Weekly Reflections

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17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 26, 2020

Gospel: Matthew 13:44–52

Theme: Are you committed to the Kingdom of God?

Gospel: Matthew 13:44–52

Theme: Are you committed to the Kingdom of God?

Matthew 13:44–52

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away. Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

“Do you understand all these things?” They answered, “Yes.” And he replied, “Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.”

Music Meditations

Companions for the Journey

The discussion on the first two parables in this section are adapted from a sermon called “Salvation is free but it is not cheap” by Hugh David:

In these parables Jesus was using illustrations from everyday life that everyone could understand because He spoke about landowners, farmers, gardeners, bakers, people who found treasure, jewelers, fishermen, shepherds, students and so much more. It was almost like He was looking at the crowd in front of Him and showing everyone how each and every one of them needed to be saved.

So, let’s begin with the parable of the treasure which tells us that “the kingdom of heaven is like someone finding buried treasure in a field.”

And the very idea of finding buried treasure reminds me of the quote, that says,: “Lord, give me the strength to change the things I can, the grace to accept the things I cannot, and a great big bag of money.” After all, everyone likes the idea of finding buried treasure.

And the people who Jesus was talking to had probably known or heard about someone who had found some. You see, there were no banks or credit unions back then and the land of Israel had been a battle field for a long time and everyone wanted somewhere safe to keep their money, gold, jewelry, non-perishable food, clothing and even some extra pieces of furniture. They wanted to make sure that if the enemy soldiers came; they didn’t take everything they had. So, somewhere in the back of their property or even under their house they dug a hole and they buried everything they considered valuable.And then there were several deportations to Babylon and Assyria and many of those who had been deported were hoping they’d have and enjoy the things they buried when they came back but many of them died in captivity and then others came along and found their treasures by accident. We don’t know if he was just walking through or maybe he was doing some farm work but it says he found it and then he hid it where he found it. Now, we might think, why didn’t he just keep it? But the rabbinical law said, “If a man finds scattered fruit or money, it belongs to the finder.” But, the law also stated that anything that was found by a worker on someone else’s land belonged to the owner of the land but since it was obvious that the treasure didn’t belong to the present owner; because if it did, then he would have dug it up before he sold the property. So, the only way the finder of the treasure could claim it; was to buy the land. And the scripture says; he sold everything he had and bought the field. You see, everything in life that he had accumulated was insignificant compared to the value of this treasure. So, he doesn’t give it a second thought but gave everything he had to get more than he could ever wish for.

Jesus said that the man who finds this treasure “for joy over it goes and sells all that he has.” Listen, he doesn’t do this reluctantly but he does it with joy. He doesn’t regret it or complain about the sacrifice he has to make. As a matter of fact, he doesn’t even consider it to be a sacrifice. He gives everything he’s got because he knows he’s going to get so much more in return.

And then in the second parable we have a situation that’s similar but it’s also different.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” This man was a business man who happened to trade in pearls and he would buy things wholesale and then sell them to a retailer and make a profit. Pearls were seen back then the way we view diamonds today and it was common for men in this business to look for high-quality pearls for themselves. There was a good reason pearls were so expensive because finding them involved incredible danger. The best quality pearls come from oysters that live at an average depth of 40 feet. So, a pearl isn’t something you just stumble across as you’re walking along the beach. In Biblical times pearls were obtained at great cost in human life and there were many who died while pearl hunting. A pearl diver would tie a large rock to his body and jump over the side of a boat and allow the weight of the rock to carry him down the forty feet to the oyster beds. He risked danger from sharks, moray eels and other creatures in order to scour the mud below for oysters and only one oyster in a thousand contains a pearl. And while he’s holding his breath he hopes he won’t drown. So, you can understand why pearls were so valuable. By the first century pearls had become such a status symbol that people would save them like we do cash.

The pearl is an especially appropriate figure for the kingdom because it’s the only gem that cannot be improved by man. All other jewels must be cut and polished by skilled craftsmen before they have any retail value but the pearl is perfect when it is found and it cannot be improved by cutting or polishing.

So, the scripture says, one day this man was making his rounds probably visiting the various pearl divers or those they worked for; when he discovered a pearl that he knew was very valuable. And then he went and sold everything he owned and bought it. This guy knew value when he saw it. He had spent his life looking for pearls; buying, selling, trading and probably even had his personal savings tied up in pearls but when he saw what he considered to be the ultimate pearl he cashed in everything he had to make the ultimate investment.

So, we have two men from two different backgrounds who sell everything they own to get everything they’ve always wanted.

And there are lessons from both of these accounts.

Both of them sacrificed everything they had in order to have something that was absolutely above anything they could possibly wish for. The first man finds his treasure by accident while the second finds his after searching his whole life. The scripture gives us examples of both. In John 4 we have a woman who meets Jesus at a well. She didn’t go there looking for salvation but went there for water like she did every other day but when she met Jesus, the scripture says, she left her water pot and went to tell everyone she knew about Jesus.

And then in John chapter 9 we have a blind beggar who was sitting by the side of the road just hoping that someone who was going by would give him a handout and then when he heard Jesus was going by he called out and was both healed and saved. He got more than he ever dreamed of asking for. The woman at the well and the blind beggar weren’t looking for anything when they found everything worth finding.

And then the second parable shows us a man whose business was searching for the very thing he found. He was in the market for pearls and he was looking everywhere he could but couldn’t find the right one but one day he made the ultimate find. And this is like someone who tries everything they can to fulfill a void in their life and they do their best in education, sports, business and power of every kind but have no success and then one day they hear the gospel and give their lives to Jesus and they recognize that this is what they’ve been searching for their entire life. They find in Him the answer to the deepest longings of their heart and everything else becomes secondary.

In the first parable we have someone who isn’t even looking for treasure when he stumbles upon it and in the second we have someone who has spent his entire life searching for the perfect pearl that he ultimately finds.

And some of us were just doing our own thing and going our own way when God stopped us in our tracks. We weren’t looking for Him but He was looking for us; while others have had a spiritual longing and have spent their lives pursuing God and then one day they discovered their personal faith in Christ and found exactly what they were looking for.

