Great peace in guidance

The theme of the great gifts of God for the people who are identified in the texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today as set aside or chosen by God is both welcome and disturbing. The Book of Deuteronomy is dated to the seventh century BCE. Friar Jude Winkler comments, with others, that the Jewish people at this time were moving from belief which was henotheist, there are many gods but Israel has chosen the True God, to monotheism, there is One God. The text recalls how God has chosen them to be delivered to the Promised Land by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. This power play for one group of Chosen at the expense of the other by “³⁸driving out before you nations greater and mightier than yourselves” is one difficulty with the text. The scholars ofDeuteronomy note the great commandment of Love of God and Neighbour which is central to living in relationship with God who has destroyed anxiety about the Divine nature. The text from the Hebrew bible is matched with Jesus description to His Disciples in the Gospel of Matthew that those who follow Him will need to deny themselves and lose their lives if they desire to keep their Life in Eternal Relationship with Him. The Gospel of Matthew presents Jesus, the King of the Jews and the descendant of David. The journey that Moses prepares the Israelites to begin across the Jordan in the Promised Land is continued as the Jewish audience of Jesus is invited to follow Him, the Son of Man coming into His kingdom which will bring intimacy with the Divine now and for eternity through the self giving which commands the Chosen to be the Love of God to all.

Believe in action

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary can be appreciated in the light of the prayer of the psalmist that today we would listen to His voice and not harden our hearts as at Meribah and Massah. The episode described in the Book of Numbers tells of the ingratitude of the Israelites who followed Moses to freedom from Egypt through the intervention of the mighty hand of God. In response to their complaints of dying of thirst, God instructs Moses to speak to a rock in the Name of God. The action of Moses to strike the rock twice is explained by Friar Jude Winkler as a sign that he doubted the Providence of God. Many commentators have expressed opinions on the nature of Moses “rebellion” and the apparent severity of the punishment. Christian prayer reminds us of the hardness of heart which is damaging to our relationship with God. The name Massah means testing, and the name Meribah means quarreling. The important decision of followers of Christ is presented in the passage from the Gospel of Matthew. Here Peter responds to Jesus question about His identity with the declaration that he is the “Messiah, Son of the Living God”. Jesus declares that this profession of faith is the gift of the Father to Peter. This is the question for all followers of Christ. The consequence of testing, quarreling, and doubt over the answer given by Peter will be far more severe to our lives than the punishment of Moses. We open our minds and soften our hearts to join the faithful in praise of God.

Doers and dreamers

A travel publication by the Nova Scotia government is called the “Doers and Dreamers Guide”. The people we encounter in the texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary fall into the category of “doers”. The Gospel of Matthew was written by a Jew for followers of Jesus who were mostly Jewish. The passage today compares the superficial observance of religious custom and tradition by “religious” people with the chutzpah and confident faith of the Canaanite woman who comes to Jesus from outside His Tradition and tribe. Friar Jude Winkler notes that she approaches Jesus respectfully addressing His as “lord” or “sir”. She is aware of His ancestry and the royalty of His line of David. This attention to Him seems to be absent in the approach of the religious authorities. She is a doer. Her faith is persistent beyond the initial redirection by Jesus identifying her as one outside the “Chosen”. Her clever retort is evidence that the Spirit is for all. We can mistakenly limit the action of Providence to those who are inside the Church. The doer mentioned in the passage from the Book of Numbers is Caleb. He remains confident in Providence to carry the Israelites to the Promised Land. His faith does not let him lie to the people in the desert to avoid trusting that the Will of God is the path for them to follow in spite of the likely opposition from the inhabitants of the land across the Jordan. We have to attend to our dreams and visions when planning and motivating. Our call to action often comes with the need exercise faith in the desire of God to provide for His children.

