Holy Thursday, April 17, 2025

Jesus shows us how to live a life of service to others

John 13:1–5

Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand." Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me." Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" Jesus said to him, "One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you." For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, "Not all of you are clean." After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord-and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.

MUSIC MEDITATIONS FOR HOLY THURSDAY:

Whatever You Do For the Least of My Brothers--Alstott, Batastini and Jabusch

I am the Bread of Life—Toolan

Your Will—Tony Eiras

Companions for the Journey

from “FIRST IMPRESSIONS” , a service of the Southern Dominican Province:

Chapter 13 in John brings a major shift in this gospel. It closes the first part called “the Book of Signs”, the account of Jesus’ public ministry. Now we enter the second half of the gospel, called the Book of Glory (ch. 13-17). The word “love” is a key word in this section: Jesus will call his disciples to love and will show them the kind of love he has in mind by offering himself for them. The grain of wheat will die and bear much fruit, as he predicted (5th. Sunday of Lent). The opening verse of this section (13:1) links the final hours of Jesus’ life with the Passover. (Hence the choice of the first reading from Exodus, the account of the origins of the Passover. Jesus will die at the hour the Passover lambs are slaughtered for sacrifice in the Temple.) There is something about what is going to happen to Jesus, his long-awaited “hour”, that is going to complete the meaning of the Passover. The blood of the lamb painted on the lintels of their doors saved the Jews from the angel of death. The blood of this Lamb is going to save all from the death that sin has caused. Jesus isn’t just setting a good example for us as he washes his disciples feet; what he is initiating from this point on in the gospel will save us from the pervasive power of sin over our lives.

Foot washings were a part of hospitality in this culture. The roads were dusty and guests coming for a visit or meal would welcome the chance to have the dust from the road washed from their feet. Normally the washing would have been done before the meal and was the task of the youngest or lowliest servant or slave. The importance of the event is underscored by Jesus’ breaking the pattern of what was customary and acceptable: he interrupts the meal and does the washings himself. His final hour is at hand and he is already emptying himself. His dying has begun; our new life is about to begin. In fact, a sign of the community’s new life brought about by Jesus’ action will be that they will be “foot-washers”, servants to the needy among them. But much more is implied by his actions. Peter objects to Jesus’ humiliation in front of his disciples, he does not want his feet washed. But Peter is no dummy. Maybe he also sees what is implied in Jesus’ actions: if the Master is doing this then Peter may already suspect that the disciples will have to do likewise—himself included. Jesus insists that if Peter is to have any part in his inheritance, he must allow Jesus to wash his feet. And sure enough he learns that the “inheritance” will include washing the feet of others, being a lowly servant in the household where Jesus dwells. However, he will not be required to have a total bath again. As the disciple travels through life in the world, he/she picks up soil from the road. A full bath (another baptism?) is not necessary; but a washing is. We can be washed from our sins and refreshed and renewed as we sit down to the table with other disciples to eat the Passover meal of Jesus.

John is writing for a community like our own who, since their baptism, have many things from which they need cleansing. This account is encouraging for the community members who have failed, as Peter did, to live up to their Christian calling. After he betrayed Jesus, Peter must have been heartened by his remembrance of this incident and the possibility Jesus holds out to be washed from the soil of the road. Since the incident also took place at the table, the suggestion is that forgiveness is offered us through the meal we share in remembrance of Jesus. In our Eucharist, the first thing we do is ask for forgiveness of our failings. It’s as if each eucharistic meal begins with a foot washing. And we are the grateful recipients as we are reminded that what Jesus did for Peter, he does for us.

Thus, there is another way we can imitate the example of the One we call “teacher and master.” We can follow the example he set for us. Besides the call to service, so evident in the foot washing, another response Jesus may be asking of us tonight is to forgive one another as he has forgiven us. Since the ritual will be performed in many places of worship this day, we may want to look around at who else is present at the table with us and wash their feet by forgiving them what we hold against them.

Reflection Questions:

In what aspect of my life would I be ashamed to have Jesus see my “dirty feet”?

When I don’t understand God, do I get impatient?

Whose “feet” am I called to wash in this life of mine?

What does this gospel tell me about the connection between service to others and the Eucharist?

Meditations:

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Imagination:

I read Matthew 26:36-46 (The agony in the garden). I imagine that I was one of the disciples asked to accompany Jesus as he went to the garden of Gethsemane to pray. I had plenty to eat and drink, and the night was so quiet. I could hear the far-off laughter from other homes as people celebrated the seder meal. I could hear animals rustling in the dark, and then the quiet, even breathing of my two companions. In the dimness, I could see the shape of Jesus all by himself in a distant part of the Garden. He was sort of hunched over, folded in on himself. He seemed alone. I must admit that I was a little pleased when asked to be one of those to accompany him outside, but I felt a little rejected by his desire to go off alone. Why did he ask us to come in the first place? Sometimes, that man was an enigma. The others and I started to talk, but the conversation seemed flat somehow. I tried then to pray, but I kept falling asleep. He came back a couple of times and quietly woke us, but just as quietly he returned to his former position far from us. We were so embarrassed to be caught napping, but, really, there was nothing to do. Only later did we come to realize what Jesus was doing and what agony he was going through. After the soldiers came, I couldn’t look him in the eye; I was so ashamed. I often wonder what Jesus thought as he prayed there in the garden. I wonder if he thought we let him down in some way? I will never be able to explain or apologize for my failure. I often wonder what I could have done for him had I known. Every now and then, the scene returns to my mind and try to share with Jesus my thoughts and feelings about his agony. Somehow, I think he understood and still understands.

by Anne Greenfield from Songs of Life: Psalm Meditations from the Catholic Community at Stanford

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship:

From Sacred Space 2022, a service of the Irish Jesuits:

In these quiet moments, I imagine Jesus visiting with me, chatting, and then asking for a basin and a towel. Surprised, I ask “why?” He says “You will understand later!” Can let him kneel and wash my poor feet, just as they are? Am I moved, perhaps to tears, by what he does? Perhaps no one has ever done this for me since I was a child. After a silence, he explains that he himself lives out a life of loving and humble service, and that he wants me as a disciple to copy what he has done for me. I ask him to show me, day by day, whose needs he wants me to meet. I bring him with me whenever I serve others.

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship:
Has there been a time in your life when you were treated unfairly? How did you react?

Have you ever counted on friends to be with you in a stressful time in your life? Were they there for you or did they "fall asleep"?

Peter denied Jesus three times. Recall a time when you found it difficult to witness to the values you believe in.

A Meditation in the Franciscan Style/Action:

Today’s gospel speaks of Jesus’ last meal, and it can lead us to think about the

growing crisis of world hunger. "Rising food prices are fueling the global

hunger crisis. It is taking an immense toll on the world's poorest people, who

typically spend up to 80 percent of their income on food. As many as 100

million more poor people could be made worse off by this burgeoning hunger

crisis. After 30 years of progress against hunger and poverty, that is a setback

that the United States and the rest of the world cannot afford to let happen."

http://www.bread.org/learn/rising-food-prices.html

"The prayer which we repeat at every Mass: "Give us this day our daily bread,"

obliges us to do everything possible, in cooperation with international, state

and private institutions to end or at least reduce the scandal of hunger and

malnutrition afflicting so many millions of people in our world, especially in

developing countries." (Sacramentum Caritatis, Pope Benedict XVI, 2007)

Did you know?

- 854 million people across the world are hungry, up from 852 million a year

ago

Every day, almost 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes--one child

every five seconds.

-35.1 million people in the US---including 12.4 million children---live in

households that experience hunger or the risk of hunger.

-The U.S. Conference of Mayors reports that in 2006 requests for emergency

food assistance increased an average of 7 percent. The study also found that 48

percent of those requesting emergency food assistance were members of families

with children and that 37 percent of adults requesting such assistance were

employed.

What can you do?

Poetic Reflection:

How do you think Jesus felu on this night, when Peter, and maybe the others, still did not understand what he was teaching?;

LONELY CHRIST

Lonely Christ

I pray to you.

