writing – Page 8 – Writing to Pray

18th Sunday 2016

Ecc 1:2, 2:21-23; Col 3:1-5, 9-11; Luke 12:13-21

At first the Book of Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes) seems to express a weary, pessimistic, disillusioned perspective on man’s limitations in comparison to the Almighty’s wisdom and will (1, 2, 3). In English, ‘vain’ and ‘vanity’ connote both fruitlessness, meaninglessness, and futility, as well as selfish pride. To be vain (proud, self-absorbed, concerned with outward appearances) is vain (fruitless). Just as ‘fruitlessness’ is the self-absorbed expectation that our actions and thoughts need to produce fruit.

The author states that he is Solomon, however, “The language of the book precludes this as well as the fact that the royal posture disappears after…Chapter 2 and the author speaks as one without power to correct oppression (1).” Attributing authorship to Solomon is a literary convention which attempts to establish the book as belonging to the wisdom tradition (2). The status as such would fight against its own authorship and creation being produced ‘in vain’ by a ‘nobody.’ The author of the book expresses the opinion, “All is vanity,” yet may be judged as not whole-heartedly accepting it.

Qoheleth means ‘to assemble.’ “This probably designates one who has some relationship with an assembly or congregation or one who assembles wisdom teaching (1).” Other resources identify him as a teacher in higher education (3). Hebrew ‘hebel’ translated as ‘vanity,’ “literally means breath or vapor and designates what is transient and lacking in substance” (1). Qoheleth warns against excessive labor and toil being in vain while the gospel warn us against possession as vanity. We often toil for the power and prestige that accompanies such wealth. We stock-pile and hoard possessions and money, time and talent, and reputation and status for either a rainy day or a drought to ensure our survival.

Many authors, Matthew in particular, aim to portray Jesus as the fulfillment of the prophetic writings in the Old Testament. Through the gospels, however, Jesus seems to answer the questions and quandaries posed in the Wisdom Books as well. His life, words, miracles answers Job as well as Qoheleth. The gospel passage follows many of the conventions of wisdom literature, in topic and structure. Qoheleth speaks about the cycles of nature, but Jesus extends these ideas by talking about the cycles of nature which man fosters through the harvesting and storing of grain.

Through His teachings and Passion, Jesus tells Qoheleth and ourselves, “You are to toil and use possessions to aid you in knowing and loving the Lord, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and love your neighbor as yourself.” This does not simply prepare us for the “afterlife,” but accepts Heaven and the presence of the Lord as here and now. Nothing to this aim is in vain, and all toil and possessions should be used primarily for this purpose.

Resources
1- New Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1990.
2- The New Interpreter’s One Volume Commentary on the Bible, Abingdon Press, Nashville, 2010.
3- Collegeville Bible Commentary, Order of St. Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota, 1992.

Journal Questions
How do the two meanings of the word ‘vain’ and ‘vanity’ play together for you?

What do you toil for? Do you feel any of your efforts are in vain? Is there anything in your life you want to change in this regard?

What do you possess and what are your attitudes about your possessions? Do you feel they are apt in light of these passages?

17th Sunday 2016

Genesis 18:20-32, Colossians 2:12-14, Luke 11:1-13

Abraham argues with his friend, the Lord, over the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah (Bill Barry, SJ). They banter back and forth with a game of “what if.” Abraham acknowledges with due deference his friend’s superiority and almightness, but he persists. Beyond simple persistent, he is confident that his friend, the Lord, won’t really mind the presumptive nature of his continued challenges.

The parable about the persistent friend is also meant to encourage us to be tenacious when asking the Lord for what we need. Abraham isn’t troubling the Lord over his own worries, but approaches the Lord with a situation that involves the survival of others. In the parable the knocking friend isn’t rousing his sleeping friend because he himself is hungry, but because he needs help to do right by another. The friendship doesn’t motivate the sleeping man, however, the situation wouldn’t have occurred if they weren’t friends in the first place.

The first reading, and this piece of the gospel remind us that the Lord is our friend and if we are a nudge he’ll roll with it. A picture of Lord as Benefactor, Master, Provider is also painted. We are confident that our needs and confidence in His care and attention will indeed move Him to meet those needs. He knows that we know that He wants to take care of us and our knowledge of this matters to Him. Our need for the Lord as Provider doesn’t negate the friendship but rather deepens it. It gives each of us great pleasure to help a friend in need, to be there for her, to know we’ve made a difference for good. Perhaps the Lord also enjoys helping us out of a jam.

Jesus was the first to define God as Father, (Catechism of the Catholic Church). This may seem obvious, for He is and was the Father’s own Son. His Son-ship brings us into the family. Paul tells us, we are children by adoption, through Christ our Lord. We take for granted the relationship we have with God as Father, which are taught as children. However, we can only have a specific relationship with God as Father through the Son. Abraham shows us that all can be a friend of God’s, but only those who claim Christ as the Lord’s own Son, can claim Son-ship.

