"In my chest full of flowers, Flowering wholly and only for Him, There He remained sleeping; I cared for Him there, And the fan of the high cedars cooled Him." In Dark Night of the Soul, St. John of the Cross recalls the tenderness with which he cared for God. Clearly, he knew not only how to welcome God, but how to treat God as beloved. His experience is echoed this month in the numerous ways the faithful have welcomed and cared for the Holy One: Abraham welcomes God as guest and dialogue partner; the disciple Mary welcomes God as teacher, and Jesus teaches us to welcome God first as an enemy in need, and then as "Abba," our beloved dad. This Abba is not a remote, distant father but a devoted parent who cares for us with a mother's tenderness: "As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you...your heart shall rejoice; your bodies shall flourish like the grass" (Isaiah 66:13-14).
In a world filled with overwhelming suffering and persistent injustice, the work of discipleship can easily become life-draining instead of life-giving. Discipleship can become a burden that prevents us from recognizing the most important thing: the presence of God with us, and loving this Abba as we are first loved - with all our hearts and souls. When we, like St. John, not only welcome but cherish God's presence, whether in the stranger, enemy, or friend, we are comforted so that our hearts shall rejoice, and our work of discipleship shall flourish.
[July 4]
Spirit of Gentleness
Isaiah 66:10-14; Psalm 66:1-9; Galatians 6:(1-6), 7-16; Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
Scripture has much to say about our citizenship in the Christian community and in civil society. As Christians, we claim a tradition in which our first loyalty is solely to God, the source of life. This God has protected and liberated us, as the psalmist recalls: "Come and see what God has done.… He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot" (Psalm 66:5-6). Our God brought us from enslavement to the freedom of new citizenship in God's reign.
Paul reminds us, however, that citizenship in the Christian community, as in civil society, includes rights and responsibilities. We must assume responsibility for our actions, "For all must carry their own loads" (Galatians 6:5). More important, when another makes a mistake, we are not only to treat them with "a spirit of gentleness," but to "Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:1-2).
Christians have always struggled to reconcile the law of Christ with civic duty and have done so in different ways. St. Martin of Tours left the Roman army following his conversion to Christianity, claiming, "I am a soldier of Christ, and it is not lawful for me to fight." John Carroll, the first Catholic bishop of the United States, worked closely with Benjamin Franklin and other leaders of the nascent union to strengthen the democratic movements of both church and state: "Freedom and independence, acquired by the united efforts, and cemented with the mingled blood of Protestant and Catholic fellow-citizens, should be equally enjoyed by all…."
As citizens of heaven and Earth, we also must choose how best to live the law of love in Christian and civic communities. Both communities demand our involvement and responsible action to seek "freedom and independence" for all, and to treat others with "a spirit of gentleness."
[July 11]
The Law of Life
Deuteronomy 30:9-14; Psalm 25:1-10; Colossians 1:1-14; Luke 10:25-37
Although it's a well-known parable, the Good Samaritan still has much to teach us about the authenticity of our faith and how we live it in the world. First, Deuteronomy explains the primary purpose of the law: new life. When we turn to God with all our hearts and souls, we find life and abundance: "...the Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all your undertakings, in the fruit of your body, in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your soil" (Deuteronomy 30:9). God's law always translates to life and prosperity, not exclusion or judgment.
Jesus takes the Deuteronomic law, confirms its goodness, and adds an unexpected twist. We must not only love God and our neighbors as ourselves, but we must love our enemies as ourselves. Jesus' example of the good Samaritan was scandalous; such was the degree of hatred and bitterness between Jews and Samaritans. In addition, by using the Samaritan as the protagonist, Jesus ups the ante even more. Not only should the Samaritans be recipients of our mercy and charity, but they too can minister to us! Jesus insists that interpretation alone makes the law good - only insofar as it brings life, love, and mercy can it be considered God's will. Interpretations that prevent us from extending this grace (as it did the Levite and priest) reveal the law's misuse as an instrument of death rather than life.
As human institutions, every faith community has proven itself susceptible to using religious laws to shame, exclude, and judge others rather than to welcome them with life and abundance. Only when we, like the psalmist, confess this sinfulness can we ask for healing, so that we may practice the mercy and love of God: "Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way" (Psalm 25:8-9).
[July 18]
Welcoming God
Genesis 18:1-10; Psalm 15; Colossians 1:15-28; Luke 10:38-42
Abraham and Mary demonstrate different ways of welcoming God. Though he doesn't realize who he has invited into his tent, Abraham offers hospitality to God and two messengers. He immediately asks Sarah to use their best ingredients to make food for the visitors, slaughters a calf, and welcomes them completely. Only when the promise is uttered - "I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son" (Genesis 18:10) - does Abraham realize that God is the guest whom he has attended with open arms. The psalmist reminds us that God approaches those, like Abraham and Sarah, who "walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart; who do not slander with their tongue" (Psalm 15:2-3). Abraham was able to welcome God because his life reflected his faith in God; he was ready to welcome God as a neighbor, stranger, or friend.
In his account of Martha and Mary, Luke shows how important it is to truly be ready to receive God. Mary, like Abraham, is ready to receive Jesus. She realizes that God is before her and so places herself at his feet. Her actions are extraordinary for her time, for she assumes the position of a male disciple who is learning from the rabbi. Her sister, Martha, distracted by domestic preparations for her guest and scandalized by Mary's behavior, complains. Jesus, however, insists that Mary has chosen the better role; she has recognized God before her and stops everything to be in his presence. Gently, he explains to Martha that "you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing" (Luke 10:42). Martha's mistake was not in serving, but doing so out of resentment and obligation rather than freedom and love. Like Abraham, she could have served God joyfully. "The better part" of which Jesus speaks doesn't mean listening is better than serving, but the ability to do whatever we choose with our hearts joyfully awaiting the presence of God.
[July 25]
Holy Father
Genesis 18:20-32; Psalm 138; Colossians 2:6-15, (16-19); Luke 11:1-13
In our history of covenant, we have communicated with God in very different ways. Today, Abraham and Jesus show us two different and beautiful examples of our relationship: as a partner in dialogue and as a loving father. Both portray a God who seeks our involvement and opinion and who wants us to know how deeply we are cherished.
When God tells Abraham that the population of Sodom and Gomorrah must be destroyed, Abraham bargains for their lives and convinces God to spare the people in the event that a few righteous remain. He dialogues persuasively but respectfully; God shows Abraham the same respect by listening to his opinion and eventually changing the plan.
In Luke's gospel, Jesus teaches the disciples a different way of communicating with God. His prayer presents God as Father, a detail that theologian Richard Rohr finds significant, for the male image of God "is the area where we need the most healing and the most faith: to see that the masculine side of God is also love and love-for-you." In addition, the word Jesus uses is more akin to "daddy" than "father"; Jesus invites us to know God as a close, loving, and involved father who loves us deeply. This image of God contrasts with Jesus' next saying, "Holy is your name." For Rohr, holiness means otherness, that which is beyond us and truly incomprehensible. God is as close as a father and yet so incomprehensible that not even the most beautiful and familiar image of God as daddy can describe how deeply God loves and cares for us. God is truly the Holy One, who is at once a partner in dialogue, who respects and listens to our opinions, complaints, and prayers, and the loving father who seeks to know us as his beloved children.
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