You are a puzzle to me

as those I love

always are.

My soul is at odds

with the words.

What mad reach of mine

touches any thread of you?

Or what of mine, arms or eyes,

ever shares with people

where they may lie--

as they always do--i

in a hard place!

What of mine shall make good

their taking of a breath,

their rising, caring, feeding

their sleeping in fear--

what shall make good

their slight faith,

their enormous promises

made in iron

for a child, man, a woman--

what of mine shall be with the people

as they caress a special grief

fondled again and again

In bludgeoned love?

What do I bring

with which to clutch

the merest hint of your shadow?

Poetic Reflections:

Read the following poem by W.S. Di Piero (from The Restorers). Have I ever disappointed or betrayed anyone? How did it feel?

“Gethsemane”

He had nerve enough to follow,
dogging his heels, for what? To learn
a new vocabulary, a prayer,
down there in yellow iris that smelled
like carcass? He came back smiling.
The dog had its day, rolling in meat.
This meat was news: The Word of God
wants what we want, to be unchosen.

He must have made up his mind then
What if he said, I don't see Him here,
we’ll check later? Instead he gagged
on words, like a mouthful of water
brought from the garden, that blood squirms
from the blossom loads and cracked boughs,
and in the stagnant lake of the heart
the sprouting trunk splits, groans,
spilling wine, the spongy dirt
inhaling any blood that falls,
and I'm falling into the tree
and dogs at lakeside bark at clouds.

Like that. As if his own speech could
infuriate time while he waited
for an act to come upon him
(as joy sometimes happens). The soldiers
(were they his joy?) got impatient.
So finally his bloodless lips
screamed More life! More salt!
before he gave away his kiss.

Now read the following poem by Mary Oliver. How is its tone different?

“Gethsemane”

The grass never sleeps.
Or the roses.
Nor does the lily have a secret eye that shuts until morning.
Jesus said, wait with me. But the disciples slept.

The cricket has such splendid fringe on his feet,
and it sings, have you noticed, with its whole body,
and heaven knows if it ever sleeps.

Jesus said, wait with me. And maybe the stars did, maybe
the wind wound itself into a silver tree, and didn’t move.
Maybe the lake far away, where once he walked
as on a blue pavement,
lay still and waited, wild awake.

Oh the dear bodies, slumped and eye-shut, that could not
keep that vigil, how they must have wept,
so utterly human, knowing this too
must be part of the story.

Palm Sunday, April 13, 2025

Jesus, the Obedient Son, the Source of Forgiveness

[Feel free to use the meditative reading of the gospel alone, or read the gospel text straight through and use the usual reflection questions and meditations, or use all the materials.]

Music Meditations

• Jesus, Remember Me—Taize
• Stay With Me Here—Fernando Ortega
• Pie Jesu—Andrew Lloyd Webber, sung by Sarah Brightman
• Give Me Jesus—sung by Fernando Ortega

Preparation / Centering

[If done in a group setting, the prompts are read aloud by the leader; otherwise a silent meditation.]

Presence of God:

As I sit here, I become aware of the beating of my heart, the ebb and flow of my breath moving and the movements of my mind [pause]. All are signs, loving Jesus, of your ongoing love for the world. I pause for a moment and become aware of your presence within me.

[1-2 minutes of silence]

Freedom:

Jesus, I ask you to free me from my own ambitions, my own fears, my own lack of courage as I contemplate the freedom that allowed you to see your mission to its very end. I ask you, also, for the freedom to seek and grant forgiveness and for myself and for those who have hurt me, which is ultimate freedom.

[1-2 minutes of silence]

Consciousness:

Holy Spirit, Divine Sophia, how can I become more aware of your presence in my life, giving me wisdom, understanding and courage? Can you lead me beyond the cares of this day to an awareness of the cosmic goodness that is your spirit within me, within others, within this beautiful spring re-creation? Give me eyes to see, ears to listen and a heart to encompass goodness as I contemplate the ultimate goodness and generosity of Jesus.

[2-3 minutes of silence]

Opening Prayer

Lord, how often I have whined and cried about the trials and sorrows of my life. How often I have raged at the unfairness of my life or people in it. How often I have failed to summon up deep gratitude for my very existence, and for those who have brighten my days. How often I have failed to forgive those who have hurt or disappointed me. How often I have not been connected to you deeply enough through prayer. Lord, help me to see in the last days of Jesus the model for gratitude, forgiveness and prayer. Help me to be like Him.

Meditative Reading of Luke 22:14—23:56

[In a group setting, the sections of the gospel may be read aloud by group members, and the meditation questions by the facilitator. A period of silent reflection should follow each question.]

THE LAST SUPPER

[First reader:]

When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you.  For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.  But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table.  The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!”  They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this. A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest.  Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors.  But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.  For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.  You are those who have stood by me in my trials.  And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me,  so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”  But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”  Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”  Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they answered.  He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.  It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”  The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.” “That’s enough!” he replied.

Meditation:

I put myself in Jesus’ place as his plans for his final evening with friends went totally awry. Has this ever happened to me? How did I react?

What does it mean to me that the very institution of the Eucharist is re-enacted at each and every Mass?

JESUS PRAYS AT THE MOUNT OF OLIVES

[Second reader:]

Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”  He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed,  “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”  An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.  “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

Meditation:

Have I ever relied on the comfort of friends at a stressful time in my life? How did it go?

Have I ever failed to be there for someone who needed my understanding?

JESUS ARRESTED

[Third reader:]

While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”  When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?”  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.  But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.  Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs?  Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns.”

Meditation:

Have I ever been misunderstood, publicly shamed or embarrassed, or worse, been blamed for something I did not do?

PETER DISOWNS JESUS

[Fourth reader:]

Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance.  And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”  But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.  A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” “Man, I am not!” Peter replied.  About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”  Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.  The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.”  And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Meditation:

Has fear of shame, fear of losing reputation with my friends or colleagues caused me to lie about another to protect myself?

Have otherwise upright institutions lied to protect their country, church, or ethnic affinity? What has been the result?

THE “TRIAL” OF JESUS

[First reader:]

The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him.  They blindfolded him and demanded, “Prophesy! Who hit you?”  And they said many other insulting things to him.  At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them.  “If you are the Messiah,” they said, “tell us.” Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me,  and if I asked you, you would not answer.  But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.”  They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” He replied, “You say that I am.” Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.”  Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate.

And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.”  So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied.  Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”  But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”  On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean.  When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.  When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort.  He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer.  The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him.  Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate.  That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies.  Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people,  and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him.  Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death.  Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.” But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)  Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again.  But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”  For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.” But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed.  So Pilate decided to grant their demand.  He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.

Meditation:

How have I reacted in the face of anger or hatred or when a bunch of people turned on me, made fun of me, or worse? Was I silent and dignified, paralyzed by fear and shame, belligerent and accusatory, or did I react in another way?

THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS

[Second reader:]

As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.  A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him.  Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.  For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’  Then “‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’ For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”  Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.  Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.  The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the Jews.  One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence?  We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”  Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Meditation:

How hard has it been for me to forgive someone who has hurt me or someone I love?

Do I really believe I will see Jesus in my next life?

THE DEATH OF JESUS

[Third reader:]

It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon,  for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.  Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.  The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.”  When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away.  But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

Meditation:

How hard is it to surrender my will to that of God’s, even in small things, much less suffering and death?

THE BURIAL OF JESUS

[Fourth reader:]

Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man,  who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God.  Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body.  Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid.  It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.  The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it.  Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

Meditation:

What in my life holds me entombed?

Closing

[Each person in the group expresses aloud his or her feelings about this reading.]

Companions for the Journey

This is a short writing from one of the Christian or non-Christian witnesses of our tradition—a person who embodies the theme of the gospel we are studying today.

