New Passionist JPIC Website and Blogs, Last post on this Blog

This will be the last Post on the old Passion for Justice Blog.

The Passionist office of Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation has a new website:

Passionist JPIC Site

The Passionist JPIC website will have the advocacy issues, resources on Passionist spirituality, and campaigns and services by the JPIC Office. The Lectionary Reflection Blogs and Passion for Justice Blogs will now be housed in this site. The latest Passion for Justice Blog is on the Passionist ministry with Food for the Poor: http://www.passionistjpic.org/2009/10/food-for-the-poor/

The url for the Passion for Justice Blog is: http://www.passionistjpic.org/news/passion/

The latest Lectionary Reflection Post is on the 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time: http://www.passionistjpic.org/2009/10/30th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-b-cycle/

The url for the Lectionary Reflection Blog is: http://www.passionistjpic.org/news/lectionary/

The blogs will be added to facebook, twitter and LinkedIn. Please visit these network pages if you have an account with them.

Thank you for having followed this blog in the past, I look forward to hearing from you in the new Blog and website.

Peace – John

30 Sunday of Ordinary Time (last lectionary reflection from this blog)

Members of the lectionary reflection blog posts,

This will be last lectionary reflection posted on this blog.  A final post will be offered announcing our new Passionist JPIC website and both the lectionary relection and passion for juistice blogs will be housed under that site. The new lectionary reflection blog site will be: 

http://www.passionistjpic.org/news/lectionary/

I will also be updating this on twitter, facebook and linked in so please look out for these changes in those social networks. Thank you for following this blog site, I look forward to hearing from you on the new site.

Peace,

Readings:

• Jeremiah 31: 7-9. Jeremiah announces the return of the northern tribes, exiled in their pitiable condition by the Assyrians.
• Hebrew 5: 1-6. Priests should deal patiently with erring sinners for they themselves are beset by weakness and must make sin offerings for themselves.
• Mark 10:2-16. Jesus cures the blind man Bartimaeus, declaring “Your faith has healed you.”

Thoughts for your consideration: By John Gonzalez

The readings this week call us to be humble and compassionate. In the first reading Jeremiah is reminding Israel that the Northern tribes will eventually return. God’s people have been humbled after the Assyrian exile of the northern tribes of Israel and Jeremiah prophesizes that in the end the God of mercy will “bring them back from the land of the north.” Jeremiah goes on to describe the great compassion that God will have for his exiled people. Famed Passionist scripture scholar Fr. Carroll Stuhlmueller’s suggests that this prophesy is specifically informing the southern tribes of Judah that the northern tribes of Ephraim will return since the Assyrian empire is collapsing at the hands of the Babylonians. But what happens historically is the northern tribes of Israel never returned and they are lost to history.

The old Kingdom of Israel in not restored in its original form. The Jewish people have two choices; they can either dismiss their faith in God altogether, or they can allow themselves to be open to a new way of understanding God’s promise to them. Perhaps God desire to “gather them from the ends of the world with the blind and the lame in their midst” meant something greater than the return of the Northern tribe. Here is where the Gospel reading comes in. Now, through Jesus Christ, Jeremiah’s prophesy can be fulfilled. The compassion that Jesus has on Bartimaeus is reflective of God’s compassion to the lost tribes of Israel.

With humility comes compassion. The message in the second reading is that if we are truly humble then we will be aware of our own limitations and weaknesses. When we do that then we can appreciate the weaknesses and limitations of others. That is when we will be serving our own human community in a way that is compassionate and pastoral versus indifferent and judgmental.   

Humility is a valuable virtue that seems lost in our own society. Opinionated pundits are governing our own way of life and the message seems to be that nothing else should matter, not even the truth, outside of your own opinion. Facts and data are only useful insofar as they can back up your opinion. Principles and morality are also generally irrelevant unless they are the basis for your own opinion. It is fed to us by the media where the opinionated pundits are taking over all forms of journalism. But then it is played out in social networks and blogs. Now it is finding its way in social places like café’s and bars. There is no respect for dialogue and any kind of objective approach. This does not only hold true for politics but also for aspects of the faith. It does not matter what theologians, bishops or popes say or think. So long it fits our own opinion and it represents our own self interest then it may have some value. I have heard this type of public talk for some time now, especially with regards to immigration and the environment. Because there is no humility there is no compassion. Those of us who charge in with our own opinions are indifferent to the opinions and experiences of the other. Our own self-interest becomes our only good. Self-interest is not a value of our faith. We must humble ourselves before our God and before each other so that we can be open to God presence and wisdom within each one of us.