From the mountaintop

The texts, today, from the Roman Catholic Lectionary present images of glory and brightness which human eyes can barely imagine. The Roman Catholic Church celebrates the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord today.  This glorious event has been related in detail by St. Matthew (17:1-6), St. Mark (9:1-8), and St. Luke (9:28-36), while St. Peter (2 Peter 1:16-18) and St. John (1:14), two of the privileged witnesses, make allusion to it. Fr Greg Friedman, OFM, comments that Luke presents Jesus as the Prophet of God, par excellence, as Son of the Father. The passage from the seventh chapter of the Book Of Daniel introduces One like a Son of man who is given power, glory and dominion by the Father. This vision in the Book of Daniel is associated with Maccabean times. The visions describe the national crisis that occurred under Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a Seleucid king who persecuted and slaughtered thousands of observant Jews. The Glory of God in the visions of Daniel and in the Transfiguration of Jesus is a mountain top experience which will bolster faithful to continue to struggle through the suffering which comes from living lives faithful to our religious tradition. Peter may wish to build tents and remain in the awe of the Presence, but the Father calls the Son and His disciples to come down the mountain and continue our life journey knowing that He is Present when we arrive at our Jerusalem and find our reception is very similar to that of our Shepherd.

Reach to reset

Many devices today operate from a set of programmed instructions. We are familiar with the ability to re-start or re-set these devices when they cease to perform as we expect and desire. The passage today from the Book of Leviticus details the procedure for the Israelites to govern their lives by trusting in God and the theocracy which preserved the Divine Law as the primary rule in the land. According to Friar Jude Winkler, God is the owner of the land of the Israelites. The original land was allocated to the twelve tribes of Israel for the maintenance of life. The land was to be left fallow every seven years for a Sabbatical year and after seven times seven years a Jubilee year was proclaimed which reset the economic system, returned the land to the original caretakers and provided for the relief of the poor or enslaved. Friar Jude notes that Christian tradition continues to advocate that the excess of the world is material wealth stolen from the poor. It is very difficult to push the reset button in our daily lives. The death of John the Baptist is described in the text from the Gospel of Matthew. The inability of King Herod to execute John who had charged him of acting contrary to the Law in his marriage to his brother’s wife was not due to a lack of power. Herod was at least intrigued by this prophet who called people to repent and reset their lives. This reset requires humility to admit we have erred and need correction. This position was not attainable for Herod. We too often are unable to see the poor decisions we have made. We may need to reach for the reset button. 

Gather and See

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary bring us to consider the interplay between our ‘normal’ lives working and attending to family and the days we set aside for family gatherings, community events and religious festivals. The passage from the Book of Leviticus details the times of the prescribed festivals to be celebrated by the Israelites. FriarJude Winkler discusses the origins of these special days and we understand that many are rooted in agricultural feasts. The relationship of Providence and thanksgiving to daily life is very clear to agricultural people. The historical events of the Passover of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt to freedom changed the celebration to one which commemorates this mighty action of God. The Gospel from Matthew recounts Jesus visit to His home in Nazareth. Gathering with family in our home community is an event which brings both joy and challenge. Some commentators suggest that Jesus may have been absent from Nazareth for some time and like our experience after a long time we are remembered as if we are still living as we were years ago. Changes to our attitudes, disposition and life style are not immediately noticed or sometimes even welcomed. People are more comfortable when the people who gather for social or religious feasts are as predictable as the ‘liturgy’ of the visit or the feast prescribes. Jesus notes that the Good News that He brings is ignored. The people see the son of the carpenter (a job, at the time, for families who had lost agricultural land) and they group Him as one of the family they have categorized and understand. Friar Jude concludes his comments today with the caution that we might be missing the good in those around us with whom we do not take the time to explore their real persons.

Faith and Trust Old and New

The famous phrase “faith of our fathers” is a seed for contemplation which can be applied to the texts from the Roman CatholicLectionary today. The passage from the Book of Exodus relates the detail with which Moses constructs the tent of meeting according to the instructions from God. This attention to the detail follows the scenario where the delivery of the Ten Commandments was interrupted by a severe lapse in the trust of the Israelites in God to continue to lead them. Exodus describes the manner of the Presence with them during their journey to the Promised Land. Friar Jude Winkler notes the placement of the “mercy seat” atop the Ark of the Covenant which will be a significant place of contact for the people with God as they are trained through their journey to trust God. The Gospel of Matthew presents two parables with paradox and a future eschatology. Friar Jude notes that the Kingdom of God in the future end of the world will involve a separation of the good from the evil. The Gospel of Matthew leads to the separation of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:31 – 46) at the time when Jesus returns to His Kingdom on earth. Commentators note that the qualities which separated the sheep from the goats may surprise us. The paradox to ponder and to attempt to trust in God to live is ‘Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.’ The old and the tradition of our relationship over the centuries with God is to be integrated with our need to change, journey and trust so that we develop the vitality to act and be the sheep who hear “Come, you that are blessed by my Father”.