writing – Page 4 – Writing to Pray

4th Sunday-Advent

Is 7:10-14; Rom 1:1-7; Mt 1:18-24

I almost feel sorry for Ahaz. Like Ahaz, I need to occasionally decide whose advice to follow. Isaiah and the Lord suggest that he wait out the political turmoil involving other nations of the region. His advisors suggest, however, protect his nation by aligning himself with the most powerful nation of the region. Its a difficult decision to make because much is at stake, but Ahaz opts for security by whatever means possible (1).

In the passage prior to this one, the Lord commands Ahaz to ask Him for a sign but Ahaz resists. Perhaps because he doesn’t want to follow Isaiah’s advice, he doesn’t want proof it’s the wise course of action. “The pun in verse 9 may be rendered, ‘If you are not firm in faith you will not be firm (1).’” Ahaz is not firm in faith, and indeed his decision leads to their defeat (1). Following Isaiah’s advice would have required Ahaz to trust God, but instead he chose to take his chances with a foreign political power. He may not have trusted the foreign power, yet felt even less secure in the Lord’s hands.

Romans 1:1-7 calls us to be holy. The word Paul uses to express “obedience of faith” harkens back to the idea of Shema Prayer (Deuteronomy 6:4-9): the word combines the meanings of listen and obey. While the bible repeatedly exhorts readers and listeners not to sin and to repent when having done so, we tend to think of sin as the negative or hurtful things we’ve done, or things we’ve left undone that have caused harm through their absence. However, the idea and call to be holy is the expectation and hope that we are actively attempting to do good. If we pray, which is an activity of listening and obeying, we find not only can we resist temptations and not do harm, but that we are lead to actions which bring about good.

The opening of Paul’s letter “echoes of the primitive kerygma (2).” Saint John Paul II describes the Gospel kerygma as, “The initial ardent proclamation by which a person is one day overwhelmed and brought to the decision to entrust himself to Jesus Christ by faith…” (Catechesi Tradendae, 25, 1979). The notion of kerygma reminds us not to assume because we live in a society which proports to be “Christian-value based” people know the Gospel. While it is good to remember Jesus’ commandment to love God and neighbor, it is simply good advice and not good news if we don’t believe in His resurrection and Second Coming. To Paul this kerygma, the gospel that he’s driven to preach, includes educating others to both the human and divine nature of Jesus. “It is not simply his divine nature, but rather the transcendent, dynamic source of holiness and his glorified state and virtue of which he vivifies human beings (2).”

In the gospel passage, Joseph’s dream angel does not offer him validating platitudes, or feel good affirmations about being an important person in history. Instead, the dream angel briefly tells Joseph he’s doing the right thing. The focus of the angel’s words, however, land on the role Jesus will play in salvation history. The angel speaks to Joseph but about Jesus.

Just as Paul’s words compel me to action, Ahaz’ desire to be right also echoes in me. He didn’t want a sign to inspire his trust in the Lord but a sign which communicated if he relied on self-serving and untrustworthy allies the Lord would make it turn out well. I want to hear kind words from the Lord about a unique talent, skill or insight He’s given me to proficiently and powerfully engage in kerygma evangelization. Like Ahaz I want to be the protagonist of the story. But Joseph’s dream and Ahaz’ failure reminds me I’m not the central character in this story. The message of Paul’s kerygma and the Christmas story, Jesus’ simultaneous humanity and divinity (and how that fact is played out through the death and resurrection) is vital, not my success or failure to express it. I need only to try.

Journal Questions:

How are you like Ahaz, Paul, and Joseph? What do you have in common with each?
Recall a time when you followed bad advice, and ignored good advice.
Reflect on a dream you’ve had which you believe was given by God.
How do you spread the Gospel?

Resources:

1- The Interpreter’s One-Volume Commentary on the Bible. Abingdon Press, Nashville, Tennessee, 1971.
2- New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1990.