Listen, it says this treasure was “hidden” and maybe many people walked by it every day, but they didn’t know it was there. And the kingdom of God is like that, the message has been preached on television, on radio, in churches and almost everyone has an iPhone or a computer that has the Bible; but they’re oblivious to it. So, both found of these men found what they wanted and realizing the value of what they had found, they gave up everything they had in order to have it.

Listen, no matter if we find Him when we aren’t even looking or as the result of a lifelong search both of these illustrate how we can all take different paths to the same Savior. Both of these parables teach us that the kingdom is made personal by a transaction or a trade because both teach us man has to give everything he has to receive something of infinite value. And when we surrender all we have and all we are we receive Jesus The kingdom of heaven isn’t about us giving up something great but it’s a great deal. We’re trading death for life. We’re giving temporary trinkets for eternal riches. We’re trading bondage for freedom. We’re trading shame for joy. We’re trading rejection for acceptance. We’re trading our fear and emptiness for a love that never disappoints.

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today's session…

Every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today's reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

  • What would I consider a pearl of great price—something for which I am ready to give up everything I have to acquire it? Is it fame? Fortune? Love of another? God? (if it IS God, what do I actually mean by that?)
  • What things in my life do I consider special and valuable? How much have I invested in them? In the long run, how valuable are they? What would I give away/sell in my life to obtain what I consider so special? Is there sacrifice involved?
  • Has there ever been a goal in my life that required tremendous effort on my part? Did I attain it? Was it worth it? Did I have to make compromises along the way? Did I give up part way through the process? Why? Do I have regrets?
  • Because of the risk and possible discomfort involved, do we sometimes resign ourselves to a life of mediocrity, in our work life, in our prayer life, in our relationships with others and with God?
  • How hard is it to develop the discipline of deferred gratification in our current culture?
  • Do we sometimes believe we “can have it all”—that is, we need not give up something we want to experience or get something else?
  • Is there anything in my life that I have “over-invested” in?
  • “Where your treasure is, there also is your heart.” Some religious advisors have told us that to figure out where are treasure lies, we need to look at our checkbook and our datebook… Looking at where you spend your time and money, what does that tell you about what you value?
  • In the third parable of the nets, we see that as people of God, we are a very mixed bag. God spreads the nets out to catch each and every one of us. We are all worth God’s time. Have I been more discriminating than God, rejecting people I don’t think belong in my net before I even start to cast it?
  • Do I think it is my job to judge people, to separate the good from the unworthy? Why do I have a problem letting God do this?
  • In the first reading, Solomon was told he could have whatever he asked for, and he asked God for Wisdom. What is the value of such a “treasure”?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship:

Adapted from Rev. Bill Bausch in The Word In And Out of Season:

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field for which a person sells all he has and buys that field” Suppose you see that field through the eyes of Jesus. Initially, He sees what everyone sees: dirt, weeds, brown soil. But he knows that beneath the grime and the dirt there lies a treasure: you. And so he goes and sells all that he has, that is, his divinity,--“but being in the form of God, he emptied himself and took the form of a slave” is the way St. Paul puts it—and purchases this treasure at the price of his blood. We must never forget the foundation of our own worth. We are made in the image and likeness of God. We are deeply loved by Jesus who sees in us, everywhere and at all times, a treasure which he ardently desires and for which he has given everything, even his life, to possess.

I sit and contemplate with joy how beloved I am, how special I am, and what gifts I possess that make me invaluable to the Kingdom. Am I using them for myself of for Jesus? Do I ever share with Jesus my appreciation of the gift, not only of his death, but of his life—his walking with us, sharing our humanity experiencing our experiences? Who knows me better than Jesus? Who loves me more than Jesus? I share my joy with him.

A Meditation in the Dominican style/Asking Questions:

One of the problems with the last parable in this series is that everyone knows that the bad guys should get their comeuppance and we are a little irritated that we don’t get to decide who gets left out of the Kingdom, and we don’t get to decide when that actually happens. Jesus tells us to wait and let God sort it all out.

Sorting out the bad from the good is not our job. But what if we don’t like the outcome? Anne Lamott, in a book called HALLELUJAH ANYWAY: Rediscovering Mercy, says that she is the Elder Brother in the parable, the goody two-shoes who is angry that God’s mercy extends to those who clearly do not deserve it. She goes on:

Another fun-house mirror for me is the story of Jonah, which all Sunday-school kids love because of the whale. Yet the real meat of the story is what happens after Jonah is burped onto dry land, and despite his best efforts, ends up in Nineveh, where God told him to go all along. Nineveh is any big city, hypercompetitive, full of corruption, cruelty, bankers and Tea Party types. It would later be the capital of Assyria, where Iraq is now, and the Ninevites were like Klingons, violent warriors who were Israel’s enemy. Jonah, like all Israelites, felt about them the way Ronald Regan felt about the Russians, that they were the Evil Empire. And Jonah was furious that God was making him go there instead of someplace nice. With minimum effort, Jonah spreads the word for exactly one day, since he is positive that God hates the Ninevites. Or ought to. They’re doomed. If they don’t become people of God, people of peace and mercy, they’ll be destroyed. So on the spot they repent. It’s like the Klingons turning into Alan Alda. And God spares them. And Jonah is furious and sulky because God has refused to destroy the awful evil people that he hates, a destruction that would be a big victory for Israel.

He thinks God makes him look bad.

Maybe he thinks God is too soft on evildoers.

I love this so much.

So we each need to ask ourselves if we are a little overly focused on who is included or excluded from God’s kingdom of mercy and forgiveness. Am I a teeny bit judgemental about others? Is it not enough for me to be included; will I only feel justified if others are excluded? Do I want to see those evil, mean, miserable excuses for human beings get their comeuppance? How do I think God feels about letting go of one of his children? Will I go into the feast if there are unworthy people also attending? I pray for largeness of heart and generosity of spirit to love as Jesus loves…

A Personal Journey:

The novelist Rick Moody writes that the parabolic tradition is a rich motherlode of wisdom in the gospels, especially since Jesus used parables so often to teach about the Kingdom. However, when we look at the parables, we make several mistakes:

We in the modern world, using our literary brains, analyze the parables with our heads instead of experiencing them with our hearts. When we hear with our hearts, we catch the emotions of joy and longing that are so much a part of the full human experience.

