrifice. Friar Jude touches on the various Christian understanding about Jesus “brothers and sisters”. He observes that the faith of those close to Jesus may have been a distorted vision which is clarified by the Spirit at the Cross. Mark is harsher than Luke 8.19-20 in treating Jesus Brothers and Sisters.

Meghan Murphy-Gill asks did Jesus have brothers and sisters?

 The evidence may seem clear, but scripture scholars and theologians have been debating these and other passages for nearly two millennia, arguing whether those brothers and sisters were in fact biological siblings, step-siblings, “half” siblings, or not even siblings at all, but cousins.6

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments if we are humble and honest, Christians must acknowledge that most of our churches and leaders have not consistently read the Gospels in a contemplative way or with “the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). Without contemplative consciousness, we severely limit the Holy Spirit’s capacity for inspiration and guidance. We had arguments to win, logic to uphold, and denominational distinctions to maintain, after all.

 I believe the world—and the West in particular—is experiencing a rapid evolution of consciousness in recent centuries. Only in the past few decades have Western Christians even had the capacity to think nondually! While mystics throughout history have recognized the power of Christ to overcome dualisms, dichotomies, and divisions, many Christians are just now realizing what this means. As Augustine said, we are being offered something “forever ancient and forever new.” It is revolutionary because it is so traditional and yet so hidden. This traditional teaching can still create a revolution of mind and heart—and history itself.
As Amos Smith writes: “My core truth about Jesus isn’t rooted in mainstream Christian tradition. It’s rooted in Jesus’ essence. It’s about the deep stillness of silent prayer and a theology big enough to give that blessed stillness words.” [1]
[1] Amos Smith, Healing the Divide: Recovering Christianity’s Mystic Roots (Resource Publications: 2013), 223.7

The tension between our will and the struggle to model Jesus, who lives the will of the Father, invites us to take time for contemplative communion with Him and His call to transform our small selves.

References

1	(n.d.). Hebrews, chapter 10 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved January 29, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/hebrews/10
2	(n.d.). Mark, chapter 3 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved January 29, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/mark/3
3	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved January 29, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
4	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 29, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
5	(n.d.). Meditations - The Word Among Us. Retrieved January 29, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/
6	(2013, December 10). Did Jesus have brothers and sisters? | USCatholic.org. Retrieved January 29, 2019, from https://www.uscatholic.org/articles/201312/did-jesus-have-brothers-and-sisters-28224
7	(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive: January 2019 - Center for Action and .... Retrieved January 29, 2019, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/2019/01/

Acting like brothers and sisters

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today warn us about arrogant and impetuous behaviour that will put us in conflict with those in the family of Jesus.

Brothers and cousins

The Book of Proverbs offers many principles for living in a moral way.

* [21:4] Heart and eyes depict, respectively, the inner and the outer person. “Haughty eyes” peering out from a “proud heart” show a thoroughly arrogant person. How can such a person flourish! Their lamp, which signifies life, will go out.
* [21:5] The antitheses are diligent and impetuous. The metaphor characterizing each type is taken from the world of commerce. Planning is important; bustle leads to waste.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus uses the opportunity of an interruption to express the type of life to which members of His family aspire.

* [8:21] The family of Jesus is not constituted by physical relationship with him but by obedience to the word of God. In this, Luke agrees with the Marcan parallel (Mk 3:31–35), although by omitting Mk 3:33 and especially Mk 3:20–21 Luke has softened the Marcan picture of Jesus’ natural family. Probably he did this because Mary has already been presented in Lk 1:38 as the obedient handmaid of the Lord who fulfills the requirement for belonging to the eschatological family of Jesus; cf. also Lk 11:27–28.

Jude Siciliano, OP compares the approach of Mark and Luke.

Luke follows the basic structure of Mark’s gospel, but with his own additions and modifications. Unlike Mark, he has an extended infancy narrative of the births of both John the Baptist and Jesus (1:5 – 2:52). Mark portrays Jesus as "rough and ready." Luke softens the picture making Jesus especially attractive to the fragile, elderly, infirmed, sinners and women. In his inaugural preaching (4:17-19) he announces "liberty to captives" – which the gospel reveals to be not only a freeing of people imprisoned by sin, but also those under society’s restrictions, religion’s exclusion, physical and mental afflictions and the power of death itself.

Kyle Lierk quotes a practitioner of Ignatian spirituality who says with a wry smile, “We choose to listen to that which we value.” He presents a prayer of Thomas Merton about wondering if we are indeed listening to God’s voice or that of some impostor.

Today’s readings are all about listening to God’s word - God’s voice - and acting upon it.  We are invited to consider what value we place on the voice of God amidst all the other voices that clamor for our attention in life.  We listen to what we value, and Jesus is calling upon us to listen to God’s voice above all else.

Don Schwager quotes Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD) on those who listen and obey God's word and become true children of God.

"The present lesson teaches us that obedience and listening to God are the causes of every blessing. Some entered and spoke respectfully about Christ's holy mother and his brothers. He answered in these words, 'My mother and my brothers are they who hear the word of God and do it.' Now do not let anyone imagine that Christ scorned the honor due to his mother or contemptuously disregarded the love owed to his brothers. He spoke the law by Moses and clearly said, 'Honor your father and your mother, that it may be well with you' (Deuteronomy 5:16). How, I ask, could he have rejected the love due to brothers, who even commanded us to love not merely our brothers but also those who are enemies to us? He says, 'Love your enemies' (Matthew 5:44)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Psalm 119:1, 27, 30, 34-35, 44 notes that today’s first reading teaches us how to live in ways that please the Lord. Then, our Responsorial Psalm gives us a beautiful response to these teachings.

“Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.”

Friar Jude Winkler, OFM Conv, comments that the passage from Proverbs is not specifically religious but teaches morality and how to live a good life in the world. He connects to Micah’s advice to walk humbly. Friar Jude warns that arrogance has consequences. He notes that Luke is not as harsh Mark and Matthew on Mary who incarnated the Word who shows up at Pentecost as the perfect disciple.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, quotes Karen Armstrong who continues exploring the origins of Islam. Fr Richard concludes that mature Islam beautifully parallels the Franciscan and Christian contemplative emphasis on orthopraxy (right practice) and the importance of nondual consciousness.

Like any religious tradition, Islam would change and evolve. Muslims acquired a large empire, stretching from the Pyrenees to the Himalayas, but true to Qur’anic principles, nobody was forced to become Muslim. Indeed, for the first hundred years after the Prophet’s death, conversion to Islam was actually discouraged, because Islam was a din [way of life] for the Arabs, the descendants of Abraham’s elder son, Ishmael, just as Judaism was for the sons of Isaac, and Christianity for the followers of the gospel.

Our practice of acting like brothers and sisters of Jesus is opening our hearts, minds, and bodies to union. It takes lifelong practice.

References


(n.d.). Proverbs chapter 21 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved September 25, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/proverbs/21
(n.d.). Luke 8:19-21. Retrieved September 25, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke/luke8.htm
(n.d.). Preaching Luke - Preacher Exchange. Retrieved September 25, 2018, from http://www.preacherexchange.com/pe_preachingluke.htm
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