Mission dependence

This weekend in July in North America is marked by the National Day celebrations of Canada and the United States. The texts in theRoman Catholic Lectionary today contain celebration too. The Prophet Isaiah calls on the exiles who have returned to Jerusalem from Babylon to celebrate the rebuilding of the Temple. He pictures the spiritual centre for the Israelites as a mother who feeds her children with great prosperity rooted in the steadfast love and protection of God for His children. This praise is echoed by the psalmist today, too. The letter of Paul to the Galatians celebrates not independence but the praise of Paul to God for the privilege of being crucified to the world through carrying the Cross of Jesus. The radical dependence of Paul on Jesus has brought him much physical and spiritual suffering which is the experience whereby Paul can “boast” of the deep intimate relationship with Jesus which has made him a new creation. Father Larry Gillick SJ comments on the theme of dependence in relationship to God as he notes that “In Jesus, God has extended the Holy of Holies from bricks into hearts”. Friar Jude Winkler looks at the mission of theseventy two in the text from the Gospel of Luke as witness to the Providence of God and the hospitality of people as the key components in the mission of assisting Jesus in His mission of rebuilding relationship with God. The Love of God is the power to change situations and motivate good actions. Being an agent of this Love may tend to lead missionaries to boast in a manner less self deprecating than Paul. Father Larry observes that the combination of our talent and skill and the acceptance of our mission for God may have us discover that “Who we are is a bit tangential to whom we will be through our own achievements”. Paul achieved great intellectual status, power and privilege as a learned Pharisee. He is the tangential “new creation” of Jesus who depends of his intimate Life in the Spirit to bring Good News to the whole world.

A tradition of change

The Roman Catholic Lectionary offers texts today which promote thoughts about tradition and change. We are creatures of habit. Our culture certainly points us to social practices regarding how to relate to family and tribe in the way we celebrate birth, marriage, succession and inheritance. The first born son in western culture and in Middle East culture is granted special status in family hierarchy. The passage from the Book of Genesis which tells of the action of Rebekah and Jacob to steal the blessing of Isaac for his firstborn Easu violates the cultural norm. The life of Easu and his disposition towards conflict and abuse of power are offered as justification for the deception of Isaac. Prior to the episode of the blessing, Easu had sold hisbirthright to Jacob for a bowl of soup. (Genesis 25:29-34) Friar Jude Winkler notes that this text was written during the reign of Solomon, who was not the eldest son. King David was the youngest son and the message of the author of the text may be related to those situations. We can recall many situations in cultural, political and spiritual history where the intended recipient has failed to exercise the responsibility and the mantle has passed to an unexpected heir. The Gospel of Matthew today offers Jesus response to the disciples of John about the practice of fasting which is not evident among His disciples. It is a valuable spiritual discipline for the disciples of John and the Pharisees. Jesus tells us of the relationship of fasting and mourning which we can understand as appropriate from our experience. The theme of testing tradition for appropriateness is our take away. Change is necessary. The mixing of old and new can be disastrous as the concluding text indicates. A small paradox is presented here wherein the tradition of not mixing old and new is present as guide for the testing of our other traditional responses for appropriateness.

Generous Compassionate

Generosity and compassion are virtues which are in the texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary. The development of the line of descendants of Abraham is interesting as we not unexpectedly encounter a journey in which God does the unexpected. The mission of Abraham’s servant to find a wife for Isaac, who is 40 years old, reveals the desire of Abraham that his family line not continue through contact with the local Canaanites. Friar JudeWinkler suggests that Isaac was perhaps a bit of a wimp and may be categorized today as a “momma’s boy”. The manly heroic characteristics which we associate with the “best” leadership are not the requirements of work for God. The beauty and generosity of the woman, Rebekah, who falls in love with Isaac and becomes his wife, are legendary. The Gospel of Matthew describes the invitation of Jesus to Matthew to “follow Him”. This simple and direct offer declares at least two truths to Matthew. Jesus does not see him in the way that the society sees him. The tax collector was treated as a sinner who collaborated with the Romans and was likely dishonest in the collection of taxes. The call to relationship with Jesus is a call to move and do. Responding to the call is risky because we prefer to have done our homework and have the facts before we commit but the compassion and love of the One who invites enables us to move in trust. Friar Jude makes illusion to the solid trust and compassion of Joseph, husband of Mary, as an example of how we might move and serve God.