We tend to view parables like analogies, just looking for easy comparisons, which allow only for a pretty simplistic interpretation and shuts off the various possibilities and challenges that a more expansive reading of these stories could provide.

We assume that there is only one true meaning of any given parable which comports with an institutional message of some sort. This is so much less creative and so much more limiting that the parabolic tradition provides, and as a result, we are missing out on a lot of wisdom.

So go back and re-experience these parables, or pick a favorite of your own (like the Prodigal son, or the rich Farmer, or the unjust steward, for example) without trying to figure out the salvation message, or trying to fit the story into your own theological pre-conceptions, or trying to fit the story into your own—dare I say it—prejudices. Listen to it with new ears, new enjoyment. In the spirit of Lectio Divina, let certain images stay with you, comfort you or challenge you where you are in your emotional life right now. Enjoy the adventure!

Poetic Reflection:

This poem by Father Ed Ingebretsen, S.J., is about his search for the pearl of great price, and his hopes that his relationship with God will help him get there. What is the pearl he is looking for? What are you looking for?

“Digging”

I (fragments)

I am digging in a field
for pearls.
Perhaps I’m in the wrong field
perhaps here I’ll find only
damp potatoes, tough
ivy roots, arrowheads
and old 1830 masonry jars
smelling of snails and clay

III
Dear God see me dig
With this energy I thee
Seek; to find, to have,
To hold, to keep.

The kingdom is a well-thrown pearl
loose under my feet;
my feet plow with desire
my fingers massage the supple earth.
This marriage keeps me in love

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16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 19, 2020

Gospel: Matthew 13:24–43

Theme: WE are the crop of the Lord

Gospel: Matthew 13:24–43

Theme: WE are the crop of the Lord

Matthew 13:24–43

[The Parable of the Weeds Among the Wheat]
He proposed another parable to them. “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well. The slaves of the householder came to him and said, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ His slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn.”

[The Parable of the Mustard Seed]
He proposed another parable to them. “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.’”

[The Parable of the Yeast]
He spoke to them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.”

[The Use of Parables]
All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. He spoke to them only in parables, to fulfill what had been said through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation [of the world].”

[The Explanation of the Parable of the Weeds]
Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned [up] with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear.

Music Meditations

Companions for the Journey

from “First Impressions”, a service of the Southern Dominican Province, by Jude Siciliano, O.P.:

Today we have the parable of the weeds and the wheat—and we need it. We tune in sports events and ask, “Who’s winning?” We also tune in the world around us through tv, newspapers, radio and now internet coverage and are tempted to ask the same question, “Who’s winning…Good or Evil?…The decent people of the world or the violators of innocence?” The twentieth century was the most brutal in the history of the world. Aren’t things supposed to be improving as we advance as a people? It gets discouraging; the evidence mounts against optimism. We tend to want give up on the world and wonder where God is in it all.

Which is why we need to look at the parables and, in particular, today’s parable about weeds and wheat. The early church, the recipients of Matthew’s gospel, had to face the mystery of wickedness too. Why is there evil in the world, in the church and in our own hearts? That’s a very big question and this parable doesn’t give an easy answer. It doesn’t explain it at all! But neither does it ignore the problem of evil in our midst. The owner of the field says it quite plainly, “I see an enemy’s hand in this.” This is not a naive or other-worldly parable. It faces the facts: wickedness is very real, it can’t be ignored. It is not an illusion and, like the weeds in the midst of healthy plants, evil drains human life of its vitality and dedication. We see the weeds, not just in the world out there, but “up close and personal.”

The parable spoke to an early church that had its divisions, arguments and wickedness—why else would they have saved the parable? Our own congregations also have “issues.” Sometimes they feel like they will split us in two—and sometimes they do. Our faith communities have been rocked by clergy scandal; divided along ethnic and racial lines; between original members and newcomers; between traditionalists and those who want to update. While we are at it, we look into our hearts and examine our own conduct. Weeds are part of the landscape of our personal spiritual field as well.

Such vistas of evil, so obvious to us, make us want to get about the business of ripping out the weeds. They are the work of the enemy, we say and we want to purge evil from our country, church and our own hearts. Of course we have standards to guide us and there are times we must act decisively against the evil we perceive. Yet, the parable cautions us and it advises us about the dangers of rushing to judgment. We could destroy what is good in our attempts to rid the world of the bad. Jesus knew from his own experience that you can’t always tell from initial signs how things are going to turn out.

In the beginning Judas showed promise, early initiative and administrative skills—he was in charge of the purse. He seemed like excellent disciple material, a “keeper.” If you were Jesus, wouldn’t you have thought about eliminating Peter, Thomas or Martha? They didn’t show initial signs of discernment and understanding of what following Jesus would entail. They were slow to catch on to Jesus’ message. But Jesus was patient, he let the good work itself out in their lives. He gave them a chance to grow and bear fruit.

Have you ever had a friend whom you disliked upon first meeting, yet, over time, he or she turned out to be your best friend? The parable says, “You never know.” The parable is a story of grace for us. As we look into our own lives and recall the mistakes we have made and the wrongs we have done, aren’t we glad we have had some time to change and work things out? Aren’t we thankful we had the space to let the wheat grow and bear the rich harvest it has? Suppose we had been judged on the spot. Suppose God moved in quickly to judge and rip up? If we look at our present lives, we can still see what looks like weeds. Rather than being overcome by discouragement, we hear this parable of hope. Time is being given us, to let the good seed planted in us bear its fruit. We can trust the Owner knows what to do, and we can have trust in the outcome. This is a parable of confidence. God is in charge and will help us work things out. We don’t give up the struggle to do what is right, even when we feel dismayed at how much still needs to be done. Parables, like pieces of ribbon, don’t look powerful—a piece of cloth—a story. But they have power to touch us deeply. One symbolizes our unity through an exterior sign. The other gathers our faith and asks us to put trust in it—especially to trust the One who is telling us the parable right now. We wear the parable on our hearts; the way people wear ribbons—as a reminder.

