Complaints and Compassion

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate our reaction to conflict and complaints as we seek to act with compassion to the needs of others.

Expressing Needs

In the reading from the Prophet Amos, Amaziah Complains to the King.

* [7:14] I am not a prophet: Amos reacts strongly to Amaziah’s attempt to classify him as a “prophet-for-hire” who “earns [his] bread” by giving oracles in exchange for payment (cf. 1 Sm 9:3–10; Mi 3:5). To disassociate himself from this kind of “professional” prophet, Amos rejects outright the title of nabi’ (“prophet”). By profession he is a herdsman/sheepbreeder and a dresser of sycamore trees, but God’s call has commissioned him to prophesy to Israel. (Amos, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 19 praises God’s Glory in Creation and the Law.

* [Psalm 19] The heavenly elements of the world, now beautifully arranged, bespeak the power and wisdom of their creator (Ps 19:2–7). The creator’s wisdom is available to human beings in the law (Ps 19:8–11), toward which the psalmist prays to be open (Ps 19:12–14). The themes of light and speech unify the poem. (Psalms, PSALM 19 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus Heals a Paralytic.

* [9:1] His own town: Capernaum; see Mt 4:13.

* [9:3] Scribes: see note on Mk 2:6. Matthew omits the reason given in the Marcan story for the charge of blasphemy: “Who but God alone can forgive sins?” (Mk 2:7).

* [9:6] It is not clear whether But that you may know…to forgive sins is intended to be a continuation of the words of Jesus or a parenthetical comment of the evangelist to those who would hear or read this gospel. In any case, Matthew here follows the Marcan text.

* [9:8] Who had given such authority to human beings: a significant difference from Mk 2:12 (“They…glorified God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this’”). Matthew’s extension to human beings of the authority to forgive sins points to the belief that such authority was being claimed by Matthew’s church. (Matthew, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB, n.d.)

Suzanne Braddock asked herself several questions. Which of the two wonderful events is the real miracle? Or are they both miracles in their own way? To be assured of forgiveness or to be “unparalyzed?" Do our sins paralyze us? In what way?

Since we all have sinned, do we rely on the faith of our community to release us from those bonds? Surely a faith community is a strong support. Some of us do not have access to the sacraments on a regular basis if at all, and the blessing of the sacrament of reconciliation may be sorely missed. To have a trusted friend in whom to confide may give amazing relief and assurance of God's love and mercy. (Braddock, 2024)

Don Schwager quotes “Healing of soul and body,” by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD).

"Now in the narrative of the paralytic a number of people are brought forward for healing. Jesus' words of healing are worthy of reflection. The paralytic is not told, 'Be healed.' He is not told, 'Rise and walk.' But he is told, 'Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven you.' The paralytic is a descendant of the original man, Adam. In one person, Christ, all the sins of Adam are forgiven. In this case the person to be healed is brought forward by ministering angels. In this case, too, he is called a son, because he is God's first work. The sins of his soul are forgiven him, and pardon of the first transgression is granted. We do not believe the paralytic committed any sin [that resulted in his illness], especially since the Lord said elsewhere that blindness from birth had not been contracted from someone's sin or that of his parents" [John 9:1-3]. (excerpt from commentary ON MATTHEW 8.5) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 9:1-8 comments that the circumstances of Jesus’ healing miracles may vary, but they all had one thing in common: faith. People believed Jesus could help, and he did. In fact, faith was so important that he was not able to perform many miracles in his hometown of Nazareth “because of their lack of faith” (Matthew 13:58).

Do you have someone in your life who needs physical or spiritual healing? You may feel helpless as you watch them suffer. But you always have a way to help: let your faith move you to bring them to Jesus, just as the paralyzed man’s friends did. Believe that Jesus sees your faith as you intercede for them, encourage them, and even offer to pray with them. He values your persistence and won’t turn a deaf ear.

Jesus delights in every way that you try to bring people to him for help or healing. Especially when the person you are interceding for has little or no faith, he sees your faith. So don’t give up! Even if you can’t detect any change in that person’s life, you can still trust that your faith is making a difference.

“Lord, I believe that you can work wonders, even for those who don’t believe!” (Meditation on Matthew 9:1-8, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that Amaziah reports to the king of Israel, which is almost a banana republic, that Amos proclaims a message for his own benefit. Is it easier to heal a broken leg or a broken heart? The man is paralyzed but with a smile on his face. Friar Jude reminds us that especially when the person we are interceding for has little or no faith, he sees our faith. So don’t give up! Even if we can’t detect any change in that person’s life, we can still trust that our faith is making a difference.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares the insight of former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams who considers the importance of a rhythm or “rule” of life in Benedictine spirituality.

The idea that all of time can be sanctified—that is, that the time we may instinctively consider to be unproductive, waiting or routine activity, is indispensable to our growth into Christian and human maturity. How we spend the time we think is insignificant is important. It is not only the well-known Benedictine union of laborare and orare [work and pray], but the wider commitment to a life under “rule,” a life that takes it for granted that every aspect of the day is part of a single offering.… 

Christ’s human life is open to the divine at every moment; it is not that God the Word deigns to take up residence in those parts of our lives that we consider important or successful or exceptional. Every aspect of Jesus’ humanity and every moment of his life is imbued with the divine identity, so that if our lives are to be images of his, they must seek the same kind of unbroken transparency. [2]

The Dalhousie University motto “Ora et Labora” translates from Latin as "pray and work"; it was adopted in 1870 from the Earl of Dalhousie's motto. (Rohr, n.d.)

The guidance of the Spirit in our response to daily crises and complaints will point to care and compassion as the Way that Jesus models for us.

References

Amos, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 4, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/amos/7?10 

Braddock, S. (2024, July 4). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved July 4, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/070424.html 

Matthew, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 4, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/9? 