different from the world way

The Roman Catholic Lectionary today brings us texts which are offering us deep consideration of how we relate to the Divine. The passage from the Book of Genesis, which Friar Jude Winkler reminds us is known in Jewish writing as the Binding of Isaac, is one of the most difficult to explain lessons for understanding our relationship with God in Scripture. RabbiHillel Goldberg describes it as the most perplexing passage in all of Hebrew Scripture. The rabbi identifies several spiritual tensions which arise from this text. The sacrifice of Isaac is not permitted in the Law. Friar Jude suggests that the episode may have originally been used to instruct the Israelite people about ending child sacrifice. Rabbi Goldberg notes that the person today who told us that he had received a command from God to kill his son would be arrested by the authorities and his sanity suspected. The authenticity of Abraham’s communication with God is established by the fruit of this decision. Friar Jude cites evidence in the text that Abraham deeply loved his son. The faith of Abraham that God provides is demonstrated to be beyond what rational human reason will allow. This faith is not blind. It has developed in the life of Abraham so that he is the “God fearing” human able to put the will of God absolutely first. The “resolution” of the dilemma by the angle of God instructing Abraham not to deliver the fatal blow to the bound Isaac is followed by the appearance of a ram caught in the bushes. The ram is sacrificed by Abraham on his initiative as the act of thanksgiving which establishes the role of the righteous to act as God would direct even without the explicit command of God for action. The freedom to know and act in the light of God is established so that the human relationship to the Divine is free and not as robotic slaves. The Gospel from Matthew brings us to that great boundary of God and human interaction around forgiveness of sins and healing of our physical being. The understanding of religious authorities at the time of Jesus that sin and ill health are interrelated has some resonance of truth in our experience today. The notion that ill health is a punishment for sin is not our understanding of Divine Love. The healing of illness is the domain of our doctors and medical community. We accept that God continues to be a healer of our physical being even as the “formula” to gain that healing remains a mystery to us. The domain of the forgiveness of sin, in our spiritual heritage, is reserved for God. Jesus uses the relationship between illness and sinfulness to declare His Divine Nature. Like Abraham, we are invited to hear the authentic message of God in our lives through our sacrifices around forgiveness and healing. The mystery of how God loves remains. As the psalmist give thanks, “For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.” (Psalm 116).

No doubt

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary celebrate the Apostle Thomas and present a vision of the transformation which is experienced by the followers of Christ. The letter to the Ephesians is described by Friar Jude Winkler as a text to a Gentile Community which invites them to inclusion in the family which previously was only for those in the Jewish tradition. The transformation proclaimed here is from understanding the Presence of God in the sacred Temple to appreciation that the Incarnation has made humanity the stones of a living temple within which the Living God is Present. Our invitation to be this living temple is a deep motivation for our conversion from sin to a life style worthy of this role. The visit of Jesus to the Apostles in His Resurrected Body on Easter evening is described in the Gospel from John. Thomas was absent from the group and the Gospel records his stubborn refusal to believe events which his colleagues have related. Friar Jude notes that upon Jesus return the next week the ‘doubting Thomas” is given the privilege of pronouncing Jesus as God in the Gospel of John. The role which we are called to fill in the community of the living Temple of the Presence of God is part of the Plan of God. We pray to be open as the agent of whatever transformation God wishes to present.

But for the Grace

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today can be approached from the praise of the psalmist who recognizes the steadfast Love of God as he asserts his faithfulness to God through his integrity and the idea that he walks on level ground. (perhaps living a balanced, grounded life?). The psalmist also petitions God that he not be swept away like the sinners who are bloodthirsty, violent and dishonest. The Book of Genesis contains two episodes where it appears that the Justice of God acts to cleanse His Creation of sin. The flood and the protection of life through Noah and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as related in the text for today are the two events. A Google search will reveal that many people have expressed their opinion about the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. The passage today from the Gospel of Matthew where the Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a situation where a king forgives the enormous debt of one of his slaves is a more welcome parable about the nature of God than the picture of destruction from Genesis. Our desire may be to choose one of these scenarios and reject the other because God should not be that violent or God is should not be gracious to those who will not take care of themselves. We lose comfort when God is not as our expectations declare He should be. The desire of God to be in relationship with us is the prequel to both these events. Jesus brings us into His understanding of the Father through parables. God invites Abraham into His plan to encourage the taking up of the cause of humanity to God as the psalmist does but as advocate for all humanity, those who hold to their integrity and those, more realistic, who understand that their place of life before God rests entirely on Divine mercy.

Chutzpah to place Confidence in God

The texts today from the Roman CatholicLectionary offer some insight into the working relationship between God and people which works to make God Present in the world. The question of whether God needs humanity for His work is one with which theologians can wrestle. The psalmist blesses the mercy, faithfulness and steadfast love of God. From this understanding, we can approach the decision of God to include Abraham in the plans for the destruction of Sodom as described in the passage from the Book of Genesis. The characteristic of the friendship between God and Abraham is tied to the Covenant made by God with Abraham to be the father of the multitude who would bring knowledge of God to the world. The Covenant is honoured by Abraham in daily prayer through which the plan of God is made clearer. Rabbi Ed Feinstein identifies this bargaining of Abraham with God in prayer as the birth of Chutzpah. FriarJude Winkler comments that the authenticity in this prayer is witness to the belief of the Jewish community that God is a part of their daily lives. Our Tradition sets aside time for prayer in the morning, during the day and in the evening. As we seek to walk with Jesus as disciples, we need to engage with God in the type of dialogue which helps us give ourselves to His work of service. The Gospel from Matthew emphasizes that the mission of the disciple is to follow Jesus in carrying out the Will of the Father. This Will is not revealed to us as a “take it or leave it” blueprint but rather as the log of a journey in which we are required to keep in touch through prayer which addresses our need for a home and be open to decide “yes” in trust without putting our decision in the future as proposed by the man responding to Jesus who sought to complete the year long burial rites for his father.