If we don’t learn to be humble make no mistake God will humble us, After all, He’s done it before.

29 Sunday In Ordinary Time

Readings:

Is 53:10-11. Through his sufferings my servant shall justify man, and their guilt he shall bear.

Heb 4:14-16. We confidently approach the throne of God’s grace where Jesus has entered — Jesus who is able to sympathize with our weakness, as he was tempted in every way that we are, without sinning.

Mk 10:35-45. Anyone who aspires to greatness must serve the rest; whoever wants to rank first must serve the needs of all.

Thoughts for your consideration: by Hugo Esparza, CP

With what kind of attitude do I approach my work for justice? This has continually been in my mind as I have embarked on learning the art and science of grassroots organizing. The process of community organizing in this economy has turned out to be really hard. There have been moments where I have prefer to have a car run over me than ask a struggling worker for funds or for volunteering time when he/she could be out looking for work or resting. Also, when I’ve had to demand a pro-bono case from our overworked lawyer allies. At times I have excluded people that I presume will not be able to say yes to one of the needs of the organization.

…a prominent position demands careful exercise of authority.

In today’s reading the community of disciples are at it again. Their feeble characters have encountered a very strong response by Jesus. This response, as always, pushes all of us believers to deeper understanding of ourselves. The event led by James and John reminds us that we lose absolutely nothing by asking something of others. And Jesus’ response to the demand of his friends invites us to reconsider the use of our own authority.

…just as the rulers of the Gentiles…by denying these “needy people” their own power to turn me down or to accept my proposition.

James and John’s naiveté, as implied by Jesus’ questions to them, or their outright selfishness, as manifested by the indignation of “the ten”, only got them a “no” and some grief from their friends. Despite Jesus’ answer they could have attained prominent places, one at the right and the other at the left, when Jesus had entered into his Glory. This tells me that while I have been taught to always make demands of our allies that will further our relationship and collaboration, the example of James and John invites me never to miss an opportunity to do this, in spite of my misgivings. At the same time, Jesus’ response invites his friends to go deeper into themselves, for a prominent position demands careful exercise of authority.

… is all about making and keeping relationships that are approached by just and dignifying dynamics of power.

Grassroots Organizing is all about making and keeping relationships that are approached by just and dignifying dynamics of power. This is the mantra that has been repeated to me over and over by my Grassroots-organizing Gurus. My gut reaction, however, has always been to shy away from demanding money, time, etc. from people I consider vulnerable or in need. Jesus’ words in this passage have helped me to reconsider. It seems that I have also “lorded over them”, just as the rulers of the Gentiles, by denying these “needy people” their own power to turn me down or to accept my proposition. Perhaps, cunningly, I found a rationale to excuse the use of domination in these relationships. Despite my own naiveté and feeble character, I can always count on Jesus to help me go deeper in the attitudes that I use to approach the work of justice.

Questions for Reflection in your Faith Sharing Group:

Where do you see people competing to dominate and control others?
Or Where do you see people in our world trying to be “servants” to all?
What person or persons in your life has been a powerful example of someone who gives herself (himself) in service to others?

28 Sunday of Ordinary Time

Readings:

• Wisdom 7:7-11. I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me and in her company all good things.
• Hebrew 4:12-13. God’s word is sharper than any two-edged sword. It judges the heart. Nothing is concealed. For everything we must render an account.
• Mark 10:17-30. One thing more you must do. Go and sell what you have and give to the poor. Whatever we have given up to follow Jesus, will return to us a hundred more in this life, plus persecution, and in the age to come, everlasting life.

