Control and vindication

The psalmist today in the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary prays to God “Let them know that this is your hand” (Psalm 109:27). The Letter to the Romans declares the deep faith of Paul that there is nothing in Creation which can separate us from the Love which is demonstrated by God in the gift of the life of His Son to humanity. Friar Jude Winkler reminds us of how our fear of being taken under the control of evil influences may be keeping us from surrendering to the Love plan of God which is mercy and forgiveness for all. EdwardMorse of Creighton University identifies a tendency which may be part of our desire, and that of the psalmist, to have vindication over our enemies when we experience the action of the hand of God to lead us. This desire for vindication is perhaps our seeking a sign of the Presence which is actually not in accord with His Will. Our vindication is a need focused toward ourselves. The Gospel of Luke tells of the warning some Pharisees give Jesus of those who desire to kill Him in Jerusalem. Jesus understands that the place where the Will of God is revealed is Jerusalem. In this place, traditionally, the people have slain the Prophets. The gift of Life which will open all people to praise “Blessed is the One who comes in the Name of the Lord” (Luke 13:35) will be through the witness that even death does not separate God and His children.

Good plans for the narrow gate

“We know that all things work together for good^* for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose”. (Romans 8:28). This passage, today, in the Roman Catholic Lectionary, from the Letter of Paul to the Romans is a reminder of an attitude which some believers express in their journey as “8:28 it”. We see that this letter is witnessing to the deep intimacy of prayer as the Spirit within teaches us the communication of Love with God. Friar JudeWinkler advises that we experience this communion of Love and through the experience we are able to trust in the plan of God. Surrender to the plan of God is not easy. The Gospel from Luke tells of Jesus response to the question of will many be saved? Sue Crawford of Creighton University reminds us that we do not attempt to go through the narrow gate described by Jesus on our own. Jesus journeys with us and our trust in His direction through listening to the indwelling Spirit will keep us on the path of the great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1). Paul lays out the path for the family of God trusting in the plan of God which calls us to communion through the Spirit and in that trust we will live righteous lives leading to the passage through the narrow gate into full life in glory.

Small but big

“What is the kingdom of God like?” (Luke 13.18). This rhetorical question is asked by Jesus in the text from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today. The answer provided by Jesus in the Gospel from Luke uses two parables to give us an image of the way the Kingdom, or the reign of God in our time and society, works. Andy Alexander, S.J. of Creighton University reminds us of the mystery of the vegetable garden and the wonder of making bread. Our modern lives may not include real memories of family who lived in the faith of God to bless and provide growth to these simple but essential actions of human survival. Blessing and prayer and signing our efforts are practices which remind us the importance of continuous steps toward living in the Spirit which are transformed as growth for those we see around us, and in hope and faith, the many for whom we cultivate Life that we do not see. The Love uses our faithfulness to provide sustenance, shelter and respite for others. Friar JudeWinkler uses the phrase “the already but not yet” as he reflects on the message of Paul to the Romans comparing the suffering of the present time with our hope of the glory of God to reign in society and through our personal resurrection. The phrase used by Friar Jude is linked to the theology of “The Eternal Now” ofPaul Tillich. Our hopes for ourselves, our family and friends and even the change of social structures, mentioned by Andy Alexander, will find their fulfillment in the future. Christian hope is based in the faith of the vegetable gardener planting the mustard seed and the bread maker that the dough will raise in accord with the blessing which we extend through our work in small steps.