This is from “First Impressions” 2010, by Jude Siciliano, O.P.:

As we listen to the Passion today we might hear something of ourselves in the narrative. There is a hint in the Passion of the still-unfinished formation of the disciples. Immediately after the blessing of the bread and cup, with Jesus’ solemn injunction to the disciples, “do this in memory of me,” Jesus predicts that one of them will betray him. Luke tells us they debated among themselves who could do such a thing. There is a touch of irony here because the reader, well aware of what’s ahead for the disciples, might intrude on their debate and say, “Anyone of you is possible of betrayal. Soon you will all abandon Jesus.”

Luke moves quickly to the disciples’ failure to perceive what Jesus has been teaching them about what lies ahead. They begin an argument about who among them is the greatest. As we say in baseball lingo, “They are out in left field.” They have completely missed the point of all Jesus has been saying about what following him requires.

Jesus is about to go to his death and those he has been training to carry-on when he leaves are as dense as when they first took up with him back in Galilee. A great sign of his compassion and patience is that he doesn’t throw up his hands, walk out and try, at the last minute, to patch together more suitable candidates for disciples. Instead, one more time he commences to teach them that true greatness is to be found in serving others. Nor does Jesus give up on us when we fail to respond to opportunities to act as his disciples.

Jesus then tells Peter that he will deny him. Peter protests, but Jesus’ prediction will prove true. Though Jesus foresees Peter’s failure, he predicts Peter will eventually prove himself a disciple when he says, “once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers.” The gospel is a story of second chances (and third and fourth ones as well!). Peter will be forgiven for acting in fear and denying Jesus—and so are we.

If we have followed Jesus and his disciples through Luke’s gospel we know we have been hearing a story, not of human triumph over adversity; not of heroic actions in the face of insurmountable odds, but of humans found frail and lacking comprehension. Still, without heroic traits of their own, they continue to follow and be drawn to Christ, even if for the wrong goals and with less-than-total commitment. The rest of the Passion narrative will continue to reveal the disciples’ failure to understand who Jesus is and what he is asking of them.

Unlike the recent Winter Olympics, this is not an account of athletes possessing great natural abilities and, with enormous discipline, winning gold medals. No, this is the gospel and more a story of God’s achievement amid very limited humans. Grace trumps human frailty and draws strength and heroism where there were weakness and betrayal. When the story ends who is the winner? God’s grace is—and therefore so are we!

The characters in the rest of the Passion narrative fall far short as well. The religious leaders try Jesus and find him guilty. They then bring him to Pilate and he sends Jesus to Herod who, with his soldiers, mistreat him. Then the chief priests and the rulers of the people all call for Pilate to crucify Jesus. So continues the story of the human response to Jesus as he faces his passion. The crowds also join their voices to that of the religious leaders calling for Jesus’ crucifixion.

This week what is still sinful, incomplete, or weak in us is gathered up by Jesus at his cross. Jesus continues to show compassion even on the way to his execution as he acknowledges the grieving women. As he is dying he attends to the thief on the cross next to him and promises him paradise. Right up to the end Jesus highlights those who would benefit by his surrender to God’s will—the neglected and those rejected and cast out by society.

Not all the religious leaders turn against Jesus. Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Council whom Luke describes as a “virtuous and righteous man,” requests and receives Jesus’ body and places it in a tomb. Luke again mentions the presence of women; they follow Jesus’ body to see the tomb where it is laid. Our attention is now drawn to the tomb and the events that are about to take place there.

Luke’s Passion reveals how much Jesus has lost—his followers and friends have abandoned or betrayed him; his life’s project has collapsed into humiliation and defeat. As we hear the story today we are deeply moved by his loss and our heart goes out to him. But Luke is also inviting anyone of us who have our own losses through the death of loved ones; the dramatic change of life because of job loss or health failure; an unfulfilled dream; the disintegration of our family; the arrest of our child etc.—to identify with Jesus.

It’s clear from the Passion account that Jesus is no stranger to loss and suffering. As we follow the women to his tomb, we also know that he has accompanied us to our own tombs; the places where we have known death and defeat. We also know where this story is going. The tomb is not Jesus’ end, we are about to be surprised by resurrection. Nor is the tomb our end as we hope for new life in the very places we have experienced death. As the television announcers advise us, “Stay tuned for what’s coming next.”

Luke portrays Jesus as an innocent martyr. He has Pilate declare Jesus’ innocence three times. The thief dying at his side makes the same pronouncement. We know Jesus’ suffering continues beyond the Passion account. Perhaps we will hear the story of innocence persecuted and ask: where in our world today are people victimized and the poor burdened by heavy crosses with no modern Simon of Cyrene to help?

Despite his unjust treatment Jesus continues to offer forgiveness right up until his death. He died as he lived—giving and healing. (At his arrest in the garden he heals the ear of one of those who came to arrest him.) Jesus has established how his followers who come after him are to behave. They are to forgive even their enemies. At his death they are scattered; but after Pentecost they will set out from Jerusalem and do what Jesus did—preach and practice forgiveness.

Further reflection:

• Additional commentaries on the passion narrative in Luke's gospel >>

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

Father, forgive them, they know not what they do

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

• Describe a time in your life when you felt a lack of God’s presence in your personal need. How did you handle it?
• Have you ever been anxious or worried about something and found that your usual support system was somehow lacking?
  How did you feel?
• Describe the way Jesus handled his interrogation and torture. What qualities of his that he displayed in these instances do you particularly admire?
• From “First Impressions” 2010:
  Among the losses I have experienced in my life, which was the most painful?
  Did I have any experience of Jesus’ presence with me during that period of pain?
• From “America”:
  How might Luke’s portrayal of Jesus as a good example even in death challenge you in your own life?
• Everybody has a cross to carry in this life, whether it is illness, loneliness, anxiety, personal relationships or professional ones. Can you name one of your “crosses”?
  How can you be more like Jesus as you carry your cross(es)?
  How can you be sympathetic to the “cross” another is carrying?
• From “First Impressions” 2013:
  How have I experienced Jesus helping me carry that cross?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:

I think of the times in his short life that Jesus was betrayed by those whom he loved. First, at the beginning of his ministry, some family members were sent to fetch him home, fearing that he was mentally ill. Have there been times in my life that I have been betrayed by someone’s lack of faith in me? Judas, perhaps disappointed by Jesus lack of political activism, or motivated by simple greed, sold Jesus for a handful of coins. Have I ever been betrayed by someone’s expectations that I could not fulfill? Have I been betrayed by someone’s willingness to trade my friendship or my well being for personal gain? Peter, Jesus’ right-hand man and good friend, paralyzed by fear, swore vehemently that he never knew Jesus. Have I ever been betrayed by someone else’s insecurity or fears? Did I turn to God in my distress? Then finally me... Have I ever betrayed Jesus and my relationship with him out of embarrassment, selfishness, greed or laziness? I speak to Jesus about these failures of mine, knowing he loves and understands.

A Meditation in the Franciscan Style/Action:

Jesus: a Victim of Capital Punishment
We worship a God whose Son died as a common criminal despite His innocence. During this week when we recall the execution of Jesus Christ, we hear our Pope and Bishops call us as Catholic Christians to work for an end to the death penalty in our state and in our nation. Resolve this week to learn more about California Governor Newsom’s decision on this issue, and resolve to do something this week to advance the cause of the elimination of the death penalty in this country (and eventually, worldwide). Make this a concrete task, not an aspirational one…

Poetic Reflection:

“The Poet Thinks of the Donkey”

On the outskirts of Jerusalem
the donkey waited.
Not especially brave, or filled with understanding,
he stood and waited.

How horses, turned out into the meadow,
leap with delight!
How doves, released from their cages,
clatter away, splashed with sunlight.

But the donkey, tied to a tree as usual, waited.
Then he let himself be led away.
Then he let the stranger mount.

Never had he seen such crowds!
And I wonder if he at all imagined what was to happen.
Still, he was what he had always been: small, dark, obedient.

I hope, finally, he felt brave.
I hope, finally, he loved the man who rode so lightly upon him,
as he lifted one dusty hoof and stepped, as he had to, forward.

—Mary Oliver

Fifth Sunday in Lent, April 6, 2025

Justice and Mercy; Do not judge others; God will always welcome us back

John 8:1–11

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus,

“Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”

They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.