Jesus’ revelation to us about the character of our Father culminates with the last parable in the passage. Jesus begins by saying, “Our Father is the best of all possible father’s and will not give you something inferior to what you’ve ask for.” Note, He doesn’t say, “If you ask for a fish, Father will give you a fish.” He says, “If you ask for a fish, Father will give you the Holy Spirit.” Some find fault with the Lord because He doesn’t just give them what they want. What we think we want isn’t necessarily what we need. The Lord Father knows that regardless of any specific circumstances attending our earthly existence, we need the Holy Spirit. To be more precise, because Jesus is telling us that the Father will give us the Holy Spirit we are in truth being offered the Trinity, Three in One. It is the best gift of all and the only one we actually need.

Journal Questions:

How does God fulfill His role as a father, friend, provider in your life?
How has the Holy Spirit manifested Himself to you?
How do the Holy Spirit, Son and Father work together in your life? Does ‘each’ have a distinct role in your life? How do you characterize each?

16th Sunday 2016

Genesis 18:1-10a; Colossians 1:24-28; Luke 10:38-42

Abraham is not just fussing because he’s a doddering old man. It was desert custom to offer hospitality to strangers; these men were certainly vulnerable as they were traveling at mid-day, in the height of desert sun. Abraham is old and resting in the shade of his tent; a sensible thing to do. However, soon he’s suddenly running around heaping generosity on top of itself to celebrate the presence of these three men. Abraham has made personal sacrifices and his spontaneous behavior exceeds custom. It’s a “a banquet befitting a king” (1).

As women did not eat with men, Sarah was not present. A guest could not be denied for anything they asked for, and while rude, “This [could] include taking his pleasure with the wife of the host” (1). While she was old, it would have occurred to Abraham and Sarah that this was a possibility. Their request for her seems a play because the exchange does relate to conception of a son; it’s the news of such.

This story follows the conventions of common folk tales; strangers arrive, are treated with excessive generosity, the guests are revealed as divine and then reward the generosity of their hosts with some sort of favor. The Lord previously promised Abraham the favor of “descents as numerous as the stars” and is here told of its fulfillment.

While this passage seems clear, when we read on we become uncertain as to whether or not one of the three strangers is the Lord Himself. “(T)he fluidity of actors in the scene is a narrative means of describing both the nearness and the mysterious elusiveness Of God” (2). According to Jewish custom, the numeral ‘3’ is important, representing the ‘harmony of opposites.’ “Three is the number of truth” (Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David). The harmony that the three visitors bring, whether or not one of them was the Lord, may be between mankind and the Lord, or between the promise of descents and the practical impossibility of such.

In this story of Abraham, Sarah and the visitors the dialogue is limited. Abraham asks effusive questions to serve them better and one later asks for and speaks of Sarah. This is unusual as the drama which moves biblical narrative is internal and relayed through dialogue (3). Once Abraham’s internal drama of desire to accommodate the strangers is resolved, we hear only the answer to the man’s question. Abraham is not experiencing inner conflict and is at peace. Meanwhile, as evidenced by the conversation with the Lord, Martha is clearly experiencing internal turmoil. Martha could’ve learned from Abraham the joy and honor of welcoming and preparing such a feast for a holy person, instead she’s resentful and petty.

Abraham indicates how we are to treat those we are invited to listen to. In a manner of speaking, Abraham shows us the beginning of such a holy interaction, while Mary shows us the middle of such an interaction. If we believe in eternal life and persevere in prayer, the end of such Holy Listening to and with the Lord never occurs.

References:

1- The Collegeville Bible Commentary, Old Testament. The Order of St. Benedict, Inc., Collegeville, 1992.
2- New Jerome Bible Commentary. Prentice-Hall Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1990.
3- The Art of Biblical Narrative, Alter, Robert. Basic Books, New York, 2011.

Reflection Questions:

How do I react or respond to unexpected strangers? Is there anything I want to change on that score?
Sometimes we fall into rote prayer and miss the Lord’s spontaneity. We also don’t always hear Him. How do I go about listening to Him, or recognizing His presence? Do I want to make any changes?

15th Sunday 2016

Deuteronomy 30:10-14; Colossians 1:15-20; Luke 10:25-37

Despite the scholar’s intention to trap Jesus, we learn from him to dig deeper. The Son reminds us to love the Father whole-heartedly. Following that we are to love our neighbor. But this man asks the next question. Who’s our neighbor? Jesus gives a clear example of helping those we encounter. Our efforts to help others are often prompted by immediate need and we see instant, positive results. We cannot allow people’s pain, suffering and need to be invisible or fall on deaf ears.