Thoughts for your consideration: By John Gonzalez

God’s gift of Wisdom is at the heart of this week’s lectionary readings. We understand that Grace happens when God freely bestows his gifts upon us. Catholic tradition tells us that there are seven gifts of the Holy Spirit that aid us in our struggle to follow Christ and redeem our humanity: broken by sin and the great temptations of self-indulgence. We require these gifts of God in order to achieve our ultimate purpose and calling which is to be one with God and all of creation. This week’s readings will help us comprehend the prominent role of the gift of Wisdom in the midst of this struggle.

This first reading reminds us of the great value placed on Wisdom by Solomon. If you had one wish in the world what would you wish for? According to this reading the answer would have to be Wisdom. The goodness that comes from Wisdom is not measurable by common social standards. The only appropriate way to consider the value of this gift is if you accept that under the guidance of Wisdom the ultimate sense of goodness flows from it. But having said this we must ask ourselves, “What is goodness”?

In our Christian spirituality and ethics, goodness is not defined as something that is self-gratifying or that simply produces our own personal happiness. Goodness is better understood under what Catholic social teaching calls, “the common good.” Mystics like St. Paul of the Cross would use the term, “the Divine Good” to describe the same concept. Good is a subjective term. What is good for me may not be good for another. So the concept of Divine or Common Good denotes another form of goodness that is not subjective. We would consider this to be a Goodness that is universal or an ultimate form of goodness from which everything that happens to ourselves and all humanity and indeed all creation can have the deepest meaning. So that even in our suffering people like St. Paul of the Cross can say that even in our suffering we may be serving the “Divine Will that can will only the greatest good.”

The Gospel account has a rich young man approach Jesus in pursuit of this greater good. Jesus offers him the Ten Commandments, but the young man has made it that far and now he wants to take the plunge into ultimate goodness no doubt believing that he is ready for the challenge. What Jesus does when he tells him to give all his belongings to the poor is to humble him into realizing the mystical challenge that is the common good. To serve God and the great good that comes from God is to be at the service of all creation, thus “many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” For our part we must intentionally make that choice, to constantly see ourselves in relationship to God and to be at the service of all. As we can tell from the Gospel passage this radical call to goodness unnerves even the Apostles who begin to wonder if there is any hope in achieving this relationship with God. At that point Jesus will remind them that “for mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.” So on our own we cannot hope to achieve this greater good. That is why we must have the grace of God’s wisdom to help guide us in this journey.  

This may be unnerving and quite daunting but the second reading reminds us of how powerful and ever present the wisdom of God is. By faith we are told to accept that ultimately all things will be held accountable to the Divine Will. So we must not be afraid to ask for this great gift and to humble ourselves by allowing ourselves to be forged by this gift from God.

It is worth mentioning that just preceding this second reading, if we read the rest of Chapter 4 from this letter, we are told about the context from which God’s Divine Will is offered to us. The context is within the solitude of God’s rest. Sometimes, especially in our culture, we feel that we are beyond this ultimate wisdom. God does not seem to be speaking to us anymore. According to this chapter God is ever present and ever alive in our world, but we need to make time to first hear God’s wisdom in order to actually comprehend it. Solitude has been a prominent Christian value. For that reason the Passionists and other Catholic religious communities have upheld the importance for Christians to have an opportunity to engage in retreats periodically and to have spiritual direction in order to spend some intentional time in developing one’s relationship towards God. Many Catholic Religious communities have retreat centers that offer a variety of spiritual themes including silent retreats specifically designed to give each person the opportunity to hear God’s voice. Consider this spiritual option from our tradition as you reflect on the lectionary readings and contemplate how God’s wisdom is speaking to you.       

Questions for your Reflection:

• Place yourself in the position of the rich young man. Consider your own hopes and expectations of your faith and imagine that Jesus is asking you to stretch those expectations further. How would you respond to call by God that makes you uncomfortable?
• How do you understand the “Common Good?” Take a moment to reflect on the concept of goodness from the perspective of the other. Consider something good for someone you know and love that may make demands on you. Now consider the good for people on the other side of the world that may make demands on your own society. How does this make you feel?       
• What is your experience of spiritual exercises like Retreats or Spiritual Direction? Have you ever taken advantage of these services that our Church and the Religious community have to offer? If you would like to visit resources on these services visit either www.passionist.org if you live in the western part of the United States or www.thepassionists.org if you live in the eastern part to find these resources close to you.