But when they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.

Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

“No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Music Meditations

• Come Back to me—John Michael Talbot
• I Have Loved You With an Everlasting Love—Chris Brunelle
• Turn to Me—Chris Brunelle
• It Is Well—Audrey Assad
• Pie Jesu—Sarah Brightman

Preparation / Centering

If done in a group setting, the prompts are read aloud by the leader; otherwise a silent meditation.

Presence of God:

In times of stress and pressure, Lord, it is hard to remember that you are always with me, in my heart and soul. I breathe in and out slowly, silently repeating “Jesus, you are with me”, for several minutes.

[1-2 minutes of silence]

Freedom:

May our promises free us, not chain us. [1 minute of silence]
May what we desire fill us and not entrap us. [1 minute of silence]
May those persons we love finish us, not bind us. [1 minute of silence]
(from Ed Ingebretzen, S.J.)

Consciousness:

Jesus, I sit quietly and become aware of where I sense hope, encouragement and growth in my life. I look at several incidents in the past month that have asked me to discern where I was going, with whom and why. I look at my responses and thank you for any signs of renewed commitment to you and your truth. I pray for resolve.

[2-3 minutes of silence]

Opening Prayer

Jesus, your words: “I do not condemn you” are meant for me as well. So often I have gone over and over mistakes I have made, wrongs I have committed, reflecting on those I have hurt or failed in some way. So often I have found myself wanting. So often I have been accusatory of those around me because they failed to meet my standards, which I assume are everybody’s standards. Help me to believe your words of compassion and help me to extend those very same words of compassion, whether spoken or unspoken to those who have made mistakes, even horrible ones. Open the eyes of my heart and allow me to feel your forgiveness for me, and allow me the grace to forgive those in my life against whom I hold grudges. Help me not to judge myself or others.

Companions for the Journey

This is a short writing from one of the Christian or non-Christian witnesses of our tradition—a person who embodies the theme of the gospel we are studying today.

The following is from John Harrington, S.J., in a back issue of America magazine, the national Jesuit publication:

The Sunday Gospel readings for this Lent have given particular attention to Jesus’ efforts to balance the justice and the mercy of God, the two great divine attributes in the biblical tradition. The narrative preserved in most manuscripts in John 8 (though it sounds like Luke) is set in the area of the Jerusalem temple where Jesus had been teaching. His opponents bring forward a woman caught in adultery. The penalty for such an offense was death by stoning. The opponents want to use the occasion to embarrass Jesus, since he had the reputation of proclaiming God’s mercy toward sinners. If he takes the side of the adulterous woman, he is open to the charge of ignoring God’s law and God’s justice. If he insists on following the Law exactly, his reputation as a prophet of God’s mercy will be open to question. This is the dilemma that the opponents construct for Jesus.

In John 8, Jesus most obviously manifests the mercy of God. Here is a lone woman caught in a serious sin punishable by death. Against her are male accusers with reputations for great learning and piety. And yet Jesus, the wise and merciful teacher, devises a way to get her out of the situation, to save her life and to let her begin over again. Thus he champions the mercy of God.

In manifesting the mercy of God, Jesus also upholds the justice of God. He does not reject the biblical commandment against adultery. Instead he stalls for time by doodling on the ground. Then he delivers a penetrating challenge, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” His challenge has the effect of turning the accusers’ attention back on themselves and making them realize that they too are sinners. It reduces them to silence and causes them to slink away in shame. By appealing to the justice of God and the injustice of humans, Jesus upholds God’s mercy.

In his parting words to the woman Jesus again manifests both mercy and justice. He first says to her, “Neither do I condemn you,” upholding the mercy of God. Then he adds, “From now on do not sin any more.” Jesus knows what sin is. He does not shrink from calling certain actions “sins.” He recognizes that some actions are inappropriate and offensive to the justice of God. He forgives the sinner but does not excuse or explain away the sin. Thus Jesus upholds the justice of God.

At this point in the Lenten season we may need to recognize and experience both God’s justice and God’s mercy. By confessing our sinfulness and determining to avoid sin, we bear witness to the justice of God. By accepting the forgiveness of our sins and by determining to forgive those who have offended us, we bear witness to God’s mercy.

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

“Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her”

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

• The woman has no name, and has only been identified throughout history by her sin. Have I ever depersonalized another or a group, thinking of them only as bad, immoral, wrongheaded, users, bullies scofflaws, etc., and dismissed them as human beings?
• The scribes and pharisees asked Jesus a question, expecting a certain answer. Can I listen to the voice of God even when it is something I did not expect or want to hear?
• Have I, like the scribes and pharisees, been made aware of a personal fault or failing that makes me no better than those I am judging?
• Has my heart and head ever been in conflict on an issue?
• Have I ever expected censure, blame and/or punishment for something I did wrong or a mistake I made, and received only graciousness and understanding instead?
  How did it feel?
• We don’t know if the woman left and turned her life around. But what about us?
  Shall we accept the forgiveness that Lent has made us aware that we need?
  Shall we also accept the help God offers us so we can make the changes we know we need to make in our life patterns?
• Have I ever been challenged for doing something wrong or gauche and exposed in front of others?
  How did it make me feel?
  Was the person who accused me a loved one or someone who was hostile to me?
  Would that have made a difference in my reaction?
• Does the memory of being caught in an embarrassing situation (or worse) make me angry with my tormentors or more compassionate toward those who have been in similar situations?
• I try to remember a time when a big mistake was not held against me….
• I try to remember a time when I stood up for someone when everyone else was against him or her.
• Has something someone said to me deeply affected me and caused me to make a change in my life?
• From “First Impressions”, a service of the Southern Dominican Province:
  Is there a word we need to speak to someone that will set them free?
• Do I think that showing mercy is an excuse for ignoring a wrong that has been done?
  How would I describe God’s mercy to me?
• This is an example of radical forgiveness—that is, Jesus freely offered forgiveness without the woman having to ask for it.
  Have I ever extended forgiveness to someone who did not acknowledge that they did anything wrong or apologize?
• Is it better to extend forgiveness privately in our hearts, or face to face with “the offender”?
• Why is it that when we think of sin, the first thing that comes to mind is sexual sin?
  Why did the people of Jesus time, and why does our own church treat sexual sin as somehow worse that many other kinds of sin?
• Often religions have emphasized sexual sins over other sins. This lets a lot of us ignore the biggest sin of all—putting ourselves at the center of the universe. Have I ever demanded more than my share of the world’s or even my family’s/friends’ attention?
• Considering that the accusers, the scribes and pharisees, were all men, what does it say to us about the misogyny inherent in our history?
  And considering that the man caught in adultery is nowhere to be found, nor even sought, what does reviling and punishing only the woman say about the even-handedness of “justice”?
• Have I ever set myself up as a judge of another?
  There are two behaviors most of us indulge in more often than any other behaviors: Judging others, and rationalizing our own behavior to ourselves and maybe to others. Of the two, which do I indulge in most often?
• How do I keep from judging others?
• From Catholic bible Study on the Gospel of John by Gaetano Piccolo, S.J.:
  What are the mirrors that I see myself reflected in?
  What role to I play in my life’s drama: victim or prosecutor?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Imagination:

I place myself in the events of that long-ago day, imagining the scene at the temple area of Jerusalem where people have gathered to hear Jesus preach. I picture the bright early morning, and I hear the sounds of all the people in that crowded area; I see the packed dirt on which Jesus is standing. Then I notice the little commotion as the scribes and Pharisees—the upright ones—drag in a woman who has broken the law of adultery. Is she someone’s wife? How was she discovered? Where is her partner in crime? As the scene plays out before my mind’s eye, I put myself in her place, imagining how I would feel if my worst sin were displayed for all to see. Then I notice Jesus writing something on the ground. What is it? Why do the accusers gradually fade away? Why does Jesus help me? When he says: “Tell me, has no one condemned you?” I answer “No one, Sir”. Jesus replies: “And neither do I. Go now and sin no more”. How does that make me feel?