When the world confounds us and evidence seems to mount against our hopes, we look inside ourselves and see today’s parable. We play it back so we can hear it again. It reassures us. We repeat it in our assemblies to stir us to action: to return to the struggle; to ignore the odds; to stop counting wins and losses—mostly, not to count our losses! In our struggle against evil, we keep at it, till Someone in charge sends word that it is time for the harvest; till Someone, who knows better than we how to do the sorting, gets around to it. The parable links us together here at our assembly. It stirs us hope in us. We are not dismayed by what still needs doing. There is no doubt in the story: the Owner is in charge. The Owner planted good seed and it is growing towards fruition and there will be a sorting-out—but later, under Someone else’s supervision. Meanwhile, we still have time to let what is good grow in our lives. What time is it? The parable says, “There’s still time, hang in there!”

Thank God!

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today's session…

I will speak to you in parables and expound on things hidden since the foundation of the world.

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today's reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

  • In Matthew, a parable is both a riddle and a revelation. Sometimes, we think the message is obvious until some twist or inconsistency causes us to look more deeply, sometimes without answers. Are these three parables riddles or revelations for you?
  • Is it hard to understand why God does not simply remove the “weeds” in our lives?
    Are we surprised or even irritated by God’s passivity?
    Do I truly believe that God will have the last word?
  • Are there both weeds and wheat in my own life? In my own personality? Which is prevalent?
    What are the “weeds”, or limitations and evils found in my culture? In my relationships? In my religion? In my personal make up?
    Have I ever been, through word or example, the weeds in someone else’s struggle to grow in God’s grace?
  • Do I/have I become more robust in my faith as I struggle to be strong enough to overcome the weeds in my life?
    What is the role of personal humility in this struggle?
  • An undeniable message of this parable is to refrain from judging myself or others. We cannot give up too soon. Do I really believe that God is not finished with me yet? Has God given up on someone or some persons in my life, or on certain situations? Has God asked me to fix things for Him? Am I willing to wait for God to complete the solution before rushing to do it myself by excluding or destroying another?
  • Jesus does not condone what is not of God, yet he seems to acknowledge that different motivations and spirits are at work. How may I let this spirit of Jesus shape my life? (from “Sacred Space”)
  • What is my position in this all-too-familiar struggle between good and evil? Am I a spectator, an armchair critic, a consumer, or a warrior?
    Do I consider myself a co-worker with God trying to bring about truth, peace and justice?
    If I am a co-worker, what authority to I have to dismiss or punish others?
  • Has there been a person in my life whom I saw change from “weeds” to “wheat”? Did I stick with him or her through that growth? If so, what kept me hanging in there? If not, what would I have done differently?
  • Try to look at your own “inner landscape” as a field that was sown with God’s word at your Baptism. Where has God’s word taken root in your life? Do you see any “weeds” (attitudes or behaviors which run counter to the kingdom) choking out that word? What are you going to do about it?
  • Have there ever been projects in my life, personal, academic or professional, which started out small and then flourished beyond my expectations? How did that happen? What elements were in play: timing, God’s help, hard work or luck?
  • Recall a time in your life when someone saw your raw potential and gave you the time to develop it. Has this happened in the spiritual realm as well?
  • Have I ever seen someone’s faith and determination expand into something beyond all expectations?
  • What is my understanding of faith? What might be a synonym for faith?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:

Adapted from “Sacred Space”, a service of the Irish Jesuits:

Sometimes we think that perfection is acquired by becoming aware of our faults and working to root these out. However, when we become more familiar with Jesus’ attitude to the limited and sinful side of ourselves, we learn to accept our limited and sinful self just as Jesus did with Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10). If we don’t accept this side of ourselves, we tend to become fixated with it and fail to appreciate the fullness of life Jesus has already given us. Am I frustrated and baffled by the presence of evil in my midst, or in myself? Do I believe that Good will have the last word? Do I believe that God’s grace is at work in the world and in me? Can I cultivate patience and tolerance toward myself, and toward others? I sit with Jesus and let Him teach me to let the weeds grow with the wheat in my life. I ask for help to appreciate all that is good and beautiful about my life.

A Meditation in the Franciscan Style/Action:

People often confuse the phrase “kingdom of heaven” with heaven itself. Instead, it refers to Jesus’ dream of a better, more perfect world in which God’s ideals replace human selfishness. We pray for this whenever we say the Lord’s Prayer (Thy kingdom come,Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven). We need to remember, however, that the kingdom will not come to be without the efforts of people to change themselves (personal conversion) and without their efforts to change unjust and murderous power structures as well. Pray the Lord’s prayer every day this week, stopping for a few moments to reflect on what you are doing personally to bring about God’s kingdom on earth. Then pick one or two attitudinal things you can work to change yourself, and at least one action you can take on behalf of those suffering from poverty, systemic prejudice, a flawed justice system. Do it.

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship:

Sometimes when we think of God, we have an unconscious fear that God’s mission is primarily to separate the wheat from the chaff. Often religions have emphasized heaven and hell, reward and punishment, to scare us into doing the right thing. This kind of God is a “gotcha” God, waiting to pounce on our mistakes and consigning us to the eternal fire. Some of these notions of God are echoed in well-known literary references, such as Dante’s Inferno, which teach us to fear eternal punishment and to trod the straight and narrow.

Several fictional characters who have made their way into popular culture reinforce this image: The Queen of Hearts, a character from the 1865 book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, is a foul-tempered monarch whom Carroll himself describes as “a blind fury”, and who is quick to give death sentences at the slightest offense. One of her most famous lines is the oft-repeated “Off with his/her head!” / “Off with their heads!”

Another fictional character to be feared is none other than Santa Claus:
"You better watch out you better not cry, you better not pout; I’m telling you why: Santa Claus is coming to town!
He’s making a list; He’s checking it twice; He’s gonna find out who’s naughty or nice: Santa Claus is coming to town
He sees you when you’re sleeping; He knows when you’re awake; He knows if you’ve been bad or good; So be good for goodness sake!