Family Temple

“Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge” Psalm 19 expresses the praise of the psalmist for the declaration of the Presence of God we witness in the wonder and awe of every day and every night. The Roman Catholic Lectionary today contains texts which bring our attention to the feast today of apostles, Saint Simon and Saint Jude. FriarJude Winkler draws our attention to the way in which the author of the Letter to the Ephesians describes the Gentile Christian Community in Ephesus as a living temple to God with Jesus as the capstone or cornerstone. Ephesus was the city in which Paul battled intensely against the paid preachers who were associated with the temples to Greek and Roman deities in that city. The living temple in which we are members is the Body of Christ. Friar Jude reminds us that this community is for all and the members are to reach out in the manner of the apostles and bring the broken to be the strength of this unity. Comments made by the late Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira at the conclusion of a biography of Simon and Jude suggest that the Tradition shows God’s consideration for legacy. The number of the apostles associated with the line of David is cited as well as the number of cousins of Jesus, including St Jude, who were in the family of apostles. Pope Francesco is quoted by Good MorningAmerica as Pope Francis breaks with tradition at a celebration of families at the Vatican. Pope Francis has decided to devote the next synod of bishops to the family. Archbishop Paglia said that this synod “ is an extraordinary sign of affection of Pope Francis for families,”. The richness, wonder and awe of life proclaimed by the psalmist is visible in the dynamics of Love, support, self sacrifice, healing and development in the human family. It is the foundation of the Living Temple in the Spirit.

Mercy hears

The psalmist today in the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary tells us “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles” (Psalm 34:17). We sometimes wish we knew the formula for obtaining rescue. What do we know about being righteous? The Second Letter of Paul to Timothy is noted by Friar Jude Winkler to be the last letter of Paul (or one of his disciples) which tells of the faith of Paul that the time has come to stand before God as one who has run the race and given his life as a libation. This is understood by Paul as being righteous. The rescue Paul anticipates is the continued action of God to save him from the attack of evil which will maintain his place in the kingdom of heaven. The evil whichFather Larry Gillick SJ understands inhibits full our participation in life is our ongoing tendency to “dress up” our position before God with false pride and positioning. The Gospel from Luke characteristically throws us a curve as we are told by Jesus that the righteous Pharisee who attends to the detail of the Law and Justice leaves the Temple at a lesser righteousness before God than the tax collector who is aware of his state of need of the mercy of God. Our “troubles” may be rooted in our own pride and self focus. Mercy responses to the cry of the poor and celebrates being who we are. 

Assume to presume

“What did I do to deserve this?” is a question which we are reminded by PatrickBorchers, of The Werner Institute, which we ask when the misfortunes of the type described by Jesus in the Gospel of Luke from the Roman CatholicLectionary visit us. The psalmist today puts the question of being singled out in another flavour. The people who have clean hands, pure hearts, avoid falseness and do not swear shall stand in the Holy Place of the Lord. Our struggle in life deals with knowing in our minds that misfortune is often vested in circumstances which are not within the control of those affected, but holding in our hearts the resentment of being unjustly done by. The knowledge of the nature of the Divine, which we study and intellectually define, is in conflict with our response in our behaviour. The Presence of Total Love is without the self serving concupiscence and personal gratification that Paul identifies to the Romans and us which struggles with the Spirit of Life in our hearts. FriarJude Winkler states that something within us dies when we move in the direction away from the Life in the Spirit. Jesus ends the parable of the fig tree, which has shown signs of death, with the proclamation of mercy. There is more time. We are doubly grateful for God is Mercy as we struggle with our ongoing presumption of that Mercy.

Choosing Now

The psalmist declares the desire of people in their relationship with God “Let your steadfast love become my comfort” (Psalm119:76). This text from the RomanCatholic Lectionary today is balanced by the distress that Friar Jude Winkler comments Paul expresses in his Letter to the Romans that he experiences the weakness of human flesh which draws him to choose self pleasure in the many ways understood by moral theologians as concupiscence. The nature, effect, origin and sinfulness of concupiscence is a discussion which appears frequently within the literature of our seeking spiritual understanding. The opposite of this tendency is perhaps expressed in the quote from Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, who invokes prayer in the moment with “a simple glance directed to heaven”. This remedy to the tension expressed by Paul puts us in the moment. The distress we experience from living in the past and especially in the future is associated by Rev. Richard Gabuzda with the urgent assertion of Jesus, in the Gospel from Luke that we see the signs today and now of our spiritual health and take steps to move toward heaven. Gabuzda quotes C.S. Lewis in the The Screwtape Letters, reminding us the Present is the point at which time touches eternity. The Love which is the comfort of God is now!