writing – Page 3 – Writing to Pray

Shift Explained

I would like to explain a shift in the focus of reflections posted on this site; explorations and questions intended to inspire the practice of writing to pray. I have strived to better understand the connective tissues between each of the Sunday readings. Beyond thematic threads, the first and second intensify and illuminate the seminal essence of the gospel moment. Although I have overlooked them, the richness of the psalms augments our heart-knowing as well; I will turn to focus solely on their kinship to the gospels.

The Book of Psalms is characterized as a hymn book for Temple worship in the time of antiquity (4). As such, it would have flowed through the veins of a devout and well-schooled Jew, such as the Son of the Father, like blood. Having learned this, I now wonder, “What if this psalm was in Jesus’ heart at or following the gospel moment before me?” The following questions quickly follow:

What might I discover about Jesus’ life, ministry and Passion which I don’t currently understand?
What new insights might I glean about my own experiences, faith, divine nature and human character?
If the psalms are prayers, what might they teach me regarding praying both the gospels and my own life?

Please understand, I am not attempting to explain Jesus’ thinking or emotional state. Asking these questions does not presume we can assume to know His internal landscape. If we allow the Prince of Peace to lead us through this intuitive leap, however, our discernment process will sharpen, epiphanies unfold routinely, and our relationship with the Lord deepen.

References: Refer to blog post entitled Resources

19th Sunday 2017

1 KGS 19:9A, 11-13A
ROM 9:1-5
MT 14:22-33

In Robert Alter’s translation of Elijah and the cave, the Lord explains to Elijah all which is about to happen, i.e., Elijah is told of their arrival beforehand. After the Lord states He will not be in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire, He does not say, “I’ll be in the sound of minute stillness.” He says rather, “And after the fire, a sound of minute stillness” (1). In the conversation that follows, the Lord explains how Elijah will pass the mantle to Elisha.

In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he wrestles with God’s faithfulness to His chosen people; it is often interpreted as a bemoaning of God’s pre-determined plan of who receives salvation, and who damnation (2). When Paul accepts Jesus as Christ for himself, his hatred for and persecution of Jesus and His followers is replaced by love. He receives the grace of salvation in his lifetime, not simply as a promise for the end of time. Paul wants not only strangers, but all those he loves to experience the same delight and joy in the discovery of the love of the Lord. He is perhaps heart-broken his own are not a part of the movement or community which he wants to share.

Peter issues the Lord a challenge, “If it is you, command me to come to you.” After “Peter the rock sinks like a stone” (2), Jesus says to him, “Oh ye, of little faith.” The remark, however, could be a reference to the doubt which inspired the request, Peter’s lack of faith in Jesus, or his own self-doubt. In this event, Peter has not been commissioned by Jesus to perform miracles in His name, nor is he simply a witness to a Jesus-miracle: he’s in the middle of the miracle as a participant.

When Jesus wakes in the boat to the fear of His friends, He calms the storm to protect and reassure them (Mt 8:23-27). In general, extreme weather symbolizes the difficulties of personal struggles and tragedies, events we’ve no choice but to endure and survive. But in this case, the Lord accepts Peter’s challenge to prove His identity by issuing a challenge in return. He invites Peter to walk voluntarily into and within the turbulence.

Peter’s confusion over the Presence of the Lord inspires him to command Jesus to prove Himself, but is ultimately clarified as self-doubt in the face of turmoil. Likewise, Elijah states, “I am no better than my ancestors.” He too faces self-doubt at his ability to triumph over situational impossibilities. In both cases, the Lord responds to each’s fear and doubt with an eye on the future.

The Lord invites each man to look forward. After the ‘sound of minute stillness,’ Elijah is instructed as to how to pass the mantle to Elisha. In a variation on the theme, Jesus also passes the mantle to Peter by inviting him to follow His example, and lead new disciples in their faith despite the impossible political storm facing the Early Church. Paul expresses his sorrow that some of those whom he wishes to pass the mantle to are unreceptive. Our life-stories include “all of the above,” as we accept the mantle, bestow it onto others, and walk in the middle of the miracle of discipleship.

Journal Questions:

In what ways do I demand the Lord prove He is Himself? He responded to Peter with a challenge and invitation to greater faith; how does this call and response play out for me?
What are the storms in my life? Are they starting to brew, winding down, or in full force? What storms have I survived in the past? What have I learned about the presence of the Lord through those circumstances?
Like Peter, I am invited to be a part of the miracle of discipleship. How do I characterize my own discipleship? How do I invite others to also participate?

Resources:

1- Ancient Israel, Alter, Robert. WW Norton & Co, New York, 2013.
2- The New Testament: Fortress Commentary on the Bible. Editors: Aymer, Kittredge, Sanchez. Fortress Press, Minneapolis. 2014.