Too often, in our spiritual life, we forget that we cannot love what we fear. Obedience out of fear is coercion, and obedience out of love is, well, love! This parable from Matthew (13:24-30) makes it clear that God has planted us here on earth and is waiting and hoping that we will grow into the kind of person that would want to be with God. Do I need to readjust my notions of God as the “big narc in the sky”, and look seriously at my motivations for doing God’s will? Do really desire a loving relationship with God and are my thoughts and actions shaped by this love? How can prayer help create and intensify my loving relationship with God?

Poetic Reflection:

Too often, we identify with the chaff (weeds) in this gospel, not worthy of God’s love and grace. Mary Oliver shows us that even the most ordinary person, a person with a prayer life that others may frown upon, is also a person who just might be included in God’s kingdom:

“Praying”

It doesn’t have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones, just
pay attention, then patch

a few words together and don’t try
to make them elaborate, this isn’t
a contest but the doorway

into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak

from Thirst

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15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 12, 2020

Gospel: Matthew 13:1–23

Theme: What words of Jesus have stayed with me, what words have not?

Gospel: Matthew 13:1–23

Theme: What words of Jesus have stayed with me, what words have not?

Matthew 13:1–23

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.

Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore. And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

[The Purpose of Parables]
The disciples approached him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” He said to them in reply, “Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because ‘they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.’ Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: ‘You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people,
they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart and be converted,
and I heal them.’

[The Privilege of Discipleship]
“But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

[The Explanation of the Parable of the Sower]
“Hear then the parable of the sower. The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”

Music Meditations

Companions for the Journey

In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus is portrayed as the New Moses, who has come to fulfill the law and the promise of the Jewish scriptures. There are five distinct teaching segments in the gospel, designed to make a direct reference to the five books of the Jewish Torah. The term Five Discourses of Matthew refers to five specific teaching occasions by Jesus within this gospel, and these discourses are used by Matthew to retell the entirety of the Old Testament, demonstrating that Christ is the fulfillment of all that was promised therein.  The five discourses are listed as the following: the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5–7), the Missiona Discourse, (chapter 10) the Parables of the Kingdom Discourse (chapter 13), the Discourse on the Church (chapter 18), and the Discourse on End Times (chapters 23–25). The parabolic discourse demonstrates how Jesus uses parables to get his message out to those who will hear. The following commentary for preachers on today’s section of chapter 13 is from Elizabeth Johnson, Professor at Lutheran Seminary:

It is not difficult to find contemporary examples of the various responses to the word depicted in Jesus’ parable. Having the word choked out by “the cares of the world and the lure of wealth” seems to be a particular problem in North America. One should be careful, however, to avoid equating the various types of soil with a particular person or group, and especially to avoid equating oneself or one’s community with the good soil.

If we are honest with ourselves, we can probably find evidence of several kinds of soil in our lives and in our congregations on any given day. It is noteworthy that Jesus does not use the parable to exhort hearers to “be good soil,” as though we could make that happen. If there is any hope for the unproductive soil, it is that the sower keeps sowing generously, extravagantly, even in the least promising places. Jesus’ investment in his disciples shows that he simply will not give up on them, in spite of their many failings. We trust that he will not give up on us either, but will keep working on whatever is hardened, rocky, or thorny within and among us. We trust in his promise to be with us to the end of the age.

As those entrusted with Jesus’ mission today, we might consider the implications of this parable for how we engage in mission. Too often we play it safe, sowing the word only where we are confident it will be well received, and only where those who receive it are likely to become contributing members of our congregations. In the name of stewardship, we hold tightly to our resources, wanting to make sure that nothing is wasted. We stifle creativity and energy for mission, resisting new ideas for fear they might not work – as though mistakes or failure were to be avoided at all costs.

Jesus’ approach to mission is quite at odds with our play-it-safe instincts. He gives us freedom to take risks for the sake of the gospel. He endorses extravagant generosity in sowing the word, even in perilous places. Though we may wonder about the wisdom or efficiency of his methods, Jesus promises that the end result will be a bumper crop.

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today's session…

Whoever has ears ought to hear

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today's reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

  • What kind of heart/mind does it take to understand the parables?
  • Are there parts of my heart that are open/welcome to God’s word?
    Are there parts of my heart that find certain parts of the word of God more difficult?
  • Are there some teachings that I just cannot get on board with?
  • Do I share Jesus’ optimism about the Kingdom?
  • Has there ever been a teaching/command of Jesus that took a long time to grow in my heart?
  • Have there ever been projects about which I was enthusiastic initially, but languished after I got bored or distracted?
  • Do we sometimes get so tired of hearing the same old things from friends, family, God that we eventually stop listening?
  • Do I feel fortunate to have been exposed in a deeper way to the teachings of Jesus, either through prayer, or through a reading or discussion group?
  • Who have been the moral advisors in my life?
    Have I dismissed them out of hand?
    Have I responded by taking their words to heart?
    Have I outgrown their teaching/world view?
  • What does it mean to me to have “ears to hear”?
  • How receptive is my heart at this moment to learn, to grow, to change?
    Which is the hardest to do?
  • Has there ever been a time when I heard the message of Christ, but let it lie on the edge of my consciousness where it withered?
    Did I say that I had “outgrown” it?
  • Do I get discouraged when my wmmo not bear fruit? How does “herd mentality” affect my decisions?
  • Have I ever planted a seed of wisdom in someone else’s heart and help him/her with discernment?
    How did it make me feel?
  • Have the four stalking horses of defeat (skeptical observations, cynical comments, despairing attitudes or unkind words) ever caused my faith or my optimism to wither and die? Have I ever spoken in such ways and thus discouraged another’s optimism or faith?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Imagination:

Adapted from “Sacred Space”, a service of the Irish Jesuits:

I allow my imagination to dwell with the scene that Jesus presents, picturing the growth, identifying threats to it. I take care not to allow the weeds and barrenness to dominate but accept that God pictures a flourishing harvest and never gives up that hope for me.

As I think of myself as the field in which the word of God is scattered, I may recognize the barren places, the dry patches and the fertile parts. To which do I pay attention? I take some time to appreciate where God’s word has found a root in me and I ask God’s help to remain open to such seed as may be scattered again today.