27 Sunday of Ordinary Time

Readings:

• Genesis 2:18-24. The creation of man and woman, their vocation to become two in one flesh and to be suitable partners for each other.
• Hebrew 2:9-11. Jesus is perfected through suffering and tastes death for all. So, he is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.
• Mark 10:2-16. Jesus prohibits divorce and remarriage and compares the kingdom of God to those who are like little children.

Thoughts for your consideration: By John Gonzalez

As we consider this week’s reading we are invited to reflect on the concept of relationship. In many ways the heart of the Gospel message is relationship: the relationship between Jesus and the Father, the relationship between God and humanity, the relationship between us and the rest of humanity. This week we are reminded of the most intimate level of this dynamic through the image of husband and wife. In the Gospel Jesus protects this radical moment of relationship where two “become one flesh,” a relationship we understand as marriage.

When people generally consider this aspect of relationship it is usually envisioned with weddings, a united and happy family, a man and wife happily aging together. Marriage evokes attitudes of happiness and joy. It is usually affiliated with the concept of love. As one reads the first reading or the Gospel passage all these images, attitudes and values will probably surface. And yet, in the second reading a very different image of suffering is sandwiched between the other two readings. This is not an accidental insert.

The Christian spirituality of the cross always reminds us that the deepest level of relationship is often born out of the fire of self sacrifice. To love God, to love your neighbor as yourself, to love your spouse and your family these are all powerful moments of relationship, but ultimately they call us to sacrifice our own selfish passions for the good of others. Christian mystics like St. Paul of the Cross have understood this within the concept they called the Mystical Union. Jesus’ mission is to cement the damaged relationship between God and humanity through the ultimate self sacrificing covenant when he suffered and died for our sake. Like Jesus we are called into a deep and meaningful relationship with God the Father and all humanity. But also like Jesus we are called to sacrifice ourselves to lift up our own brothers and sisters.

In comprehending this Mystical Union it is important for us to place His Passion within the context of society. To be in an intimate relationship with the Father meant to be at the service of all humanity. This uncompromising lifestyle was not consistent with the social structures of the Roman era and I will argue that it is not consistent with the social structures of our day. Society did to Jesus then as it did to the prophets before him and as it continues to do the saints of our own day. But as God vindicated Jesus within the social “culture of death” God continues to vindicate those of us who live to sacrifice ourselves for the common good. And thus the second reading tells us that “Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters.”    

Marriage and family is the foundational unit of our society. In the eyes of our church society is build around this unit. This is the principle unit within which we are called to live a life of self sacrifice. In marriage we have the opportunity to express a form of this mystical union that we are called to have with God. Like marriage, mystical union is ultimately where one can and does experience happiness and joy. The mystics like St. Theresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, Mother Theresa and St. Paul of the Cross found their ultimate enlightenment by pursuing the Divine Will. But in pursuing this Divine Will they slowly had to shed away their own personal will, their own ideals and goals, their own wants and needs, all this was sacrificed for the ultimate good. Within our own family dynamic we experience this mystical moment. Many times we face moments where we have to sacrifice our own wants and desires. Once children are on the scene this mystical moment becomes elevated. But as the family grows together there will be moments when the ultimate meaning of one’s own purpose becomes clearly understood within the context of this family.

Our own experience within this unit should help inform us of our personal relationship with God. Our own relationship with God may not be as tangible as marriage. But if we allow ourselves to be sacrificed in faith (keeping in mind the great sacrifice that Jesus made for us, in faith) then we will begin to find the same great and powerful meaning that the mystics found. In faith we must learn to soften our own passions, expectation, and ideals for what we want from our own society. We must learn to sacrifice this on the altar of the Divine Will and receive from God’s own concept of what is Good and Just.

Questions for your Reflection:

• What set of attitudes and expectation do we have as we consider our own marriage or community unit? Are these attitudes self serving or are they serving the family dynamic?   
• How can we come to understand the image of Christ suffering for us within our own role within our own family or community? How can we understand this image in our own role within society?
• Take the time to evaluate your own social values and ideals. How are these values formed and whom do they serve? Do they promote your own good in the midst of the social reality, or do they promote a good that is other than your own?

