Ideas in conflict

The texts today from the Roman CatholicLectionary offer us some sobering reflection on how we are mislead by our slavery to our ideas and our personal position to act in ways completely foreign to the Way of Life. Yeshua Ben Sira, Jesus son of Sirach, was a scribe living and teaching in Jerusalem a couple of centuries before the birth of Jesus who,Friar Jude Winkler tells us, was writing to show, in part, that Jewish philosophers and heroes were every bit as great and powerful as the Greek persons who were promoted during the dominance of Hellenistic rulers and culture in the region. The elegy today to David is not an historically balanced account of his rule. As Friar Jude notes, it omits any reference to the murderous and adulterous transgressions of King David. The difference of opinion between King Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, and John the Baptist, who is portrayed in the Gospel of Mark today as being of interest to Herod as a holy man with challenging ideas, means he is beheaded as a consequence of a series of actions in which a hasty promise is carried out so that Herod may not lose face among his courtiers. The Wisdom, which in our religious tradition has been so treasured, vanishes as we rush to defend concepts, ideas and assumptions which we hold very tightly. A recentmessage of Pope Francis to world youth asks them to focus for this year on the happiness which is ours when we adopt the lifestyle of the Beatitude which exhorts us to be poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3) and to know the Kingdom of God. The pope links the poverty of spirit to the description of Jesus to the Philippians as the One who emptied himself (Philippians 2:1-11). Pope Francesco invokes the life of his namesake, the Poor Man of Assisi as one who embraced poverty of spirit. In the recent action of the Pope to reach out to Muslim believers he is acting, according to Dr. Akbar Ahmed, a foremost Islamic scholar, in the tradition of St Francis who befriended a Muslim Sultan during the Crusades. It is difficult for us to open our mind. A simple illustration is in the comment from Eileen Wirth of Creighton University about the difficulty Catholic liturgists have with the life and joy in simple congregational singing that we find as a witness to life in Protestant communities. The sobering reality of violence rooted in a clash of ideas is offered a counterbalance of happiness for those who are poor in spirit.

Passing authority

The passing of authority from one leader to another is a process which can bring the best and the worst in human nature to the surface. The passage from the First Book of Kings in the Roman CatholicLectionary today is advice from David to his second oldest son, Solomon, to walk in the way of the Lord and keep his Laws, statutes and observances. This faithfulness to God is the role of the heir of David in the Promise of God that a dynasty would be established in the line of David. Friar Jude Winkler notes that the history of the ascent of Solomon reveals a shrewd political opportunist who initiates a reign of terror as those who may oppose him in power are executed. The Gospel from Mark presents the entirely different and counter cultural way in which the authority of Jesus, which is the authority of God in exorcism, teaching and healing, is transferred to His disciples. Don Schwagerand Diane Jorgensen reflect on the simple dependence of the disciples on Providence and the collaboration of others to sustain them in their mission. The temptation to let power and privilege and personal security, aggrandizement and greed motivate our action and direct the power we have for our gain is muted in the discipline of a simple life in poverty where we are open to the hospitality and opinions of others.  Diane Jorgensen comments that conversation about differences doesn’t need to be offensive. Our job is to invite, but to change minds, hearts and behavior is the work of the Holy One. The time frame of that change and the possibility that we may follow Jesus to give all in the effort is brought to mind by the forgiveness voiced by SaintPaul Miki as he and his Companions are martyred. The memorial of these disciples who exercised the authority of Jesus with the people of Japan is kept today in the Church.