I read this passage slowly as if I am looking at the mirror of my heart. I probably discover that I have at different moments all the four reactions Jesus describes in the parable. I ask myself how I can grow in my freedom to accept God’s word to me, precisely where the challenge is greatest.

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Memory:

Think of a time in which God was speaking to you in the events of your life. Were you aware of it at the time? How did you respond? What words of Jesus have actually taken root in your life, and which are struggling to survive?

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship:

Psalm 65 is a great hymn of praise, marveling that God hears our prayers, that God answers our prayers, and that God’s grace is visited upon the earth resulting in abundance. Think of things you have prayed for. Have your prayers been answered? In the way you expected or in some greater way? Then look at the world around you. What examples do you find of God’s enrichment of the earth? Take a walk, just concentrating on the beauty of God’s ongoing care for the natural world. Write your own psalm of thanksgiving, using the insights you have gathered from your meditations.

Poetic Reflection:

Here, in a poem by Father Ed Ingebretsen, S.J., is a commentary/meditation on the parables of Jesus:

“The Jesus Prayer” (II)

Jesus taught in parables
and made geography
our greatest—
the precise placing of God
astride the master boat
disarming the wind
riding the road into rock
shaping the one word
needed to free death.

In parables
of ropes, nets and fish,
in the tangle of catching
and feeding, in sowing,
in graces of going
to hear stones sing lakeside—here
Jesus took our name
and wore it
like a fine love.
This, his
major parable.

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14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 5, 2020

Gospel: Matthew 11:25–30

Theme: Jesus lifts our burdens

Gospel: Matthew 11:25–30

Theme: Jesus lifts our burdens

Matthew 11:25–30

At that time Jesus said in reply, “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,* and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

Music Meditations

Companions for the Journey

What is a Yoke?

We are not talking about the inside part of an egg, but a wooden frame fitted on working animals to evenly balance the load it has to carry. Unfortunately, the Jews of Jesus’ time felt the double yoke--the double burden of civil rules and religious strictures.

Judea was ruled by Roman authorities and puppet kings, both of whom took advantage of the ordinary Jews through fear and exploitation. Any group who angered the puppet king was subject to massacre or wholesale punishments which were fearsome.

Many lived in fear that the exemption from certain religious practices of Rome would be revoked, that Jews would then be labeled atheists, and subject to capital punishment. Fewer than 3% of the population lived well, and over 70% lived at subsistence level or below. There was no safety net for the poor, for the widows, for the ill, the orphaned, the unlucky. Diseases brought on by poverty were devastating and alienated people from comfort or care. People died young leaving elderly parents who had no one to care for them or wives and children who had no means of support. In an agrarian society such as this one, the success of the crops depended a lot on luck and the vagaries of the weather in a fairly arid climate. Much of what was grown was either confiscated or taxed, which left most eking out a hardscrabble existence. Each time new taxes were levied, whether to fund the lifestyles of the ruling elite, or to fund the building and maintenance projects of such a vast and growing empire, and the personal coffers of the Roman rulers, the yoke on the individual got heavier and heavier.

Many of the Jewish traditions and strictures were also burdensome. Especially to the poor: there we 613 rules in the Torah, and it was hard to keep track of them all, much less obey all. Religious strictures around ritual cleanliness and forbidden foods placed an unequal burden on those who found it economically difficult or physical impossible to follow. The rules governing the Sabbath were especially strict: no cooking or cleaning from sunset on the eve of the Sabbath until 24 hours later; no work of any kind; no fires could be lit; fasting from early evening until the next morning, etc.etc. Then there was tithing to the Temple authorities, as well as the required yearly pilgrimage to Jerusalem which was both dangerous and expensive. (The route between Galilee and Jerusalem ran through the no-man’s-land of Samaria, where bandits abounded and where the non-Samaritan Jews were robbed, beaten, and even killed.) When a pilgrim did manage to reach Jerusalem, there was the matter of safety while sleeping and eating with other pilgrims, and there was the problem of seriously inflated prices for the animals which were required for ritual sacrifice, and were required to be purchased there. Finally, there was the fear that ordinary people would get caught in the crossfire between the various religious factions that often despised one another.

The present time carries burdens of its own. The rise in economic inequality in the US is tied to technological change, globalization, decline of unions and the eroding value of the minimum wage. Much wealth is concentrated in the hand of the 1%, and the middle class is said to be eroding. This means that many people may experience reduced economic opportunity and less mobility in the face of mounting inequality. This leads to economic and educational segregation, and diminishing political influence of those not in the top 1%. This generation of young people are said to be much less optimistic about life than the prior several generations. Research has shown that the wider the economic disparity, the greater the polarization between political, religious and social groups.

Our Church, thank God, has often been there for us with of words of love and inclusion, with the joy of the sacraments, with words, music and ritual to sustain us in times of pain and uncertainty. Some of the great saints and religious writers have been beacons of hope and wisdom in the darkness. However, we must acknowledge that, particularly in the past, the Church had been known to place burdens of guilt and exclusion on those whom it had deemed to be breaking the rules—everything from barring those not “properly and respectfully” dressed from attending Mass to refusing the Eucharist to those who defied the rules publically or privately. In between, writings from church authorities and screeds from the pulpit have excoriated unmarried mothers, gays, those who could not physically or economically have more children, divorced and remarried Catholics, “feminists”, and the like.

Jesus’ words remind us that he came to help us shoulder our burdens, to comfort us when we are rejected, and to show us God’s love and care. This is not to say that his own words were not sometimes hard to hear: “Love those who hate you; do good to those who hurt you; forgive seventy times seven; do not judge others.” But if we understand that these are words of encouragement, of belief that we always can be better and do better, we will see that they are meant to free us, not entrap us. They are meant to inspire us to develop spiritual and moral courage. Jesus’ yoke helps us hold our tongue or to choose encouraging words, to be giving to a person in material need, giving another the benefit of the doubt, keeping close to Jesus in prayer. An easy yoke means we are not afflicted by an onslaught of greed, envy, resentment, or hardness of heart. Jesus’ yoke is the joy of a quiet conscience. And the overriding message of Jesus is always that we are loved, appreciated, honored by God. God only wants what is best for us—our joy, our happiness, our peace. Jesus’ becoming human like us is a testament to God’s great desire to walk with humanity and know humanity’s trials from the inside out. Our burdens, whatever they may be, are made lighter by the conviction that we are God’s own; we are beloved, no matter what. We are invited to let go and let God be in control of the events. We need to resign as general managers of the universe.