Twenty-Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Readings:
Numbers 11:25-29 . Moses is pleased that the spirit of prophecy is shared with those not immediately present in the first ordination of elders. He reprimands his jealous aid Joshua.
James 5:1-6 . Hard words against the wealthy who abused their workers and withheld wages.
Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48 . Rejoice in everyone who expels demons or works miracles in Jesus’ name, even if “not of our company.” Scandal and bad leadership will be severely punished. We must adamantly cut away whatever stands in the way of the Kingdom of God.

Thoughts for your consideration: by Hugo Esparza, CP

In this Sunday’s readings both Moses and Jesus praise the radical freedom of God to bestow gifts on those who do not enter into the community’s prescribed standards. Both Jesus and Moses are quick to give us a lesson on how to bring together the gifts of the Spirit and unify them, rather than to seek greater divisions and exclusion.

Moses invites us to think bigger as he replies to Joshua’s order to put an end to the rebellion against authority that was going on by Eldad’s and Medad’s prophesying outside the tent: “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets! Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!”

Jesus, on the other hand, gives us a difficult image about the appropriate response  to the abuse of authority, particularly as it refers to the inability to accept others’ giftedness by rejecting them as outsiders: “Better to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye, or one foot or one hand, than with both eyes, feet and hands to be thrown into Gehena”.

These harsh and illuminating words need to echo in the hearts and minds of those working for justice, peace and right-relationship with the environment. The need is so great that we must find out where our mission and gifts intersect with those of others who are seeking the same end. We can no longer seek attempt to find or implement solutions by ourselves by playing lone-rangers.

Rather, our institutions need to be bold and creative as we approach these coming years, in our country and abroad. They will be full of economic instability, which may progress to social tension and thus repression of different groups of people, especially the poor that are forced to migrate. Let us then cut-off or pluck-out the numbness that keeps us from perceiving the Giftedness of God granted to those that may not fit our prescribed standards. Let us seek unity by sharing our resources and talents as we continue prophesying and driving out the demons of racism, poverty, pollution and exclusion that continue to haunt our communities.

XXV Sunday of Ordinary Time

Readings:

• Wis. 2:12, 17-20. The just person, characterized by gentleness and patience, is tested, persecuted and even killed by the self-confident wicked.
• James 3:16-4:3. Jealousy and strife beget inconstancy, conflicts and vile behavior. Wisdom is innocent, peaceable, impartial and sincere.
• Mark 9:30-37. Jesus’ announcement of his passion and death leaves the disciples speechless. In the meanwhile they argue who was the most important among themselves. Jesus’ reply: whoever welcomes a child for my sake, welcomes me.

Thoughts for your consideration: By Fr. Sebastian MacDonald, CP

There is a saying to the effect that, should a butterfly flap its wings in one part of the world, there will be repercussions of that infinitesimally small action elsewhere in the world.  This assertion is based on the principle that everything is connected, so that nothing happens in isolation.

There are concerns of Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation (JPIC) associated with this assertion.  And today’s biblical readings lend themselves to an illustration of this principle, and this example.

For instance, the gospel depicts Jesus in a teaching mode regarding His disciples.  Having just warned them about what lay ahead for Him (sufferings, death and Resurrection) He discovers, surely to His chagrin, that there was absolutely no linkage whatsoever between His remark and the disciples’ receptive capacity, as they focused on their advancement in His company.  So He decided to do some linkage of His own, advocating a sense of  lowliness on their part, by esteeming the value of an insignificant child whom He embraces, for  achieving status with Him and His Father by their doing likewise.  He suggests an interconnection here between their external behavior and an interior mindset.

St. James, likewise, focuses on relationships in the behavior patterns of his correspondents.  He notes the foul practices and disorders erupting in their midst, escalating into wars and conflicts.  In his opinion, they derive from within: their passions, their ambitions, and their jealousy.  Like Jesus before him, he appeals to a matter of the heart (the wisdom of prayer) as a solution for these external troubles.