From “Sacred Space” 2022:

Where do I stand in this scene: like the woman standing before her accusers? Like a silent sympathizer hoping that something will happen to save her? Like the skulking male adulterer who got her into trouble? Like the bystanders already collecting the best stones with a view to killing? Like the one of the elders who slinks away, unable to cast the first stone? What goes through my head as Jesus is doodling in the sand?

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:

This parable is one we can all relate to if we look beyond the story itself to the human behavior it reveals.

First, other people constantly show us a reflection of ourselves and reveal parts of ourselves that we are unconscious of or deliberately ignore. When this happens we are annoyed, embarrassed or we refuse their assessment. Has this ever happened to me? What about myself do I wish to hide from others, what about myself puts me on the defensive?

Second, what do I think Jesus wrote on the ground? We often project onto others those faults about which we are most ashamed. In what way is this woman a projection of all the men who surround her? In what way am I most annoyed by fault or behaviors in others which are may faults and behaviors as well?

Third, if we define adulterers as people who are unfaithful, can we exempt ourselves? In what everyday ways do we betray our relationships, our physical world, our vocations, life itself? What (money, power, fame) seduces us away from what we know to be the right way to be and live? What would Jesus write in the sand about me?

The scribes and pharisees wanted to make Jesus act as their judge and executioner. Unfortunately, that is sometimes how we view God. Our actions and relationship are often based in appeasement and fear. Instead, this gospel shows us a different understanding of God. Jesus invites us to be free to forgive ourselves because God does, not because we deserve it. Jesus invites us to be free of fear, guilt and open to the mercy and compassion of God. What fears and guilts do I need to be freed from?

Finally, I rest in the wonder of the mercy and love of God, resolving to offer to others the same understanding and forgiveness I have been given.

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship:

By Father Paul O’Reilly, S.J. in “First Impressions” 2007:

I am going to ask you to think for a moment of the worst thing you have ever done, or failed to do. We all have at least one; most of us will have a few to choose from.
Something that I once did, that really hurt another human being;
…some kindness I could have done, but failed to do.
…the thing in my life that I am least proud of.
…the greatest failure.
…the greatest regret.
…the greatest lack of love.
…the one action or word I wish—I really wish—I could take back.
It may be in how I treated my parents,
…or how I treated my family or my wife or husband.
It may be in how I lied
…or cheated
…or stole
…or how I betrayed a friend or a loved one.
I’d like to ask you to pick the very worst…
Let us all, just for one moment, think of that.

And then, I want you to imagine seeing that thing on the front page of every newspaper in the country
…perhaps with a photograph of you looking at your worst;
…the first item on every news bulletin on television or radio.
Imagine being the only subject of every conversation in every pub and bingo hall in the country.
When you walk down the street, people look at you and whisper; children point at you and laugh. And out of all that is said to you, there is nothing you can say in reply. Because every word of it is true.
That is what it is in our day to be a public Sinner. Not much has really changed since Jesus’ time.

But imagine, if you will, that there is someone to whom you go who knows you and who loves you;
…who knows what you have done and what you have failed to do,
…and who doesn’t say it’s OK, because it isn’t,
…but who understands that you are not the only one
…who understands that all have sinned and fallen short of the Kingdom of God
…and who can you give you back your self-respect.

That is what we call the sacrament of reconciliation.
That is the sacrament that Jesus gave to the woman caught in adultery.
If you haven’t been recently, I would like to recommend it to you.

Literary Reflection:

Consider the following poem by Rev. Ed. Ingebretzen (from To Keep From Singing). How does Jesus’ response to sin differ from the response of “the righteous”? Into which camp do I often fall?

“In the Center of Right”

The woman taken in adultery
faces the glee of the takers—
they leap upon her
like shoppers upon the prize.

She wears her fright
like the face on Veronica’s veil
as they toss their cage
of rectitude and certainty,

having caught at last
the lioness smelling of blood
trapped in the heat of love.

We are never safe, she and I—
unfaithful as cats in heat
in neighborhoods where dogs strain
with white, law-edged teeth.

From behind her eyes, encircled,
I catch a bit of her fear;
I feel in my bones the violence
come of being wrong, cornered
in the center of right.

Closing Prayer

From Lenten Longings: Seeing With God’s Eyes:

L: Our past hurts we bring to you, Lord.
A: Please heal them

L: Our past sins, we bring to you, Lord.
A: Please forgive them

L: Our prejudices we bring to you, Lord.
A: Please help us overcome them.

L: Our burdens we bring to you, Lord.
A: Please lift them

L: Seeds of our healing, we bring to you, Lord.
A: Please plant them.

L: Our efforts for justice and our desire to forgive we bring to you, Lord.
A: Please direct them.

L: Our small faith community we bring to you, Lord.
A: Please be our companion

L: Our time together we bring to you, Lord.
A: Please bless and transform it. Amen.

Fourth Sunday in Lent, March 30, 2025

Forgiveness from God is ours for the asking, and we in turn must forgive those who have hurt us

Luke 15:1–3, 11–32

The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to him, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to them he addressed this parable.

Then he said, “A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them.

After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.

When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need.

So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.

And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any.

Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger.

I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.

I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’

So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.

His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began.

Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing.

He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.

The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him.

He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.

But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours.

But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’”

Music Meditations

• Going Home—Bryn Terfel (see music meditation below)
• Great is Thy Faithfulness—Selah
• In the Hollow of thy Hand—Janice Kapp Perry
• Turn to Me—John Foley
• Gracious God—Jesse Manibusan
• I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say, (to the tune KINGSFORD), sung by Choir of Manchester Cathedral

Preparation / Centering

Adapted from Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2025

If done in a group setting, the prompts are read aloud by the leader; otherwise a silent meditation.

Presence of God:

As I sit here, I become aware of the beating of my heart, the ebb and flow of my breath moving and the movements of my mind (pause). All are signs, loving and prodigal Father, of your ongoing creation of me. I pause for a moment and become aware of your presence within me.

[1-2 minutes of silence]

Freedom:

Jesus, I ask you to free me from my own preoccupations, of my grievances with others, of my sense of entitlement, of my need to be right. I ask you, also, for the freedom to seek and grant forgiveness and for the joy that will bring

[1-2 minutes of silence]

Consciousness:

Holy Spirit, Divine Sophia, how can I become more aware of your guidance and care? Do I seek wisdom and understanding? Can you lead me beyond myself to an awareness of the cosmic goodness that is your spirit within me, within others, within this beautiful spring re-creation? Give me eyes to see, ears to listen and a heart to encompass goodness.

[2-3 minutes of silence]

Opening Prayer

Lord, you have no favorites. You understand that some people need more patience and understanding than others. You understand that sometimes we are especially needy and selfish in what we desire from you or those in our life. You understand that we are, most of the time, simply doing the best we can. Help us extend that understanding to those we live with, work with, sometimes tangle with. Help us extend that understanding to ourselves so that we can bask in the joy that is your steadfast caring, forgiveness, and love.

Companions for the Journey

This is taken from “Living Space” 2022, a service of the Irish Jesuits:

The prodigal father

The most striking story in chapter 15 of Luke is the third parable. We normally call it the “Prodigal Son” but, in fact, the emphasis is less on the son than on the father, who clearly represents God and Jesus. No one can deny the appalling behavior of the younger son. He took all that his father generously gave to him as his inheritance and used it in leading a life of total debauchery and self-centered indulgence. Eventually, he had nothing and was reduced to living with pigs, something utterly abhorrent to the Jewish mind, and even sharing their slops, something even we would find appalling. “Served him right,” might be the reaction of many, especially the good and morally respectable. This, however, is not the reaction of the father, who has only one thought in his mind – how to get his son to come back to where he belongs. The father does not say: “This son has seriously offended me and brought disgrace on our family. May he rot in hell.” Instead, he says: “My son went away, is lost and I want so much to have him back.” And he stands at the door of his house watching and waiting… His love for his wayward son has not changed one iota.

