A Challenge for Rational Thought

A challenge for this age is to move beyond the purely rational mind in our attempts to put together the mystery of life. The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary put this challenge before us both directly and indirectly. The Presence of the Divine in our lives was recently compared, using an allegory from CS Lewis to a lion in the room. The lion who represents the Divine Presence exhibits power, majesty and does not eat us. The figure of the Lion contains mystery and evokes caution. The salvation history cited in the reading from the letter to the Hebrews relates a struggle for humanity to understand and relate to the Divine. The psalmist declares praise and thanksgiving for the relationship with God which has saved him in times of stress feeling far from the Peace, yet he reminds that the Lord God is a jealous God who deals with those who claim a status beyond their place. The episode of Jesus encounter with the demoniac in the Gentile regions contains much upon which to ponder. The actions of the evil spirits in possession of this man are extremely powerful and aware of the battle between good and evil raged in the spirit realm. The details of the exorcism and the instructions to the man after his release are important lights to peer into the mystery of Divine Providence and human mission. This is an invitation to pause and meditate.

The Inheritance of the Meek

The Lectionary of the Roman Catholic Church marks the 4th Sunday in Ordinary time. This is about half way between Christmas and Lent. Certainly, the official liturgy of Catholicism and the traditions of worship and assembly are comforting to the human need for pattern and regularity. The caution, of course, is that observance of the rules is mistaken for living the relationship with Christ through the indwelling Spirit. The prophet Zephaniah, in the 7th century BCE, was presenting the continuing story of the loss of attention of the people of Israel on the keeping of the Covenant. The observance of the ritual laws and rules was not enough to renew the relationship with the Divine. The prophet calls for a living of the Covenant and a witness to the nations through this living as God directs. The letter to the Corinthians raises a paradox of living in relationship with the Divine. The sinner and the weak and the foolish and the outcast are the people from whom the love, compassion and wisdom of the Divine will be shown. The Gospel of Matthew begins to relate the Sermon on the Mount. Fr Larry Gillick SJ comments on the dialogue of invitations from Jesus to be alive and present in the world. The radical pairing of meekness, poverty of spirit and humiliation with a heavenly inheritance is even more mysterious when we understand that inclusion in that “Kingdom of Heaven” is an offer made and accepted now!

Faith the Foundation of the Journey

The text today in the Roman Catholic Lectionary from the Letter to the Hebrews presents a definition of faith as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen”. The author goes on the relate the story of the faith of Father Abraham who really demonstrated “faith beyond what his senses and common sense could support. The canticle this morning from the Gospel of Luke brings the faith of Zachariah that the Lord God was acting through the person of his son, John the Baptist to fulfill the ancient promise. The disciples accepted the invitation to join Jesus and to share His journey to Jerusalem. The decision to give up everything and follow him was not based on a logical expectation. In the episode today from Mark’s Gospel it appears as if the humanity of these men surfaces in fear of the forces of a storm which has arisen on the lake where they have worked as fishermen. The call to Jesus is familiar to many. The response is to bring peace and to invite us to challenge the doubt which may be encroaching on our faith built on the heritage of Abraham.

Parables Experience and Trust

The texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today bring the qualities of Experience and trust to mind. The theme that our experience of the love, compassion and forgiveness of our intimate relationship with the Divine is not to be forgotten or replaced with rules and religiosity. The difficult times when we “walked in the valley of the shadow of death” were times when we knew the Presence that was our guide. The psalmist declares that God delights in our way. That way is not best described by following this rule or that superstition but by a resonance of the indwelling Spirit with the Divine about which words are inadequate to write. This is the domain where poets, musicians and storytellers have a way to approach the documentation of experience. The parable does not give the seeker a “yes” or “no” because the deep understanding and Truth is not a subject for “dual” thinking

Progress and perseverance

The texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today focus on two realities. We are both not worthy of the invitation to approach intimacy with the Divine and we are called to do so. The author of Hebrews encourages perseverance. Some specific ways in which we have difficulty are mentioned not to dishearten but to recall our initial zeal. The psalmist proclaims the nature of those who seek the deep intimacy with the Divine have clean hands and a pure soul. The Gospel of Mark brings us to the reality that there are no secrets between the person and God. All is known and all is to be transformed into the light which brings the direction to revisit the deficiencies cited in Hebrews and to move toward the state proclaimed by the psalmist.

Living the Life in the Kingdom

The texts in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today mark the feast of Saints Timothy and Titus. Letters are in the New Testament to both early leaders of the Church. The message is to live as people in the Kingdom of God. The psalmist proclaims many praises for the marvellous works, the power and might and the judgement of God in His Kingdom. Luke reports the directions to the circle of disciples known as the 72. The power of the Kingdom of god is witnessed in the impact of the simple examples of community life demonstrated by the peace and healing brought by the disciples to the people they visit. Paul exhorts Timothy to remember the joy, love, power and self control received by Timothy within his indwelling Spirit through the invocation of the Holy Spirit, the laying on of hands, which energized the resonance of strength to live and resolve to rely on the direction and movement of the Spirit in the spreading of the Kingdom among people.

Paul is Conversion

The texts of the Roman Catholic lectionary today are celebrating the feast of the conversion of St Paul. The episode related in Acts shows the change in Paul from persecutor of the Way to preacher of the Good News. The encounter of the indwelling Spirit of Paul with the person of Jesus is at the root of this change of heart and direction. The records of the works and words of Paul documented in the New Testament offer some of the most engaging and compelling descriptions of Life in the Spirit as heir of the Divine and sibling of Jesus, living eternally in the Body of Christ. Mark’s Gospel declares a form of the Great Commission which was lived by Paul and is the mission for all the baptized. The Good News lived by Paul must be proclaimed by example in life to all people.