Meditation on Matthew 9:1-8. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved July 4, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/07/04/1015715/ 

Psalms, PSALM 19 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 4, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/19?8 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. An Unexpected Sense of Freedom. Retrieved July 4, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/an-unexpected-sense-of-freedom/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Take Heart - Your Sins Are Forgiven. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 4, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=jul4 

One in Faith

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle,  challenge us to contemplate faith as an essential part of our journey to share truth, goodness, and love with the people we encounter on our journey.

Christ the Keystone

The reading from the Letter of Paul to the  Ephesians declares we are One in Christ and no longer strangers and aliens.

* [2:11–22] The Gentiles lacked Israel’s messianic expectation, lacked the various covenants God made with Israel, lacked hope of salvation and knowledge of the true God (Eph 2:11–12); but through Christ all these religious barriers between Jew and Gentile have been transcended (Eph 2:13–14) by the abolition of the Mosaic covenant-law (Eph 2:15) for the sake of uniting Jew and Gentile into a single religious community (Eph 2:15–16), imbued with the same holy Spirit and worshiping the same Father (Eph 2:18). The Gentiles are now included in God’s household (Eph 2:19) as it arises upon the foundation of apostles assisted by those endowed with the prophetic gift (Eph 3:5), the preachers of Christ (Eph 2:20; cf. 1 Cor 12:28). With Christ as the capstone (Eph 2:20; cf. Is 28:16; Mt 21:42), they are being built into the holy temple of God’s people where the divine presence dwells (Eph 2:21–22). (Ephesians, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 117 is a Universal Call to Worship

* [Psalm 117] This shortest of hymns calls on the nations to acknowledge God’s supremacy. The supremacy of Israel’s God has been demonstrated to them by the people’s secure existence, which is owed entirely to God’s gracious fidelity. (Psalms, PSALM 117 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of John relates the encounter of Jesus and Thomas.

* [20:28] My Lord and my God: this forms a literary inclusion with the first verse of the gospel: “and the Word was God.”

* [20:29] This verse is a beatitude on future generations; faith, not sight, matters. (John, CHAPTER 20 | USCCB, n.d.)

Larry Gillick, S.J. comments that what we ponder in our Christian faith is God, a divine Subject and not an object. Subjects are mysterious mysteries which are not for complete understanding nor control. God is not for total understanding, though our minds long for that.

The Apostles never did quite figure Jesus out, did not get quick and easy answers, but they learned to live by the sight of faith and not the sight of comforting, total assurance. Today we celebrate our encouragement from just how Thomas was sent into the mystery of his life, because he surrendered to the mystery of God-Made-Flesh, Jesus our Sender into our own mysteries and those of God. This is our faith and we are proud to confess it. “Are you kidding me?” (Gillick, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Touching the wounds of Christ and healing the wounds of our unbelief,” by Gregory the Great (540-604 AD).

"It was not an accident that that particular disciple was not present. The divine mercy ordained that a doubting disciple should, by feeling in his Master the wounds of the flesh, heal in us the wounds of unbelief. The unbelief of Thomas is more profitable to our faith than the belief of the other disciples. For the touch by which he is brought to believe confirms our minds in belief, beyond all question." (excerpt from FORTY GOSPEL HOMILIES 26) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 20:24-29 comments that the encounter with Jesus spurred Thomas to action. He went from being stationary to being a man in motion—so much so that he brought the gospel all the way to southern India, where he is still venerated today. Imagine that! From doubt and despair, Thomas traveled farther than any other apostle.

This Jesus whom Thomas met that day is the same Jesus who comes to you today. He comes to speak words of hope and encouragement. He comes to send you into the world ready to share his love and presence. He comes to urge you, “Believe!” So still your heart and listen for his voice. Trust that he has all the grace you need to shift out of “park”!

“Jesus, you are my Lord and my God! I trust you to direct my path.” (Meditation on John 20:24-29, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler reflects on the proclamation in Ephesians that Gentiles are no longer strangers but part of the household of God. Jesus shows Thomas that the resurrected body is no longer limited as is our material body. Friar Jude reminds us that the high Christological statement of Thomas indicates that what we do with doubts can lead to growth or despair.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces spiritual director Caroline Oakes who writes of the impact of a faithful practice of “centering-in”.

The spiritual journey begins with a pause, a centering-in-God pause, and over time becomes a constant and ceaseless prayer, an honoring of and a connection with the Divine in you that awakens your essential self…. 

This returning to our center again and again is a kind of in-and-out, in-and-out movement, like breathing: breathing in, we gather strength and calm, maybe an insight, maybe a sense of an injustice needing to be righted, and then breathing out, we go back out in to the world to live into what we’ve been given and what we’ve received…. 

When you engage in any one of several centering practices that are available to us today, practices in which you can just be, alone, in quiet, in awareness of your innermost self with God, then over time, something holy and extraordinary happens in ways that … we can’t imagine or foresee. The closeness of your inner, relational life will be changed, to yourself, to others, to God, and to the world around you. Your relationship to your own life will shift subtly but profoundly. [2] (Rohr, n.d.)

We are comforted that even when we retreat for a time from the challenges of our journey, Jesus is waiting to restore our faith and welcome us to fullness of life as workers in His vineyard.

References

Ephesians, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 3, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ephesians/2?19 

Gillick, L. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. OnlineMinistries. Retrieved July 3, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/070324.html  

John, CHAPTER 20 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 3, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/20?24 

Meditation on John 20:24-29. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved July 3, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/07/03/1015139/ 

Psalms, PSALM 117 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 3, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/117?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. A Prayerful Exchange. Retrieved July 3, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-prayerful-exchange/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Do Not Be Faithless - but Believing. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 3, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=jul3a