Small change and big difference

We can contemplate in the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today how an apparently small move can initiate large response and may create difficult consequences for ourselves and others. In the passage from the Book of Samuel where hear of David’s ill considered decision to do a census of the people who lived in the territory from Dan to Beersheba, the territory mentioned eight times in the Bible as the land of the Hebrew people. When this territory is viewed on a map we realize that most of the Bible's stories occur between Dan in the north and Beersheba in the south (approximately 150 miles) and within a dozen miles or so of a straight line joining the two cities on a map. Sr. Sarah Schwartzberg in her story about Gad the seer reminds us that the people of this land are heirs to promise to Abraham that his descendants would be more numerous than the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore (Gen. 22:17)?  Should not David simply trust in God to fight his battles for him? Did David lack trust in God? Friar Jude Winkler notes that David chooses the consequence of pestilence, an epidemic disease with a high death rate like plague, because it is delivered by God who is merciful. David proclaims his responsibility as shepherd for the transgression yet the corporate dimension of sin, as noted by Friar Jude, was understood in David’s time to have consequence for all. In contrast today, our attention on individual sin has let the protection of the environment, the unborn, and those in poor health and financial conditions, our corporate sins of omission, not receive the attention which the people of God need to bring. The ministry of Jesus as told in the Gospel of Mark has proclaimed the Presence of God in miracles of nature, healing and exorcism in the communities which are geographically very close to Jesus home. Coming home for Jesus resonates with Rev.Richard Gabuzda of Creighton University in that way where we may have found some distance occurs with friends, family and associates as they seem to misunderstand the development and deepening of our relationship with Jesus.  Friar Jude offers the consolation that it took the disciples and family of Jesus time to see clearly what He was bringing to people. The time of the cross and the resurrection brought some clarity to their confusion.

Attending to the details

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary bring us to events in which the suffering for and love of parent for child are presented. Friar Jude Winkler tells us that despite the understanding in the army of David that his son Absalom was not to be harmed, David’s general, Joab killed the rebellious son when he found himself entangled in shrubbery on the trail. The deep sorrow and mourning of the father over the death of his son is expressed in the desire of the King that he could replace his son in death. The love of parent for child is beyond life itself. The tragedy of David followed a lack of attention to detail on behalf of his general. We miss much in life and we risk inadvertently bringing disaster into situations when we fail to let time, careful observation and patience save us from rash action based on assumptions which we often generate internally from poor understanding. DonSchwager tells us that Mark frequently uses a literary technique to "sandwich" a point or story which serves as a "filling" between two pieces of "bread". The Markan Sandwich invited us to see some intricate detail in the work of the Evangelist where the text is inspired not only in the informational content but also in the framework in which it is presented. Sandwich #4 in the Gospel breaks down as the story of the issue of blood from the woman who was hemorrhaging for twelve years is inserted between parts the raising of the daughter of Jairus the girl who is twelve years old. Friar Jude reminds us that this is the third miracle in the Gospel and it corresponds to a completion of the three types of miracle understood in ancient time, nature, exorcism and healing. Looking below the surface is a way for us to grow in understanding of the interconnected detail which surrounds us. The desperate migration of people across the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa to the Italian islands is explored by the BBC series heart and soul from the entry point of Pope Francis declaration that each one arriving is bringing Jesus. As the documentary tells us the decision to love these desperate people with food and support has brought new life to communities which had been hemorrhaging people and vitality for years. We can act so effectively when we pause and try to look with the eyes of Jesus.

Demoniac delivers

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary are connected to journeys from the land where the Hebrew people lived to places across the eastern geography of the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River. In the gospel from Mark, we find Jesus has travelled across the Sea of Galilee to the area where Gentile people of non Semitic origin lived.  Hippos, Gerasa, and Gadara were all counted in the Decapolis, an informal grouping of Greco-Roman cities in eastern Palestine. The teaching at the end of the previous chapter of the Gospel indicated that the confusion and storms which beset the Church gathered symbolically in the boat of Peter are calmed as the direction of Jesus takes them to bring the Good News to all the people of the world. The Presence of Jesus is again detected by the evil spirits who possess a man living among the tombs. Freedom from possession by sin is given by Jesus to this man and it is witnessed by the population who are stuck with awe and fear. An opportunity for change may threaten our comfort with living in a mediocre manner where we are not terribly challenged or threatened. Those in great need, like the demoniac, receive great life from the Love of Jesus. Those who are too content will not see the opportunity to grow in disruption. The Book of Samuel and Psalm 3 deal with the turbulent struggles of David with those in the Kingdom of Israel who have been his rival for power and those who would seek to remove power from him. The life of King David as summarized by a commentary from The Master's Prayer Network is one where He is blessed by many sons and cursed by violent acts within his family including his own episode of adultery and murder in his relationship with Bathsheba. David flees from Absalom, his son, to the land across the Jordan. David's party was received warmly with provisions on the east side of the Jordan, even by an Ammonite, Ammon being one of the nations subject under David's kingdom. The peace and rest found in the Gentile territory is contrasted with the engagement of David with the forces of Absalom during which his son is killed. Our journey is also to find and bring peace and freedom. It may be that our opportunity to live our mission is outside the comfort and complacency which possesses us and holds us back from joining the healed demoniac as a witness to Life in a foreign society of darkness.