3rd Sunday-Advent

Is 35:1-6a, 10; Jas 5:7-10; Mt 11:2-11

While the words of the prophets are timeless, they are spoken from a specific time, crafted in a specific political context to address a specific issue. Prophets were imbedded in the political structure of the day, advising kings on approaches to diplomacy and military strategies. Many of the political and military situations of the ancient Israelites’ history come from other rulers’ desire to prove to the Israelites that their Lord God was either not all-powerful or did not care about them. Foriegn rulers wanted to prevail against the Lord God’s people in order to defeat the Lord God himself. This Isaian prophecy is ultimately reassurance of God’s intervention (1) in the face of what appears to be abandonment, a vital role of the ancient prophets.

The Letter from James reminds us to be patient, not solely about outrageous injustices, but in the ordinary trials of life (2). He suggests we turn to the prophets for an example of “intelligent patience” (3). One explanation of a prophet’s work is to, “tell of what would happen in the future, based on what has happened in the past, if the present doesn’t change.” Prophets would then exhort the people to make the changes necessary in the present so that that future they foretold wouldn’t come to pass. Often their words were heeded and history changed course.

In mentioning the prophets, James is reminding us that no less is expected of us than was expected of the prophets. The role of the prophets included a) reassuring people and rulers of God’s intervention and care, b) exhorting behavioral changes, c) exposing the threat of not changing and the promises fulfilled if these changes are made, and d) speaking for God. John was such a prophet because of his message of repetence, his pattern of threat and promise echoes, and his reassurances that “One greater than He was coming.” Jesus also refers to John as a prophet.

“John stood on the threshold of the new age (v 13), honored above all who belong to the old order, though not as blessed as the least who participate in the new (v. 11) (3).” John was the greatest to humans but the least in the kingdom because he has not witnessed the cross (4). He is a bit like Moses in that he leads the people to the promise, yet doesn’t see it fulfilled in his own time. John is the last of the prophets because with the coming of the Messiah, the role of the traditional prophet was no longer necessary.

Because of the promise of the Second Coming, we cannot possibly imagine or predict of future, eternal life with the Lord. Repenting and making changes is always apropos, because of the gospel the threat-promise dichotomy has shifted. The cross is that promise, and the threat comes from ignoring the cross. We need no reassurance of that the Living Lord will intervene on our behalf, because He already has.

It is written in Amos 3:7, “Surely the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants, the prophets.” However, we are all such servants, and such prophets, in a manner of speaking, because He’s revealed His son to us. We do not need prophets to serve as “mouthpieces” for God, as we have directly experienced “The Word.” Advent gives us a window to discern what we will do this firsthand experience of God’s presence in our lives, with the promise of the cross, with the Word that can transform or reform our lives. How will we allow The Word to change us in the year ahead?

Journal Questions:

Would I consider myself a modern prophet? How is this role different and similar to that of the ancient prophets? (Consider the four points mentioned in paragraph 3).
How has the Lord fulfilled past promises to me of intervention?
While we all have changes in mind for our own lives, these aren’t always the same as the Holy Spirit’s plan. How will I allow The Word to change me in the year ahead?

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 Gospel of Luke, Barclay, William. The New Daily Study Bible. Westminister John Knox Press. Louisville, Kentucky, 2001.

2nd Sunday-Advent

Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-9; Matthew 3:1-12

My non-Catholic friends seem to think we take sin a bit too seriously- that Catholic guilt. People of other Christian denominations certainly acknowledge and repent for their sins, however, it’s an internal process, conducted in the solitude of the head. Confession and commitment to repetence, when externalized through a conversation with another person, becomes an occasion as opposed to a thought. Thoughts come and go, but events, because they can easily be recalled, reflected upon and learned from, carry a lasting effect. As occasions, confession, repentance and the Lord’s forgiveness can be celebrated.

“The work of Jesus is not to be understood apart from that of John the Baptist. Scripture itself— foreseeing in advance of the appearance of the Lord, a voice preparing his way— requires the linkage (1).” John the Baptist was necessary to fulfill the prophesies related to Jesus, but he was also the first recognized and acknowledged Jewish prophet in 400 years (2). The role of a prophet was essential to the history of the Jewish people and their relationship with the Lord. John said, “Turn away from sin, and turn towards God,” as the prophets had said of old and repetitively, however, they had not heard this for quite some time.