Transfiguration

DN 7:9-10, 13-14
2 PT 1:16-19
MT 17:1-9

This vision from Daniel is considered apocalyptic literature: the purpose of which was to unveil, uncover, or reveal (1). Such stories, common in the day and region, contain and reveal hidden information. Scholars have here identified the influence of Babylonian creation myth, Canaanite mythical imagery, and myths of Ugarit (1). Despite literary blending and borrowing, ancient Judaic revelations intended to convey news of Lord God’s plan for imminent salvation from suffering experienced by His chosen people (1).

The Transfiguration of Jesus is an important revelation of Jesus as the Son of the Father. It is similar to God’s self-revelation to Moses on Mount Sinai (2); each takes place on the seventh day, occur on a mountain, each takes three companions, their faces shine with God’s glory, God is present in a ‘glory cloud,’ and God speaks through a heavenly voice.

According to biblical scholar Robert Alter, events or words which echo typically highlight new meaning through the additions or subtractions between the repeats. This telling of the Transfiguration is an example of a writer’s intentional intensification through parallelisms between the Old Testament and the New (*see note). Each event is a Lord God self-revelation; because we recognize the scene as a moment of self-revelation, we recognize that God is revealing Jesus as Himself.

The Transfiguration also harkens back to Jesus’ Baptism, however, after God the Father says, “This is my beloved Son,” He adds, “Listen to him” (3). So too, early in our faith journey, it is enough for us to recognize Jesus’ presence in our lives, but as the relationship develops, we must improve our listening habits and skills.

Israelite prophets and kings determined action based on Divine revelation through dreams, visions and their interpretations. Peter, however, claims in his letter his authority comes from the real experience of witnessing the Transfiguration (4). In other words, his self-proclaimed validation of authority is based on the revelation of an event experienced in the flesh. Neither Daniel or Peter understood the revelation at the moment of its manifestation; Daniel received help from ‘one present’ (an angel) and the events themselves after the Resurrection taught Peter their meaning.

We too have visions of the Lord. Like Daniel, sometimes we experience dreams (either in sleep or day-dreams) but don’t understand what the Lord is communicating; we need to ask for help. He is present in our physical, waking world as well, and like Peter, we may not see it in the moment. The word ‘vision’ not only refers to our physical, human eyesight, but to our ability to comprehend what is before our very eyes. Whether the sights we behold are of a spiritual nature or of a physical one, we can only perceive and interpret by the Grace of God. Both Peter and Daniel teach us that the understanding of the vision, what we behold before us with our eyes, is a Holy experience.

Journal Questions:

How has the Lord revealed Himself to me? Who helped me interpret and understand it?
How would I evaluate my success or failure in listening to Jesus at present?
Do I take comprehension of what I see for granted? When have I achieved understanding of what had unfolded before me some time after the fact? Why might have understanding taken time to develop?
In recounting a sleep or day dream, where was the Lord? What might He be telling me?

Resources:

1- New Interpreter’s Bible One Volume Commentary, Gaventa, Beverly Roberts, and David Petersen. Abingdon Press, Nashville, 2010.

2- The Gospel According to Saint Matthew, Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, Hahn, Scott, Curtis Mitch. Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 2010.

3- The New Testament: Fortress Commentary on the Bible. Editors: Aymer, Kittredge, Sanchez. Fortress Press, Minneapolis. 2014.

4- The Letters of James and Peter, the Daily Study Bible Series, Barclay, William. The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, 1976.

* Note: Robert Alter is a Jewish biblical scholar; the comment here about intentional intensification between the Old and New Testaments by the writers is my own perception and not his.

17th Sunday in OT, 2017

1 KGS 3:5, 7-12
ROM 8:28-30
MT 13:44-52

“Teach me what is mine to know.”

Like Solomon, we pray for wisdom, but unlike him, we confuse prayed for and patiently awaited wisdom, with instant knowledge and information available to us with a key stroke. Wisdom can only be given by the Lord, and is manifested in our whispered intuition about human characteristics, our relationship with Him, and the meaning of life. My mother used to say, “Everyone knows a little tiny bit of Truth that nobody else knows.” Let’s call that tinny little Truth Wisdom.

In Alter’s translation of the 1 Kings, Solomon is characterizing the Israelites, not as ‘vast’ but as ‘heavy’ (1). The word ‘heavy’ is a great description of many of the interactions or situations will deal with in our everyday. We find consolation for Jesus said, “My yoke is easy, and my burden light.” When we read 1 Kings:3, we learn God’s gift of wisdom to Solomon is conditional. He must follow God’s statutes and commandments: a condition he does not meet (2). Jesus says in Matthew 13:12, “For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance.” In other words, we must use Wisdom wisely before more will be bestowed.

Paul states we have been “predestined-called-justified-glorified,” echoing biblical references to the Israelites, but claiming it to be true of the New Covenant followers. For Paul ‘predestiny’ refers to the Lord’s intention for the entirety of Creation to be one with Him; in Romans 8:22, it is not just people who are groaning, but all of Creation (3). These four actions are done by the Lord, and described using the past tense. By using the past tense, Paul is suggesting with certainly and confidence the Lord has set these things in motion already, and therefore they will come to pass (4).