A teacher, after reading this gospel section, asked the students: “What is the yoke God puts on us?”.

A little girl answered: “It is God putting his arms around our necks and giving us a hug”.

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today's session…

My yoke is easy and my burden light

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today's reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

  • How am I burdened by the unknown?
    Do I talk to God honestly about what is worrying me?
    Is there resistance in me to sharing this with Jesus?
    What causes this resistance (shame, guilt, pride, stubbornness)?
  • Do I consider myself one of Jesus’ “little ones”?
    What would give me “rest”?
  • Being really angry with someone is a deep burden. Can I bring my troubles and failings in this regard to Jesus?
  • Do I think Jesus understands weaknesses, struggles or disappointments?
    Did he have any in his life?
    What can I learn about better behavior from watching Jesus?
  • How can prayer give me perspective?
    How can prayer lead to acceptance?
  • What do I really want? What are my deepest desires? Are they a comfort or a burden to me?
  • Are there religious or civil rules that are personally burdensome and troubling to me?
  • Do I know of someone who is particularly burdened right now?
  • What is my personal comfort zone (what situations have to exist for me to avoid stress)?
    Am I out of my comfort zone often? Right now?
  • How does lack of control over the events of one’s life become a burden?
    How great is my need for control?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:

We can divide our human burdens into three categories.

The first is the burden of daily irritations—standing in line at the post office, wearing a mask outside, being on endless hold listening to bad elevator music, trying to figure out legal forms, watching bad behavior of an out-of-control child, being the embarrassed parent of said child. The list goes on. And the more stressed we are, the more these irritations are, well, IRRITATING!

The second burden includes some serious worries like money, illness, job loss, a bad relationship, hurts we can’t heal, anger that won’t go away. Some of these issues may be ours or they may be serious issues for someone we love. In any event, these things burden us and sometimes, make us a burden to others.

The third burden runs the deepest, often because we suppress it. It is the burden of personal identity. Who am I? We live in a world that tells us we are what we have; we are what we do; we are what we look like; we are what degrees we possess; we are what others say about us. We put an awful lot of energy into maintaining our beliefs about identity. It is exhausting. And scary. What happens when I lose what I have, lose what I do, or lose what I look like? What happens when I have shaped my identity to impress or please others? How does this erode my sense of my true self? Jesus’ temptation in the Desert was basically all about these identity issues. How did he respond? What difference did it make to Jesus what others said about him? How did his relationship with his father (His ABBA) sustain him in difficult and burdensome times?

Questions:
Which of these burdens is troubling me most right now?
Do I believe that God wishes to lighten my personal burden?
Do I believe I am beloved of God?
Do I believe that what I have or do does not matter to God?

Prayer:
I ask God for the reassurance of being blessed
I ask God for patience with myself and others
I ask God for hope: trust that God is looking out for me

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship:

This Sunday’s psalm is 145. It is a message of hope in these troubled days. Read it to yourself several times, picking out the phrases which have the most meaning for you. Then write your own thank-you note to God for the times you have been sustained when you have felt burdened or troubled:

Psalm 145

1I will extol you, my God and king, and bless your name forever and ever.
2I will bless you day after day, and praise your name forever and ever.
3The LORD is great and highly to be praised; his greatness cannot be measured.
4Age to age shall proclaim your works, shall declare your mighty deeds.
5They will tell of your great glory and splendor, and recount your wonderful works.
6They will speak of your awesome deeds, recount your greatness and might.
7They will recall your abundant goodness, and sing of your just deeds with joy.
8The LORD is kind and full of compassion, slow to anger, abounding in mercy.
9How good is the LORD to all, compassionate to all his creatures.
10All your works shall thank you, O LORD, and all your faithful ones bless you.
11They shall speak of the glory of your reign, and declare your mighty deeds,
12To make known your might to the children of men, and the glorious splendor of your reign.
13Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; your rule endures for all generations.
The LORD is faithful in all his words, and holy in all his deeds.
14The LORD supports all who fall, and raises up all who are bowed down.
15The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.
16You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17The LORD is just in all his ways, and holy in all his deeds.
18The LORD is close to all who call him, who call on him in truth.
19He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and he saves them.
20The LORD keeps watch over all who love him; the wicked he will utterly destroy.
21Let my mouth speak the praise of the LORD; let all flesh bless his holy name forever, for ages unending.

Poetic Reflection:

This poem from Ed Ingebretzen, S.J. reminds us that God does not wish to burden us, but to comfort and mother us:

“From Narrow Places”

From narrow places
the strength of our voice
rises:

our every breath
is prayer,
the great poem of need,
a constant scattering
of praise.

Early
we reach to God
in the claim of our hearts,
while he,
our father,
mothers us
in his

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13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, June 28, 2020

Gospel: Matthew 10:37–42

Theme: To be a disciple is to identify with Jesus

Gospel: Matthew 10:37–42

Theme: To be a disciple is to identify with Jesus

Matthew 10:37–42

37 Whoever prefers father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever prefers son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
38 and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.
39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
40 Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
41 Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man’s reward.
42 And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple—amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.

Music Meditations

Companions for the Journey

Adapted from a commentary in 2014 by Alice McDermott:

We all like to be rewarded for our efforts. Gold stars on our school papers as children. Praise from parents and teachers as we get older. Money as payment for our expenditure of our time and talents in our work. Perhaps being recognized publicly with a plaque or round of applause for our community service. We all appreciate recognition and benefits from our actions.

Jesus is promising a reward for those who welcome prophets and righteous persons to the community, and for those who offer small kindnesses to the vulnerable in their midst. That reward is participation in the kingdom of God, which has both a present and a future component.