Sometimes we don’t know that we are missing something we used to have or do until it resurfaces. Then it is its fulfillment and existence which has shown us its absence; the celebration of its return is triple-fold. Celebration 1—We have found or refound something lost; celebration 2—we’ve found or refound something that was profoundly necessary; celebration 3—the something that was absent is now present. The role and presence of John the Baptist after the four hundred year absence of prophetic voices, as well as his actual message, must have been a cause for celebration.

While repentance is a great message, at times we are doing “okay” and may need no radical transformations. However, a ‘metonoia,’ a change of heart, may sometimes mean a change in the size of things. As we rebalance the doing, praying, contemplation, the “God-talk,” we evaluate the degree to which our external deeds and words match our internal commitment and belief of the Gospel. According to Barclay, the rabbis said, “Great is repentance for it brings healing upon the world.”

If I think about the Lord frequently but never talk about Him to others, there’s a disconnect; if I think and talk to others about real world stuff, such as money worries, but don’t mention them to God, there’s a disconnect. These sorts of disconnects create an internal and external sense of conflict, while such repentance brings about wholeness, balance and peace. We may not desperately need to repent for our own sake, (although in my experience it always seems necessary), it brings about a better world.

And luckily, the Lord doesn’t charge a reconnect fee!

Journal Questions

When have I recognized an absence of something or someone that had been important to me, until he, she or it returned. In what way was the refinding a triple-fold celebration?
Upon reflecting on the level of repentence needed in my life right now, do I need major renovations, or a subtle and intricate retooling and rebalancing?
When do my internal committments to Christ connect with my words and deeds; when do they disconnect? What might be the causes of the disconnections. How can I reconnect? How can I retain that connection once reestablished?

Resources
1- The New Interpreter’s Bible: One Volume Commentary. Abingdon Press, Nashville, Tennessee, 2010.
2- The Gospel of Matthew, Barclay, William. The Daily Study Bible Series. The Westminister Press. Philadelphia, 1977.

1st Sunday- Advent

Isaiah 2:1-5; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:37-44

Each of three readings pose a double message of warning and promise. Jerusalem is strategically important as it’s the capital of the Southern kingdom and the locale where Solomon built the temple for the Arc of the Lord (1). Suggesting it become the center of the world’s supernatural life is to advocate the Lord’s centrality to all people. “The Israelites are not told to go out to convert the nations but to attract them by their worship on Zion. In the ideal world of the future all nations will come together to the central city of Jerusalem (2).” In other words, not only Jews, but all people will “pilgrimage” to Zion, where they will live in peace with one another. Because of the language used in the Hebrew, it is also clear that the goal of the pilgrimage is to seek instruction (3).

There seems to be a turning point in the attitudes and motivations of the ancient Jewish people. In the passages focused on the beginnings of their story as a people, Lord God righteously vindicates the Jewish people, leading many a nation and people to the slaughter. However, later in their history comes suggestions of and longings for a time of peace. We, in our own lives may notice such a shift, from wanting to be right, to wanting peace. Peace is inclusive. We and the ancient Israelites, desire to inspire, encourage and draw others into an era of internal peace, not simply a situation absent of external conflict.

The language in the letter is reminiscent of the baptismal language, and indeed our baptism has prepared us and rooted our physical life’s journey in the Lord. Our baptism into the Church has initiated us into a pilgrimage in which Zion is a metaphor for eternal life with the Lord. The second reading and gospel exhort us to wait with patience, to be vigilant. While we generally talk about Advent as a time of preparation, we blur it with our panic to prepare for Christmas within a secular context. Being ready is different from getting ready, being prepared is different from preparing. Our baptism is our “getting ready.” We are already into our pilgrimage; Advent is a time to pause, refill our water bottles, check our supplies, take some happy snaps.

The gospel passage this week includes the parable of the women at the grinding wheel, one taken and one left behind. The general point is to be vigilant and watchful, expectant and observant. I’ve always heard that the passage suggests it is desirable to be the one taken. However, one commentary suggested that it is preferable to be left behind, not taken, as those in the flood in Noah’s day were taken (4). While I am doubtful of this interpretation, it gives pause for thought. What do I believe about the finite conclusion of humanity on Judgment Day?