The author of the book of Wisdom gives his own witness to the interconnections prevailing between the inner and the outer phases of our lives, by posing the case of a just person who criticizes others for their transgressions and violations of their training, thereby rousing their anger.  So they decide to try his/her gentleness and patience by violations and torture, to see whether such a one’s interior trust in God will suffice to sustain abuse from without.

Each of these scenarios is an instance of a butterfly flapping its wings, impacting another phase of life.  Such was the case when Jesus embraced a child so as to change the disciples’ conduct; and when James proposed to his correspondents that they secure a bit of wisdom so as to improve the way they acted; and when the Wise Man praised the example of the just person’s patient, trusting relationship with God before the persecution undergone for upholding righteousness.

There are JPIC issues at stake here: interpersonal rivalries threatening comradeship, disorders escalating into wars and conflicts, social disruptions deserving criticism.  None of these exist in isolated fashion, separated from the rest of life.  They emerge out of ambition, passion, and hatred.  They too resemble the flapping of a butterfly’s wings, but instead of initiating values of harmony, peace and order residing within they are initiating a negative set of values which will also have powerful repercussions. What we do here and how we behave in the moment is crucial. Immediate actions and attitudes may seem insignificant but whether we realize it or not, they are impacting our internal mindset and external surroundings.

Questions for your Reflection:

• What set of values dictate our behavior and attitude toward ourselves, each other and the world? Can we name these values? How do we maintain consistency in applying these values?
• None of us can claim to be impervious to negative attitudes. Prayer, solitude, meditation and retreats are organized ways to process these moments. How do we integrate these methods to specifically address our own negative attitudes? Should we consider promoting these methods within our own family and local community?  

XXIV Sunday of Ordinary Time

Readings:

• Isaiah 50:5-9 – The servant is not ashamed, even though smeared with spittle; the servant teaches others by first being obedient to the Lord.
• James 2:14-18 – Faith that does nothing in practice is thoroughly lifeless.
• Mark 8:27-35 – After Peter confesses Jesus to be the Messiah, Jesus teaches the disciples the necessity to deny their very selves, take up the cross and follow in Jesus’ footsteps.

 Thoughts for your consideration: by John Gonzalez

This week Isaiah and Mark will invite us to understand the image of Jesus as the suffering servant of God.  In both of these readings we are told about an apparent contradiction. Isaiah discussed the advent of one who serves God and who is empowered and gifted by God. Jesus, in discussion with his disciples, places himself and his deeds in the context of being the Messiah (the anointed one). This of course would tend to signify a person of great significance and power, certainly we get a sense that Jesus’ disciples think so and why not, how else shall we conceptualize the anointed one of God. And yet in both these reading Isaiah and Mark tell us that this significant figure will have to undergo great suffering, horrible treatment and an inglorious death. This is nothing less than a social contradiction.

After Peter identifies Jesus’ messianic identity he and the other disciples are shocked to learn about the horrific fate that awaits Jesus. This is all too much for Peter who goes on to rebuke Jesus and who in turn gets rebuked by Jesus for “setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” This reminds us of last week’s readings where we were invited to be healed by Christ from the limitations of our own social conditioning. Peter and the disciples expect the Messiah to vindicate and save Israel from its own corruption as well as its external oppression. They logically should expect that Jesus will have a glorious role to play as the long awaited Messiah. But here they are instructed to set their minds on divine things. This perspective is to understand the role of the Messiah as a socially tragic figure whose vindication is the reward of eternal life in communion with God the Father. This is the Kingdom that will await the disciples of Jesus, but for them to earn this they too must “take up their cross and follow me.”