However, that only addresses one aspect of loving our neighbor. The Good Samaritan didn’t just bring him to the inn though, he returned. This was not a simple, random act of kindness. Because he made provisions and intended to return, he made a commitment. He didn’t say, “It’s someone else’s turn, I did my bit.” Our Good Samaritan was not texting, worrying about his next Facebook post or having a beer with co-workers. Whatever was on his mind didn’t distract him from paying attention to others.

But we can go further than observing and addressing needs right before us. Unlike Jesus’ day, because of technology, we are aware of the needs and suffering of people beyond our immediate vicinity. The wounds of the world seem to be getting deeper and rawer. There is so much to do that triaging becomes necessary. Where should we focus our energies? Where to start?

The first reading has the answer. “For this command that I enjoin on you today is not too mysterious and remote for you…No, it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out” (Dt 5:12, 14).

Maybe we think about equal opportunity and fair employment practice, are concerned with the plight of a specific ethnic group or immigration issues. Perhaps we dwell on care for the sick, elderly and dying, or think about the homeless and hungry. More than just gifts and talents, we’ve been given insights and interests. If we objectively study our motivations, attitudes and preoccupations, we get a sense of our internal world’s panoramic landscape. When these thoughts pop up repeatedly and we find a sense of urgency and insistence in our hearts, we know we’ve been called and invited in a special and specific way.

If we notice the happenstance, accidents, unexpected surprises, experiences which hit us “out of the blue,” we can often see a message or suggestion of action we may have missed. Loving our neighbors as ourselves requires us to sacrifice something; the Good Samaritan gave up his time and money; and made a longer term commitment. Such sacrifice is countercultural.

Reflection Questions

Is there anyone who I’ve made a commitment to whom I should reach out to at present?
What preoccupations, interests and issues are on my mind and in my heart on a regular basis?
What might I be invited and called to sacrifice in service of others?

14th Sunday 2016

Isaiah 66:10-14; Galatians 6:14-18; Luke 10:1-12, 17-20

While this passage from Isaiah offers consolation and comfort, the Lord’s people clearly suffered pain and grief caused by war, exile and political upheaval. However, the Lord gives life abundantly and promises a new prosperity. The last verset of the passage in full reads, “The Lord’s power shall be known to his servants, but to his enemies, his wrath.”

A piece of the consolation that the Lord offers to Jerusalem includes vindication. This seems a bit counter-human-intuitive, as we generally associate love and comfort with peace and live-let-live attitudes. While vindication was important for the Jewish people on the verge of returning to Jerusalem from exile, this sense of vindication is reframed by Jesus in the gospel.

The Lord invites us to gather those waiting and wanting to be ‘harvested.’ This mission and vision is the ‘and then what’ to God’s love, mercy and comfort. “The harvest is plenty” is a statement inspiring enthusiasm, hope and urgency. There must have been an air of excitement and high energy. The disciples return exhilarated and joyous because all they were able to do in Jesus’ name.

He doesn’t admonish them for expressing satisfaction and pleasure at their accomplishment, but does caution against self-satisfaction and pride. “Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” He is advocating rejoicing; it is appropriate to be over-the-moon happy when we’ve succeeded at sharing Jesus.

This gospel continues Jesus’ theme of tolerance. He tells the disciples to accept rejection and move forward, to offer peace to those they encounter. When He tells them not to greet anyone, it is not due to a lack of respect, but greetings tended to be elaborate and time-consuming. The proclamation of the Kingdom is urgent; we can’t allow ourselves to be distracted (1).

While they failed to expel demons in Luke 9:40, they succeed in the exorcisms at this time, on this journey to Jerusalem for the Passion. Jesus has affirmed and confirmed the rightness of this mission, this mission of the Early Church, by sharing His vision of the fall of Satan. As Jesus sees all things, He knows of the hardships in store for both himself and the disciples, yet, He shares a vision of triumph. By imparting this vision, Jesus is focusing on the role of the disciples in the success of their mutual vision and mission. In this way He is revealing and prophesying about the success of the Early Church; these are some of the first moments of “Early Church.”

Mercy, tolerance and forgiving don’t seem to be in line with enemies and vindication. However, our enemies are those who distract or discourage us from proclaiming the Kingdom and we have already been vindicated through Christ’s Passion. “Behold, I have given you the power to ‘tread upon serpents’ and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you.” Like Isaiah, Jesus is suggesting that safety and vindication occur as a couple. However, they do so only through the Passion.

References
The Gospel of Luke, William Barclay, 2001

Reflection Questions

Recount a time when you succeeded in bringing someone to the Lord, and/or Church. Did you celebrate in any way? Include your thoughts and feelings in regards to the balance between joy over the accomplishment and humility.
Describe a situation when you felt a sense of urgency in doing a specific task related to proclaiming the Lord’s Kingdom.
Recall a time when you were vindicated through your own efforts. Following that, recall a time when you were vindicated by the Lord. How were the two experiences different, how similar?