In general, nobody wants to be taken or left behind. However, with our baptism we began the pilgrimage; we will not be taken from our earthly roots, or left attached to them, as we’ve already begun the process of separation. On Judgement Day, whether we conceive it as a cosmic, end-of-the-world event, or our own private and personal passing on, the Lord will finish drawing us away from earthly ties, and rooting us in His love in Heaven.

Journal Questions

Have I shifted from a desire to be righteously vindicated to a desire to draw others in a state of respectful and companionable peace? Reflect on such a moment or event in your own life, trying to capture the “before and after” attitudes and motivations.
Is global peace possible in my life time? What’s required for such to happen? What stands in the way? What can I do to draw other’s into a state of peace?
How is getting ready for Christmas different from evaluating my state of preparedness for Judgment Day and the Second Coming? Where do I see the similarities and differences?

References
1- The Interpreter’s One-Volume Commentarty on the Bible. Abingdon Press, Nashville, Tennessee, 1971.
2- The New Interpreter’s Bible: One Volume Commentary. Abingdon Press, Nashville, Tennessee, 2010.
3- New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1990.
4- The Gospel of Matthew; Ignatius Bible Study. Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 2010.

King of the Universe

2 Samuel 5:1-3; Col 1:12-20; Luke 23:35-43

In this passage, the elders of Israel have invited David, who is the king of Judah to be their king, thus uniting the two kingdoms of Israel under one ruler. There are three steps to the kinging of David; a) the elders gather, b) agree to holdup the covenant, and c) anoint him king over a united Israel; a process of both negotiation and ceremony. (5) They claim David “bone and flesh,” a condition of kingship that’s required to prevent foreign rule as outlined in Deuteronomy 17 (1). They also acknowledge his military might and remind him of the divine promise: he rule over Judah and Israel

In reference to Jesus’ Passion ‘transferring’ or ‘bringing us over’ into the Lord’s Kingdom, Paul uses Greek word methistemi (4).This word refers to the tradition of the conquerer transporting conquered people, lock, stock and barrel, into his own land. This is exemplified in the Babylonian and Syrian captivities, when the ancient Jewish people were removed from their own lands and exiled into the land of their conquerers. It was this situation that the Israelites were hoping to avoid by inviting David to be their king.

In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he uses the word eikon, translated as image and refers to Christ representation and manifestation of an invisible God. The word a) reminds us that God says in Genesis that He has made man in His image, b) is translated to indicate that Wisdom is the visible manifestation of God, c) is used by Philo in reference to “Logos of God,” the Word, Jesus. In addition, at the time of the Early Church, eikons referred to a description of distinguishing characteristics of those involved in legal agreements, so to avoid identity fraud (4). While all of these layers are in play, we are clearly invited to imitate the model, the image.

Through His death Jesus issues a different judgment and sentence; the wrongly judged becomes the Righteous Judge. One job of a king is to render judgement. Jesus typically offers forgiveness simultaneously to rending judgment. Jesus forgives the penitent thief his sins, but asks God to forgive the ignorance of those who kill Him. “They know not what they do.”

We typically have only partial stories and a smattering of details at best, knowing little of the contexts and backgrounds of what we observe or witness. This is what a king does-responses to others with mercy by offering forgiveness for intentional sin, and unintentional ignorance. While we all need such a King, not everyone knows this King. Because we are the image, the likeness, if we imitate this King they will want ask us to reveal Who we are imitating.

Journal Questions:

Which situations in my life could I identify as a methistemi? To what else, besides the faith, have I been “brought into?”
How do I imitate Christ? When do I fall short? Who else do I imitate? How does imitating this person connect to imitating Christ?
While we know forgiveness and compassion is desired, when have I forgiven intentional sin? When have I forgiven other’s ignorance? Are there conclusions I can draw by the similarities in these two different sorts of experiences?

References:
1- The Collegeville Bible Commentary: Old Testament. Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota, 1992.
4- The Letters to the Philippians, Colossians and Thessalonians, Barclay, William. The Daily Study Bible Series. The Westminister Press. Philadelphia, 1975.
5- The Interpreter’s One-Volume Commentarty on the Bible. Abingdon Press, Nashville, Tennessee, 1971.