No force

There is no force involved. The police are not sent out. Servants are not instructed to haul him back. No, the father waits. It is up to the son himself to make the crucial decision: does he want to be with his father or not? Eventually he “came to his senses”, that is, he realized the wrongness of what he had done. He became aware of just how good his father had been. The process of repentance had begun. He felt deeply ashamed of his behavior and then, most significantly of all, he turned round to make his way back to his father.

The father, for his part, filled with compassion for his son’s experiences, runs out to meet him, embraces him and brushes aside the carefully prepared speech the son had got ready. If the son had known his father better, he would have realized that such a speech was unnecessary. Immediately, orders are given to bring the very best things in the house and a banquet is laid on.

This is forgiveness, this is reconciliation and, on the part of the son, this is conversion, a real turning around of his life and a return to where he ought to be. All this, it is important to remember, is in response to the comments of the Pharisees and Scribes about Jesus mixing with sinners. This story reveals a picture of God which, on the one hand, many of us have not yet fully accepted and, on the other, a way of behavior that does not come easily to us in our own relationships with others.

No understanding

That is where the elder son comes in. He simply cannot understand what is happening. He was never treated like this and had always been a “good” boy. What kind of justice is this? One brother stays at home keeping all the rules [Commandments] and seems to get nothing. His brother lives riotously with prostitutes in a pagan land and when he comes back he is treated like royalty. He could not understand the mind of his father and some of us may have difficulties too. In some ways God is very unjust – at least by our standards. He is corrupted by love! But fortunately for us, he is like that. Supposing we went to confession one day and the priest said, “Sorry, that’s it. There can be no more forgiveness, no more reconciliations. You’ve used up your quota. Too bad.”

Of course, it is not like that. There is no limit to God’s forgiveness. As was said earlier, God is not interested in the past but only in the present. I am judged not by what I have done or not done earlier. Nor need I be anxious how I will behave in the future. I am judged by my relationship with God here and now. It was on that basis that the murderous gangster crucified with Jesus was told, “This day you will be with me in Paradise.” He is promised eternal life “this very day”. It was on the same basis that the “sinful woman”, presumably a prostitute, becomes totally reconciled with Jesus there and then and all her past behavior forgotten. “She has no sin [now] because she loves so much [now].”

All I have to worry about is whether right now I have a loving relationship with God and with all those around me through whom I come in contact with him.

What limits do we set?

There is clearly much for reflection, too, in today’s readings on how we deal with those we feel have “offended” us. In wanting to experience God’s forgiveness, we also need to learn how to be forgiving to others. Do we set limits to our forgiveness? To be reconciled with God we need to learn how to be reconciled with all those who are sources of conflict or pain in our lives.

We thank God that we have a Lord who is so ready to forgive and welcome us back again and again. But we cannot stop there. We have to learn to act towards others in the same way. “Forgive us our sins AS we forgive those who sin against us.” We, too, need to see the person in the here and now and not continue to dredge up past hurts and resentments, anger and hatred.

By imitating Jesus more, we find that our relationships improve. In so doing we are coming closer to having the mind of Jesus but we are doing something else as well. We will find that life will become a far more peace-filled and harmonious experience. It is a perfect win-win situation.

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.

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 does the word “prodigal” mean to you?
• Do you identify more with the younger brother, the older brother or the father in the parable?
  How do you feel about the others?
  Do you think the younger brother is sincere?
  What do you make of the older brother’s reaction?
  What about the father’s response to each of his sons?
  What do your feelings about each tell you about yourself and your relationships, your moral code? Your compassion?
• Have, I ever, particularly in my younger days, felt the need to explore life and have new experiences on my own. Away from family?
  Is this a normal thing or a bad thing?
  What did I learn about myself from those experiences?
• Have I ever, like each son at one time or another, felt “trapped” by a situation I was in and longed to break free?
  Did I stay “home”, but resentful, or did I extricate myself, sometimes disappointing another?
  Did I ever “leave home” without actually going anywhere?
  Did I withdraw emotionally from those around me?
  Did I “return”, and what was my reception?
• Was resentment ever a part of my emotional arsenal?
• Tim Keller (in The Prodigal God) says that the elder son’s pride in his moral record, his sense of righteousness, keeps him from entering his father’s feast. Have I ever felt outraged that my steadfastness, adherence to the rules, and hard work were not sufficiently recognized or rewarded?
  How did I react?
• Is it difficult for us sometimes to see that good things happen to people who don’t deserve them?
  Have I ever uttered “Life is unfair”?
  Have I ever felt I had to be rich or beautiful or accomplished in order to be recognized or loved?
• Could the father been a little more aware of the resentment of the older son?
  Was he cruel or clueless?
  Was resentment of the older son blinding him to the love his father had for him?
• Has there ever been a time when I failed to be appreciative of something that someone has done for me or for others?
  Have I ever assumed that another knew of my gratitude without expressing it?
  Have I ever assumed that another should have been able to sense what my needs were and simply ignored them
• What does it mean to me to realize that forgiveness is a gift?
  How graciously have I ever accepted forgiveness?
  Why is it so difficult to forgive without condition?
  Is there someone in my life who needs my forgiveness?
  Do I hold grudges?
• Are there some unhealthy family patterns that I need to work to change?
• Do I need forgiveness?
  Why is it sometimes hard to say “I’m sorry,” or “I was wrong”?
• What experiences of reconciliation have inspired you in your life?
• Was there ever a time that I was “away” from God, my father or mother?
  How did I get back?
  Did I get back?
• Do I understand that God’s hand is ever stretched toward me, even when I sin?
  Do I believe God always wishes me well?
  In what ways have I tried to use my “goodness” to get something I wanted from God or someone else?
• From Sacred Space: A service of the Irish Jesuits:
  Can I let God say to me; “You are always with me, and all that I have is yours”?
• How might the parable of the prodigal son help me to participate in the sacrament of reconciliation this Lent?

Meditations

Music Meditation:

Listen to “Homeward Bound”, on YouTube, written by Marta Keen and sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. How do the words of this song capture the restlessness of the younger son as he left home to find adventure and his fortune, to find his calling?

In your life, have you ever experienced a need to go beyond the experiences of your childhood and have new adventures, new challenges?

Then listen to “Going Home”, the largo from by Antonin Dvorak’s 9th symphony, with lyrics by William Arms Fisher. A beautiful version is sung by Bryn Terfel, the legendary Welsh bass-baritone.

Imagine that you are the younger son heading back to the father. Do you think he felt as sure of his welcome as the lyrics of this song suggest?

What is it about home that evokes such emotion in us?

Now play the song again, this time thinking of Jesus as he heads for Jerusalem and the finale of his journey abroad from his father.

Where are you in your life’s journey?

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Imagination:

How would you have handled this story if it were your parable about family dynamics to write in a modern setting? (Tobias Wolff did a masterful job in his short story “The Rich Brother” from Back in the World.) What would be your overarching message? How would you want it to end? Are the main characters all male, all female, or a mixture? Does your choice in this make a difference in the outcome?

Who would be the offender, the “bad guy”? Who would be the aggrieved one, feeling wronged? Who would be the “father figure? Write your own short story, taking the time to delve into the strengths, weaknesses and motivations of each character in this modern day parable.

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:

Please reflect on the part of the parable where the son realizes what a mistake he made in seeking happiness in the wrong things, and realizes also that his very life depends on returning home and to his father, and pray your responses to the Father:

After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought: “How many of my father’s hired workers have enough food to eat, but here I am, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him: ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat your hired workers.’”

Did you ever stray from your true “home”, seeking happiness or validation in the wrong things? Was there ever a time that you were away from God your father? How did you get back?

Do you need forgiveness? Why is it sometimes hard to say “I’m sorry,” or “I was wrong”?

Is it difficult for us sometimes to see that good things happen to people who don’t deserve them? How do we deal with this problem?

Pray the Our Father, paying special attention to the phrase: “Forgive us our sins as we forgive the sins of others.” Why is it so difficult to forgive without condition? Is there someone in your life who needs your forgiveness?