Popular piety

The evangelizing power of popular piety is a theme in the apostolic exhortation of Pope Francis, the Joy of the Gospel. There are great traditions of popular piety associated with the celebration of the Presentationof the Lord today. The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today carry themes of great joy and some fear and trepidation. The Messianic Promise of God is delivered to the people in the words of the Prophet Malachi and this brings hope of the return of the majesty of the Davidic Kingdom and at the same time the refiner’s fire and the fuller’s soap remind the people that their lack of observance of the ancient command to put God first may demand they change and be purified. The Letter to the Hebrews deals with the Son of God who comes to fulfill the Promise of the Messiah chooses to be humbled as human who submits to rejection by the people to the point of death to free people from death and to be the perfect sacrifice to expiate sin. Popular piety today traditionally includes processions and blessing of candles (Candlemas). This day, until recent times, marked the end of the Christmas Season. Scholars, like Robert P. Heaneyof Creighton University, find in the structure of the Nativity Narrative in the Gospel of Luke to be framed between two bookends of elderly couples in the Temple astounded by miraculous birth. (Zachariah and Elizabeth; Simeon and Anna). The actions of the Holy Family described in the text from Luke indicate observance of the purification rules in Mosaic Law involving pregnant women forty days after childbirth and the offering of the first born son to God. (Some scholars suggest that Luke, a Gentile, may have been somewhat ignorant of Jewish traditions) Perhaps the beeswax candles with which we will celebrate Church (or home) liturgy in the next year will be blessed today and we will have a sign of the Incarnate present to us and maybe we will be called to deepen our experience with the guidance in the Sacred Texts and in some way the message which is a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Greeks (1 Corinthians 1:23 ) will be our lived experience and our popular piety will be in collaboration with the exhortation of Papa Francesco.

Presence becomes personal

The passage today in the Roman CatholicLectionary from the Second Book of Samuel continues our opportunity to reflect on the role of the Presence of God in the life of the early kings of Israel, especially Saul and David and how this Presence is experienced in varying degrees by David. In the episode today, the Prophet Nathan brings awareness to David that God is aware of the sins of adultery and murder which David has committed with Bathsheba and Uriah. The idea that we have secrets from God can strangely seem possible to us when His Presence is taken for granted. Pope Francispreached yesterday on the theme of how  Christian mediocrity leads to loss of sense of sin. Friar Jude Winkler notes how David is brought to seek reconciliation with God through the intervention of Nathan. Who might be acting as prophet to us now as we may be neglecting to act in accord with the will of God? DanielPatrick O'Reilly of Creighton University recalls how his wife brought the Presence of God to his personal situation. When we are moved, or in great moments, overcome by gratitude and thanksgiving, we are sometimes able to see the Nathans of our life who have brought us back to the path of faithfulness. DavidWilkerson suggests that David, when confronted by Nathan, becomes fearful of the loss of the Presence in his life. David witnessed the decline of Saul when God was no longer part of his life. The disciples in the text from the Gospel of Mark are described by Friar Jude as fishermen who are accustomed to speaking harshly when a person on their boat is sleeping as the forces of nature appear to be focused on sinking their craft. They had forgotten in their distress that Jesus was bringing Presence to them in the deep personal way which meant that they would get through their difficulty. We are not guaranteed that the passage through difficulty takes us to the destination we would pick. The nature miracle of calming the waters was both a cause of relief that they had avoiding drowning and at the same time fear for their inattention to Presence with power over life, death, good and evil. Our need is to buck up and move on with the faith in the continuing guidance of His Presence.