We should take some time to marvel at what Peter and the disciples are witnessing here. As baptized members of this apostolic community we also should place ourselves in their footsteps as we consider these divine things. We should take some time to imagine that Jesus is also correcting us in considering our own social obligations as we consider what it means to take up our own cross and follow Him. As we consider the social dilemma that Peter and the apostles faced consider also their own state of shock and anxiety after the passion and death of Jesus. We are told that they were afraid and that they hid themselves in locked rooms. This has to be considered normal. They followed a great teacher and healer who they understood was the Son of God and this man was legitimately crucified by the social structures of the day. What we should marvel at is the historical fact that these disciples witnessed something amazing and supernatural. They witnessed something that gave them the strength and motivation to publically live an alternative lifestyle. The historical proof of the resurrection of Christ is not necessarily based in Sacred Scripture. Instead it is based on the amazing historical fact that a religious movement was born and grew from the most socially unlikely foundation: A healing teacher who was convicted and crucified as a criminal. The only way we can truly explain this is by trying to comprehend what these early disciples witnessed and experienced after the death of Jesus.  

This Kingdom of God may be of divine origin, but the purpose of Jesus was to bring the Kingdom of God here to Earth. This now becomes part of our own mandate in following Christ. In the second reading James reminds us that we are not allowed to spiritualize this message or to preach an other-wordly message. Jesus’ sacrifice came from the fact that he would not compromise the Kingdom of God to any socio-political system; he lived it obediently no matter what the cost. We are told to live out this Kingdom by being doers of justice, promoters of peace, and responsible stewards of God’s creation. While Matthew 25 offers a wonder image of social responsibility through the image of the last judgment this no-nonsense passage from James captures the message very succinctly and worthy of repetition here:

If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

I will not say more with regards to this passage, least I spiritualize the obvious.

XXIII Sunday of Ordinary Time

Readings:

• Isaiah 35:4-7 – God comes to open our blind eyes, to clear our deaf ears, to strengthen our lame legs, to turn the thirsting ground into springs of water.
• James 2:1-5 – Your faith must not allow favoritism. Did not God choose those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith?
• Mark 7:31-37 – Jesus has done everything well! He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak

Thoughts for your consideration: By John Gonzalez

This week’s readings invite us to embrace our limitations. The power of Jesus and the prophesy of Isaiah are not measured by social, political or economic dominance. Instead we are told that the Kingdom of God is manifested when the wounded members of the human community are made whole through the power of God. Through God the blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dumb will speak. For us to truly appreciate the meaning behind these two readings we need to move away from literal interpretation and ask, “Who is the blind person?” The 9^th Chapter (verse 39) of the Gospel of John will help us with the spiritual significance of these readings:

Then Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind.” Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not also blind, are we?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains.

We humans are all limited. While we may see and hear we are limited by what we see and hear from the narrow perspective of our experience. This experience may cause us to place faith on our own political ideologies or financial abilities. Others will base their own perspective from their national or tribal allegiance while some may identify more with a certain social class. In this sense we all suffer from some kind of social blindness. None of us can claim to see or comprehend the Kingdom of God. If we choose to open ourselves to ways of God and Christ then we must first humble ourselves in accepting our own limitations. However we must also be open to the fact that this perspective is going to challenge us to serve all of God’s creation instead of ourselves. St. Paul of the Cross used the term “the greater good” in his spiritual writings to help us make the distinction between the self serving good that we tend to desire and the true but challenging good that comes from God.

How beautiful it is to suffer with Jesus… let us use every endeavor to seek holy perfection, humility, obedience, and, above all, a continual resignation to the Divine Good Pleasure. You think what is happening is opposed to your good; to the contrary, you should know these are designed by your loving Spouse for your greater good.   

Only in accepting the will of God and in serving God’s creation can we truly be made whole. Symbolically the blind and deaf were made whole by accepting the grace and power of God to preach the Good news in words and in deeds. All of us who suffer from some form of blindness need to humble ourselves to the Divine Will from which we can gain the true sight where we can begin to comprehend the greater good that serves God and all of creation.

The second reading from James reminds us of our social blindness. Social favoritism is as much an issue in today’s day and age as it was for the early Christian community. How many times do we not equate a favorable attitude to those who wield some form of social power and status while dismissing the panhandlers and beggars who confront us? I continue to be guilty of this social sin. The point is not to wallow in our own guilt but to reflect on this social reality and as much as we can we need to adjust our own personal attitudes and social positions to consider the wounded human community that have just as much God given dignity as we all have. It is for this reason that Catholic social teaching has raised the principle known as the “Preferential Option for the Poor.” The poor are a constant reminder to us that the greater good of society is not being met. We must prioritize the good of our own family and local community for which we have been given responsibility for. But we must never allow ourselves to be blind to the reality of the poor and marginalized in our midst.