A Meditation in the Franciscan Style/Action:

The parable of the Prodigal Son is a story that speaks about a love that existed before any rejection was possible and that will still be there after all the rejections have taken place. It is the first and everlasting love of a God who is Father as well as Mother… It is the love that always welcomes home and always wants to celebrate.

—Henri Nouwen: The Return of the Prodigal Son, p108-109.

This showing of compassion extends to showing it to ourselves.

Try to let go of some issue you have been blaming yourself for, and trust wholeheartedly in the love of God.

Try to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation this Lent

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship:

Read Psalm 32 and let the words of the psalm wash over you. With which of the phrases do you most identify? Why?

Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”—and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.

Literary Reflection:

The following poem by Father Ed Ingebretzen, S.J., captures for us the close relationship God, through Jesus has with humanity, and reaffirms our belief in God’s unending love:

“Creed”

We believe in one God implicit in a thousand faces a God who is not merely kind. He has breathed our mud and lust, graveled feet as we over stones; broken bread, bones. He Is not merely kind. Touch him he bleeds as we, also bleeds burns as we in love’s irrevocable heat. We are to God’s amazing vision crucial —this our endless agony still, endless peace. In large circles we open with God and with God we close and are just begun.

Literary Reflection:

Read the following poem by Wendell Berry. How does it relate to God’s forgiveness of us?

“To My Mother”

I was your rebellious son,
do you remember? Sometimes
I wonder if you do remember,
so complete has your forgiveness been.

So complete has your forgiveness been
I wonder sometimes if it did not
precede my wrong, and I erred,
safe found, within your love,

prepared ahead of me, the way home,
or my bed at night, so that almost
I should forgive you, who perhaps
saw the worst that I might do,

and forgave me before I could act,
causing me to smile now, looking back,
to see how paltry was my worst,
compared to your forgiveness of it

already given. And this, then,
is the vision of that Heaven of which
we have heard, where those who love
each other have forgiven each other,

where, for that, the leaves are green
the light a music in the air,
and all is unentangled,
and all is undismayed.

Suggested Reading:

Stanford Author Tobias Wolff has written a wonderful short story called “The Rich Brother”. It can be found in his short story collection Back in the World.

Closing Prayer

I ask you, Lord, to bless me with compassion, mercy, and understanding for those who have messed up their lives in some way. I ask you Lord, to extend your mercy and compassion toward me, to extend forgiveness for my self-absorption and for the hurts I have inflicted on others. I ask you, Lord, to help me return renewed, to strengthen my relationships with others in my life, to strengthen my relationship with you….

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time, February 16, 2025

Who is truly blessed, in my value system?

Luke 6:17, 20–26

And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground with a great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon.

And raising his eyes toward his disciples he said:
“Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man.

“Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way.

“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
But woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep.
Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.”

Notes on Chapter six of Luke, which is the subject of the next three Sundays:

from USCCB:

[6:17] The coastal region of Tyre and Sidon: not only Jews from Judea and Jerusalem, but even Gentiles from outside Palestine come to hear Jesus (see Lk 2:31–32; 3:6; 4:24–27).

[6:20–49] Luke’s “Sermon on the Plain” is the counterpart to Matthew’s “Sermon on the Mount” (Mt 5:1–7:27). It is addressed to the disciples of Jesus, and, like the sermon in Matthew, it begins with beatitudes (Lk 6:20–22) and ends with the parable of the two houses (Lk 6:46–49). Almost all the words of Jesus reported by Luke are found in Matthew’s version, but because Matthew includes sayings that were related to specifically Jewish Christian problems (e.g., Mt 5:17–20; 6:1–8, 16–18) that Luke did not find appropriate for his predominantly Gentile Christian audience, the “Sermon on the Mount” is considerably longer. Luke’s sermon may be outlined as follows: an introduction consisting of blessings and woes (Lk 6:20–26); the love of one’s enemies (Lk 6:27–36); the demands of loving one’s neighbor (Lk 6:37–42); good deeds as proof of one’s goodness (Lk 6:43–45); a parable illustrating the result of listening to and acting on the words of Jesus (Lk 6:46–49). At the core of the sermon is Jesus’ teaching on the love of one’s enemies (Lk 6:27–36) that has as its source of motivation God’s graciousness and compassion for all humanity (Lk 6:35–36) and Jesus’ teaching on the love of one’s neighbor (Lk 6:37–42) that is characterized by forgiveness and generosity.

[6:20–26] The introductory portion of the sermon consists of blessings and woes that address the real economic and social conditions of humanity (the poor—the rich; the hungry—the satisfied; those grieving—those laughing; the outcast—the socially acceptable). By contrast, Matthew emphasizes the religious and spiritual values of disciples in the kingdom inaugurated by Jesus (“poor in spirit,” Mt 5:3; “hunger and thirst for righteousness,” Mt 5:6). In the sermon, blessed extols the fortunate condition of persons who are favored with the blessings of God; the woes, addressed as they are to the disciples of Jesus, threaten God’s profound displeasure on those so blinded by their present fortunate situation that they do not recognize and appreciate the real values of God’s kingdom. In all the blessings and woes, the present condition of the persons addressed will be reversed in the future

Music Meditations

• The Lord Hears the Cry of the Poor
• Psalm 22 (My God, My God, Why have you left me here)—Psalm Project—captures the plight of the poor, the reviled, neglected
• Psalm 1—Psalm Project feat. Lance Edward
• Palm 34—(a new musical setting) Karl Kohhase
• Blest are They

Opening Prayer

Lord, help me to be open to your word, even as it might make me uncomfortable or defensive. Help me to become more aware of the need to work for a transformation of those systems and attitudes which keep people mired in poverty and others mired in acquisitiveness and selfishness.

Companions for the Journey

This Pre-Note is adapted from Living Space, a service of the Irish Jesuits.

Today we begin what is known as Luke’s ‘Sermon on the Plain’ which more or less parallels Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount. Luke’s is much shorter but both begin with the Beatitudes and end with the parable of the house builders. Some of what is found in Matthew’s Sermon is found elsewhere in Luke as Matthew’s ‘Sermon’ it consists of disparate sayings of Jesus gathered into one place. Luke also omits Matthew’s specifically Jewish material which would not have been relevant to his Gentile readers.

The Sermon, which encompasses three weeks of gospel readings, can be summarized as follows: An introduction of blessings and woes (20-26) The love of one’s enemies (27-36) The demands of loving one’s neighbor (37-42) Good deeds as proof of one’s goodness (43-45)

The parable on listening to and acting on the words of Jesus (46-49) is not included in the lectionary readings for the next three weeks, but actually concludes Jesus’ ‘sermon’. It might be helpful to read the entire chapter (6) before beginning these three weeks of readings.

This commentary is taken from “First Impressions” 2009, a service of the Southern Dominican Province:

Prior to today’s gospel passage Jesus went up to the mountain to pray. When Jesus goes off to pray that’s Luke’s way of signaling that Jesus is about to do or say something very important. After he prays he comes down and speaks to his disciples about God’s reign; he lays out the basics for his community of disciples. In Matthew, the parallel passage is called “The Sermon on the Mount.” In Luke it’s “The Sermon on the Plain,” because Jesus stands on “level ground” to speak to his disciples. He is among them, one of them. He will live the beatitudes he spells out so that they will be able to live them too.

Luke’s beatitudes differ from Matthew’s. Matthew has eight (or nine), Luke has four beatitudes and four woes. The first impression is that, like the prophet Jeremiah, Jesus is also placing a choice before us. Will we choose to live according to his beatitudes or according to what the world usually considers “beatitudes”? What the world values, Jesus says, is worthless. If we place our security on wealth, merriment, popularity and having our fill of food---we will be disappointed in the end. In Jeremiah’s terms, we will be like a “barren bush in the desert.”