This text comes after Jesus’ promise that those who lose their life for his sake will find it (Mt. 10:39). It’s an answer to the question, “What is our reward for risking the loss of our lives as we know them for you?” Or, as Simon Peter so pragmatically puts it, “Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” His question and Jesus’ answer show up three times in almost exactly the same wording in Matthew 19:27, Mark 10:28, and Luke 18:28. In Matthew 10:42, Jesus refers to “the reward of the righteous.” It appears to be a bountiful compensation for the sacrifices we have made in this life, one that has both a worldly and eternal life component (Mt. 19:29; Mk. 10:29-30; Lk. 18:29-30).

What are those addressed by this text going to be rewarded for? Since Jesus sends his disciples to act on his behalf, those who receive them also receive Jesus (10:40a). And in receiving Jesus they also receive God, the one who sent him. Underlying this saying is the shaliach conception of ancient Jewish law, according to which a man’s duly authorized messenger “is as the man himself.” (Hare, Interpretation Commentary on Matthew, 118) The one sent out represents the one who sent him, so that to receive a disciple of Christ is to receive Christ and to receive Christ is to receive God. (Argyle, Cambridge Commentary on Matthew, 83-4)

Participation in the kingdom of God is the reward of the righteous person. It is not wholly extrinsic like the gold stars and the round of applause. The righteousness Jesus is talking about in Matthew carries with it an intrinsic reward, one that is an integral part of the action of welcome and kindness. Such righteous acts participate in and point us toward God, toward the Kingdom which is now and not yet.

Those who receive the disciples also receive the same benefits or reward they receive, the blessing of participation in the kingdom of God as outlined by Jesus by way of Matthew in the Beatitudes (Mt. 5:3-10). The Beatitudes have a future, but also a present reference. The poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake—all participate in the present in the blessings of divine presence, comfort, wisdom, forgiveness, which are the realities of the reign of God now and forever.

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today's session…

Whoever receives you receives me

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today's reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

  • Have I ever been in relationship that was so all-consuming that I lost myself in the process?
  • When could there be a conflict between our love for another and our love for God?
  • To what/whom am I attached so firmly that it interferes with my relationship God or with others in my life?
    Has there been an attachment to a person, a habit, a conviction or a principle that has estranged me from others or my own self?
  • Have I ever received opposition for my beliefs from someone I loved? What did I do?
    Have I ever suffered the rupture of a relationship because of my relationship with Jesus?
  • Do I truly see myself as a disciple of Jesus? What is the cost to me for being a disciple?
  • Am I ever motivated in my actions by the hope of a later reward or is my motivation rooted in a desire to be closer to Jesus right now?
  • What, exactly, is my relationship with God, with my fellow disciples, with the desperate?
  • What is my role of “welcoming others” that I see in this reading?
  • Do I expect happiness, or at least a cessation of anxiety or unhappiness as a result of doing God’s will?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:

Participation in the Kingdom of God is the reward of the person who is a true disciple. What follows are some quotes from thinkers who seem to have taken seriously the message of Jesus in this passage. They are talking about giving one’s life away for some purpose beyond oneself that, paradoxically, results in a gain. As Christians we would call that the reward of the righteous. Which of the following do you agree with? Do any surprise you? Examine your motivations for doing God’s will and making sacrifices in the process:

  • “The highest reward for a person’s toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it”—John Ruskin
  • “Happiness is a virtue, not its reward”—Baruch Spinoza
  • “If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed”—Albert Einstein
  • “Love seeks one thing only: the good of the one loved. It leaves all the other secondary effects to take care of themselves. Love, therefore, is its own reward”—Thomas Merton
A Meditation in the Franciscan Style/Action:

We are rarely asked for a cup of water. We live in a more complex society, but the same care and generosity to which Jesus calls us in verse 42 to are found in all walks of life. There are those who work for clean healthy water in a thousand hidden ways, for instance maintaining a city water system, or caring for public hygiene, as civil servants, plumbers, activists, engineers, scientists, and street cleaners. Wherever people devote themselves to the service of others by caring for the environment, by creating safe and good schools, by working toward affordable healthcare and affordable housing for everyone somehow, by making our governmental systems, local and national, ensure safety for all, we are, in effect, giving someone who needs it a drink of water.

So verse 42 is a metaphor for doing things for others in the name of Jesus. And the rewards promised by Jesus are entrance into the Kingdom of God. Our first job, then, is to be aware of the opportunities and desperate needs that are out there. But we need to go further. Undeterred by the sheer enormity of the task, we must start somewhere. Do I look for the grand gestures instead of offering a simple “cup of water”? How does giving someone a cup of water play out in practical terms: is it a hug, or a listening ear, or giving someone a ride, or giving a small donation to an agency like CRS? Do I believe that each act of mercy, no matter how insignificant, can make a difference that really matters? Mother Teresa said that we are not called to do great things, we are called to do small things with great love. We need to go beyond studying the issues to actually help in in some small way to alleviate the thirst for water, for food, for justice, for safety. What can I do? What can I do this week?

Poetic Reflection:

We turn to a tried-and-true reflection written by Thomas Centollela, a former Stegner fellow. He encourages us to do even more than the minimum of giving a cup of water to “one of these little ones.” How can you live “further in?”:

“At Big Rec”

A few hours spent in the dry rooms of the dying.
Then the walk home, and the sudden rain
comes hard, and you want it coming hard,
you want it hitting you in the forehead
like anointment, blessing all the days
that otherwise would be dismissed
as business as usual. Now you’re ready
to lean on the rail above the empty diamonds
where, in summer, the ballplayers wait patiently
for one true moment more alive than all the rest.
Now you’re ready for the ancient religion of dogs,
that unleashed romp through the wildness, responding
To no one’s liturgy but the field’s and the rain’s.
You’ve come this far, but you need to live further in.
You need to slip into the blind man for a while,
tap along with his cane past the market stalls
and take in, as if they were abandoned,
the little blue crabs which within an hour will be eaten.
You have to become large enough to accommodate
all the small lives that otherwise would be forgotten.
You have to raise yourself to the power of ten.
Love more, require less, love without regard
For form. You have to live further in.

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