These social lenses may challenge us to our very core, but as the readings remind us, this is where God comes in.

XXI Sunday of Ordinary Time

Readings:
Joshua 24:1-2, 15-17
Ephesians 5:21-32
John 6:60-69

Thoughts for your Consideration: by John Gonzalez
In this Sunday’s readings we are invited to be renewed and recommitted to our faith community. The first reading offers us an historical glimpse of the evolution of our faith. The people with Joshua are now aware of the new situation they find themselves in. They have reached a new stage in their development where they are no longer wandering migrants but are now stable and responsible for a land that has been given to them. It was God who chose them and brought them here, but at this point they need to declare their own commitment to God and the faith of their fathers. This becomes the basis of their covenant, a social contract where two parties freely commit responsibility and faithfulness to each other. Joshua tells them that this covenant, should they freely choose to make it, will be difficult and challenging to keep. The historical development of this community will be a testament to this difficulty and we will witness the ups and downs of this covenant relationship.

We understand Jesus to be the new covenant that God is now forming not just to a certain community but to the whole of humanity. Throughout his ministry Jesus invites many to participate and to be disciples of his teachings. Furthermore Jesus is offering the people a deeper relationship with God the Father and the amazing miracles and healings demonstrate the power of this relationship. But now, as in Joshua, Jesus explains the challenging nature of this commitment. Like any good contract negotiation it is important for both parties to be completely aware of the details of this commitment that they are engaging in. Throughout the last couple of weeks we have heard from the 6th chapter of John’s Gospel where Jesus is explaining this commitment to the “Bread of Life,” it is a glorious commitment to share in eternal life, but it also demands faith and belief in what is unknown and almost unacceptable.

In a sense what we are witnessing, through Jesus, is the relationship of faith evolving. The commitment that Jesus is offering his disciples is recommitment to the faith of their fathers. And yet the faith that Jesus if offering here sounds somewhat strange to them. Last week we heard his audience ask, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” But faith is evolving here and changing. Of course change is difficult. We are fortunate to have the vantage point of where we are in history. We can now understand that faith in God is now beyond any tribal borders and is indeed universal. This was clarified through the work of St. Paul and the early Christian community.

But we can only imagine the bewilderment of the people who heard this invitation. We should marvel at the stance of Peter and the remaining disciples. To recommit to a relationship when that relationship is definitely changing is to take a leap of faith into the unknown. Our faith continues to evolve in our present day. Our current situation is in the midst of great change and we must again renew our own faith tradition in light of what is happening to our society. What is God calling us to do? We must accept that this tradition will be consistent with that faith that Moses and Joshua had in God and with the faith that Jesus offered the disciples. But because our own situation has changed this faith will look different for us. One “sign of the times” that many of us are exploring is the question of our relationship towards creation. We are becoming well aware of the deep interconnection between what we do and how our environment reacts. Is it possible that our faith is growing towards a relationship not just with the global human community (which is still in need of development) but also with the larger ecological world? How shall we respond to this?

Paul’s use of the image of husband and wife is an excellent analogy for me to understand my own response to this evolving faith. The first covenant of our marriage was wonderful and in many ways simple, but the marriage developed and changed. Many aspects of our own relationship had to change when my daughter was born. That change was even greater after my son was born. I had wanted to go back to the covenant and expectations that we had originally made. It was my wife however who kept me in check with the fact that things have drastically changed and that if we were to continue in relationship we would have to accept a new dynamic in how we were to relate. This took me awhile but I began to see more clearly the truth of this matter. Our relationship had changed and if we were to choose to stay together then we had to renew our commitment based on the new dynamics that were part of our life. I remember taking a leap of faith and letting go with so much of my own expectation and desire. I also remember how years later I was able to again fully appreciate this renewal. Paul tells us that our relationship with God is quite similar. We do not live in a static unchanging environment. As God gets ready to change the dynamics of our relationship we will again be called to renew this relationship.