If those usually neglected, the poor, hungry and weeping, are cared for by believers then something new is afoot in the world and those who observe it will “hear” a new message. But if the poor are neglected, as we know they frequently are, Jesus says they will be blessed by God---who does not overlook them. But more. Jesus warns those who are rich, filled and happy. Those who are satisfied now, while others are in need, these are in trouble: woe to them for ignoring their brothers and sisters. There is a great reversal at work in God’s realm. We who have eyes to see ought to make sure we observe the reversal and live our lives accordingly.

What the world usually calls the “good life,” if it is so at the expense of others and their neglect, then there will be a great reversal in God’s reign. The believer must live “in reverse”---see things with kingdom eyes. Thus, the poor, hungry and weeping are blessed by God and Jesus promises them fulfillment when God’s reign comes to completion at the banquet table. Then the great reversal will finally be complete.

It would be wise then, for those of us who treasure God’s blessings, to get close to the ones Jesus calls “blessed,” living such a life by responding to the least will show our commitment to Christ and will, as he predicts, receive enmity from others who see and live in the opposite manner. We who live our lives “on account of the Son of Man” will suffer the consequences at the hands of the world. When we do, we can be assured that we too are counted among those Jesus calls “blessed.” We, who have sided with the poor, will also find ourselves marginalized with them. That’s what those who live the new life we have received from Christ can expect.

Our churches can be effective instruments in society as we use our influence to reach out to the poor and speak and take the side of the marginalized. If we receive praise for such advocacy we can be happy. But if our church communities blend well into the mainstream and “receive the first places” at society’s overflowing table, then we need be aware, for we will have gone from the side Jesus has blessed to that of those who have earned his “woes.” Like the prophet Jeremiah, in our first reading, Jesus places before us two contrasting ways to live and invites us to choose---both as individuals and as communities of the baptized. Jesus has reversed the usual measuring rods for “the good life” by his life, death and resurrection. Do we perceive it? Jesus has given us another way to live. He is our wise teacher who knows where true happiness is to be found and he doesn’t want us to miss it.

Actually, it isn’t so much that Jesus’ pronouncement of the reign of God has turned things upside down. But the opposite is true. If there are poor, neglected abused and marginalized people in the world, then that’s the proof that things are upside down. Jesus and his gospel make it quite clear that’s not how things should be. His life and message have put things right side up and that’s the way things ought to be.

Remember earlier in Luke’s gospel Jesus, in the synagogue, announced the inauguration of the hoped-for year of Jubilee. This announcement is his “mission statement” as he begins his ministry. The poor and oppressed will hear the good news and be liberated; the sick will be healed. In Jesus, the great reversal has begun. Today’s gospel is a further articulation of what will be the effects of Jesus’ coming: the poor and powerless are blessed and the rich and powerful will be unseated in woe.

Those who live comfortable lives have been given much to think about and if they follow Jesus they will wisely use their wealth to help the poor, hungry and weeping ones Jesus calls blessed. Jesus doesn’t spell out how they should do that; but the one who has announced the Jubilee wants us to find ways to release the poor of their burdens. The choice is ours and the new life that Christ gives to us makes such a choice possible.

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

Blessed are you poor Blessed are you who are now hungry Blessed are you who are now weeping Blessed are you when people hate you Woe to you rich Woe to you who are filled now Woe to you who laugh now Woe to you when people speak well of you

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 this gospel, Luke has Jesus speaking in the second person” Blessed are you…”, as opposed to the third person: “Blessed are those…” Which is more powerful, in your mind?
  Why?
• In each of the “blessings”, it seems as if Jesus is actually describing a situation that we would normally wish to move away from, and telling us we should rejoice in that situation:
  Did reading these words have an impact on me when I was ever in such a situation?
  Do they now?
  What is in me that urges me to move on from poverty, sadness, hatred and exclusion?
  Which is the hardest for me to move on from?
  Do I feel “blessed” if I am experiencing any of these situations?
  Are my feelings normal human feelings?
  How do I get to where Jesus wants me to be?
• Think of a time in your life when you felt that things were not going well at all (relationships, finances, studies, work). What lessons did you learn from the experience?
  Were there any “consolations” that helped mitigate the experience?
• What does Luke see as the dangers of wealth?
  Do you consider them dangers?
  Has there ever been a time in your life when you simply did not consider what it might be like to be poor and needy?
• What does your political affiliation tell you about your attitude toward those who have no work, no home, no country, no money?
• What are some of the things money buys?
  What are the dangers?
  What can money not buy?
• What makes up your concept of happiness now?
  What do you think would make you even happier?
• What norms do I use to measure “success” in life?
  How would those norms measure up to the Beatitudes?
  Or, are they among the “woes” Jesus rejects?
• In these beatitudes from Luke, Jesus does not idealize hunger.
  What does Jesus mean when He says “Blessed are you poor”?
  What is the danger for me, and religion generally, of making poverty a spiritual blessing?
• What do I say to the 43.1 million poor in America, or the nearly half of the world’s population that live on less than $2.50 a day or to the 22,000 children who die each day to poverty?
  Why is “God loves you” or even “God blesses you” not enough?
• Woes: Why are the rich in trouble?
  How do I define rich?
  How does Jesus, do you think?
• Woes: Why are those currently laughing in trouble?
  What are they laughing about?
• Woes: Why are those currently ”filled” now in trouble?
  Does it have to do with inequality or callousness, or greed?
• Woes: why are those of whom people speak well in trouble?
  What sort of situation is Jesus describing?
• “Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.” Does this passage mean we should never enjoy any of the good things in life because we will pay for that later, or is the message more nuanced?
  What are the dangers of thinking of this world as simply a waiting room for the next?
  Have I ever stopped to think that the only things I am able to bring into the next life are the things I have given away?
• This passage seems to be calling for internal transformation. What should it look like for you?
• by Daniel J Harrington, S.J.
  When misfortune, spiritual or physical befalls us, on what or whom can we call?
  What place do trusting in God and walking in God’s way have in your search for happiness?
  Is Jesus’ vision of eternal happiness merely “pie in the sky”? Why should we take it seriously?
  Where does resurrection come in?
• How can we turn woes into blessings for ourselves and others?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:

Read Mt 5:3ff (The Beatitudes) and then reread Luke 6:20-28. What are the differences you see? Which set appeals to you more? Which set is tougher? Why do you think Luke included fewer blessings and added woes to the mix?

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship:

This set of “Wealthitudes” is adapted from a homily by Fr, Jude Siciliano, O.P. in “First Impressions”:

Blessed are the rich and famous, for they shall have what they want. Blessed are they who cut their losses, and get rid of the losers; they will live to win another day Blessed are the rich and powerful, they will inherit the earth Blessed are the white and well educated, the world is theirs Blessed are they who cry for vengeance, they will be seen as protectors of society Blessed are they who cultivate the right people, they will go far Blessed are they who tailor their morals to meet the marketplace, they will be rewarded. Blessed are Americans for they shall have the earth’s riches at their beck and call

Which of the world’s beatitudes is a particular temptation for you? How do you deal with it? Which of Jesus’s beatitudes do you find the most comforting? Which do you find the most annoying? Which beatitude do you have the most difficulty living out? Which of the woes are particularly bothersome to you? Imagine Jesus saying both these blessings and woes to you directly and looking straight into your heart. Pray for the openness to hear what He says to you.

A Meditation in the Franciscan Style/Action:

from Songs of Life: Psalm Meditations from the Catholic Community at Stanford:

Choose one work of mercy (Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the imprisoned, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, bury the dead), and make a conscious effort to live it out this week. Say the prayer of St. Francis each day:

“Lord make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Teacher, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”

Poetic Reflection:

Read the poem “March 1 1847, By the First Post”, about the Irish potato famine (from the collection In a Time of Violence), by Eavan Boland, the late director of Stanford's Creative Writing Program. How does it capture the indifference of those with a lot of comforts toward thoe who have none?

Closing Prayer

Lord, help me to live an uncluttered life, free of an unnecessary goods and attachments. May I learn to live in solidarity with those who are the poor and marginalized. Help me, Lord, to be transformed from withing so that I challenge the value systems my culture may live by that are not the value systems of Your Kingdom. May you count me among your “Blessed”.