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Daily Scripture

+ 7th Week of Easter

We are to be consecrated in truth.

Readings: Acts 20:28-38 Psalm 88:29-30, 33-36 John 17:11b-19

Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they may also be consecrated in truth. [John 17:18-19]

Read the Gospel very slowly and if possible, out loud and if necessary, three times! Although John’s literary style is quite complex, the farewell prayer of Jesus is as powerful as is Paul’s farewell message in Acts.

It is not likely that these passages are the actual words of Paul and Jesus. They are compositions that Luke and John or whoever wrote in their name and are based on the oral tradition of the sayings of Jesus and the preaching of Paul. They were written in the style of farewell addresses of prominent leaders of their times in order to win the attention of early believers to whom the message of truth was entrusted.

The ‘truth’ that is being proclaimed is not from a catechism nor is it a defined doctrine or dogma. It is the core truth about the God who spoke through the prophets and then through Jesus about the universality of God’s love.

During this time of immediate preparation for Pentecost, we are invited to think about our own responsibility to pass on the ‘truth’ of God’s goodness entrusted to us in Christ and how we are to live that truth in our daily lives, each in our own unique way. No one of us can do this alone and so we much join hands literally and figuratively within the community of believers everywhere.

To live the ‘truth’ is to live in the Spirit of Jesus Christ the fruits of which are charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, moderation, self-control, reverence, etc. I’m sure you memorized these ‘fruits of the Holy Spirit.’

These are the true ‘marks’ of our authenticity as believers.

Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time 'A'

Saturday November 5, 2011

Keep your lamps burning

Because I am a bit of a romanticist, I prefer a happy ending to a novel or a documentary. I read with the hope that somehow divine intervention will change a sad outcome before I get to the last chapter.

This is no less true whenever I read gospel parables such as that of the five wise and five foolish versions. As with the outcome of the parable of the wedding feast to which everyone was invited but from which the man without the wedding garment was cast out, I resist the rejection of the five foolish maidens and the man without the wedding garment. I still wonder why an all-loving God in this case would not suspend the law of justice for the sake of mercy and let all of them in. In seems out of sync with the parable of the laborer who came at the last hour and received equal pay. Yes, I’m being biblically and theologically simplistic. Justice and mercy meet in the heart of God – justice preceding mercy but sometimes mercy precedes justice.

The core of the parable is about connecting our agenda with God’s agenda. Step three of the Twelve Steps in A.A. puts it this way: we “made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood him.”

In the face of human foolishness and our will to power, it’s our innate tendency to make life happen on our own terms rather than on God’s.

In a recent edition of his earlier book, “Breathing Under Water, the Spirituality of the Twelve Steps,” Richard Rohr elaborates on how difficult it is to surrender to God. It is so contrary to the way of the world. We are taught from our earliest years that we can achieve whatever we desire as long as we put our mind and heart and will toward that achievement sacrificing everything. Politicians speak of the American Dream as if it were the kingdom of God.

“Any foundational handing over of our will to power is previous and prior to any belief system whatsoever. In fact, I would say what makes so much religion so innocuous, ineffective, and even unexciting is that there has seldom been a concrete ‘decision to turn our lives over to the care of God.’ Even in many people whogo to church, temple, or mosque.” (Chapter Three, – Sweet Surrender p 20]

“But Jesus made it step one, you might say: ‘If anyone wants to follow me, let him renounce himself [or herself]. (Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23; Matthew 15:4), Have we ever really heard that? It is clear in all of the Gospels: ‘Renouncing the self!” What could Jesus possibly mean or intend by such absolute and irresponsible language? Is this what Buddhists are trying to do in meditation? Of course.” [Ibid. p 21]

Renouncing oneself is not a putdown but an honest recognition that we are not in charge.

We recognize God as our higher power, the great mystery, the ground of our being. Through Jesus we have come to know the grace and power of God in human form. He is the way, the truth and the life; in him we live and move and have our whole being. If we live in Christ, we can’t help but conform our agenda to God’s agenda.

It’s interesting that the word “salvation” comes from the Latin word for health or healthy living. The word “salt” is also rooted in the same word. To live holistically is to live freely in the Kingdom of God that Jesus said is within us. Salvation is not the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It is a gift that is given to us in the here and now as we stive to live in grace. Eternal life is a transition form one form of life to another.

During November our attention is drawn to reflections about theend times and the second coming of Christ but the parable is about being alert to Christ’s coming every day not just at the end of time.

The Book of Wisdom defines God’s life as wisdom. God’s wisdom is translated by the feminine word, “Sophia.” Nothing is more important than our life in God.

“Seek wisdom; she knows the past, she forecasts the future; … she knows how to turn maxims and solve riddles; she has foreknowledge of signs and wonders,… she teaches temperance, prudence, justice and fortitude; nothing is life is more serviceable to humanity than these.”

St. Paul was writing to a people concerned about the wellbeing of all who died before Christ’s second coming. In rather dramatic metaphoric language, Paul tells them not to worry. We have no advantage over them or they over us. We will all be reunited in God whenever Christ comes again. If we live in grace, we are already in communion with those who went before us and will remain in communion with all who come after us and will be ready for any eventuality now and our final passage.

We were empowered by God in Baptism and given the capacity to live more fully. “I have come that you may have life and have it in greater abundance.”

We have only to keep our lamps burning like the five “wise” maidens who saw the connection between the invitation and their preparedness.