The parable of the buried treasure suggests developing faith and talent is a process of digging and uncovering what already exist within our heart’s and souls. Like the first, the second parable also suggests “honesty is the best policy” in legally and ethically obtaining what we recognize as valuable. Whether we stumble on buried treasure, or intentionally search for pearls, we must pay attention with an attitude of curiosity and hope. These parables teach us our priorities, activities and life-style will shift if we embrace the Gospel (3).

The scribe, an educated disciple (5) and legal expert in first-century Judaism, (6) was responsible for interpreting and teaching scripture and law. Then as now, through parables and stories, teachers connect new to old learning, experience to doctrine and information, perception to insight. Jesus implies that old understandings aren’t ignored or neglected, but built upon and adjusted as necessary. Each of us is the head of our interior household; we pull out all which is within the storeroom and spread it on a blanket in daylight. We then offer it all to the Lord for the Kingdom.

Journal Questions

Am I aware of the moments in which I’ve experienced the Lord’s presence? What Wisdom did the experiences give me? How do I respond to or express this Wisdom?
What sort of actions and words do I use daily? How would they differ if I considered myself already glorified?
What are the pearls of great price in my life? What do I or would I sacrifice to keep them?
How do I use both personal, new and old Wisdom moments as a net to haul in fishies for the Lord’s Kingdom?

References

1- Ancient Israel, Alter, Robert. W.W. Norton & Company, New York, NY. 2013.

2-The Old Testament and Apocrypha: Fortress Commentary on the Bible. Editors: Yee, Page, Coomber. Fortress Press, Minneapolis. 2014.

3-The New Testament: Fortress Commentary on the Bible. Editors: Aymer, Kittredge, Sanchez. Fortress Press, Minneapolis. 2014.

4- Galatians and Romans, Byrne, Brendan. Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota. 2010.

5-The Gospel According to Matthew, Reid, Barbara. New Collegeville Bible Commentary, Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota. 2005.

6-The Gospel of Matthew, Barclay, William. The Daily Study Bible Series, The Westminister Press, Philadephia. 1975.

Christmas 2016

Isaiah 52: 7-10, Hebrews 1:1-6, John 1:1-18

A few years ago, just after joining a nursing home activities department, we were presented with materials for “Lessons and Carols.” The gospel passages seemed altered. When I asked the presenter about it, she said, “They’re too hard for people to understand, especially the beginning of John, so I made them easier.” As I work in a ‘Catholic’ facility, our residents had heard the opening of John for eighty or ninety years, many times a year. They’ve heart-know Jesus as The Word; the concept is not difficult for them.

Prophets were considered mediators between the Lord and the people. The letter-writer suggests, however, the message of the prophets is incomplete and fragmentary (4). Similarly, the word for angel used in the letter, in both Hebrew and Greek means messenger. Jesus as the Son of the Father sits above the angels and the summation of the prophets. The writer explains the difference by stating, “Jesus is the ‘charakter’ of the Father.”

‘Charakter’ is a synonym for ‘Logos,’ (2). Logos, meaning The Word, is used by John to refer to Jesus. “Dynamic here in similar to John 1:1-18 where Jesus is celebrated as the Word of God. The fact that God is the speaker in both cases establishes God as the point of continuity between the old and the new ways of divine revelation (3).” Barclay also suggests ‘charakter’ means both a seal and the impression of the seal (4). Jesus is the Lord Himself and the promise of His presence, issued from ancient time.

In modern parlance, when we use the expression, the word, we could mean a few different things. If someone greets you by way of saying, “What’s the word,” or says, “What’s the word on the street,” the implication is long-waited for news or information that is not common knowledge. If we are struggling to express ourselves clearly we may say, “Oh, what’s that word…” We are searching for the right word, as if there’s a perfect one to capture what we mean. Despite the modern flair of these idioms, they deepen our understanding of Jesus as The Word.

In Isaiah, the sentinels are waiting to proclaim good news; The birth of the Word is indeed long-waited for, perfect Good News. The sentinels will tell the people, “The Holy City has been restored, come home.” The birth of Jesus, the beginning of the Gospel, also calls us home. Christmas restores us, each year, to our spiritual roots. Metaphorically, I may have come to ruins in the passing year, but my soul and spirit are invited to be a restored and revived.

Journal Questions:

Recall a situation in which someone simplified content in a way which distorted meaning and was unnecessary. How did you feel?
Would you describe yourself as the “seal and impression of that seal” of Jesus? What changes might you make to be so?
What within you is Christmas reviving and restoring this year?

Resources:
1- The Interpreter’s One-Volume Commentarty on the Bible. Abingdon Press, Nashville, Tennessee, 1971.
2- New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1990.
3- The New Interpreter’s Bible: One Volume Commentary. Abingdon Press, Nashville, Tennessee, 2010.
4-The Letters to the Hebrews, Barclay, William. The Daily Study Bible Series. The Westminister Press. Philadelphia, 1976.