Henri Regnault: SaloméConfident and startling, sulky and sultry, alluring and fear-inspiring, dappled with light and yet somehow dark, gifted with beauty and talent; yet, drawn to revenge and self-interest. As we read these verses that tell us of the death of John the Baptist, and as we look at this beautiful yet horrifying painting of Salomé we might ask ourselves where we stand in this story. We cannot take our eyes from the platter and knife. Has she already washed them clean or is she holding them in anticipation? Has she known that Herod is in the mood to grant wishes this evening or does she plant the seed of the idea somehow days in advance? Does she choreograph her dance to play on the king’s drunken frame of mind?
Plotters lie in wait for years if need be; those who seek vengeance have infinite patience and determination. They use any means and they go to any lengths to achieve their purpose.
What do we say to Salomé if anything? What do we do in this moment of terrible waiting? Do we speak or do we remain silent in fear? Are we distressed as is the king? Do we encourage Salomé as does Herodias? Do we gloat? Do we smile? Do we turn away? Do we cry?
Prompted by her mother . . .
How and what do we enact in peace?
Because of his oaths and the guests who were present . . .
Why do we allow society’s pressures to squeeze us into places of no return?
Give me here on a platter . . .
What terrible requests do we make of God in our moments of anger and fear? What petitions do we lay before him? Does our whispering instigate devious plans or do we speak and work for peace and reconciliation at all cost?
Let us spend some time today with Salomé and wonder who we are and where we stand. And let us consider what it is we might ask for on shinning bright platters.
A favorite from September 11, 2012. Let us consider again the measure of our lives . . .
The measure that you measure with is measured out to you.John the Evangelist speaks of the measure of God’s joy which we will know when we follow Jesus. All three synoptic Gospels (Matthew 7:2, Mark 4:24, Luke 6:38) remind us that we are measured by our own actions; this is the same message we hear from the prophet Obadiah today; yet, do we truly listen to these words?
Countless times in the Old Testament we hear stories of how people are done in by the plans they designed for their perceived enemies. The story of Esther is a wonderful example which I always recall because it illustrates this point in the person of Haman who is executed on the gallows he ordered constructed for Mordecai, the man he envied and wanted to eliminate.
Do we truly listen to these words?
Each time we find ourselves plotting to “teach someone a lesson”: Do we truly listen to these words?
When we worry about the schemes of others more than we place our petitions for change in God’s hands: Do we truly listen to these words?
If we engage in gossip or enable disrespectful or abusive behavior without saying a word: Do we truly listen to these words?
If there are times that we refuse to witness as God asks: Do we truly listen to these words?
When we have given up hope and cease asking God to intercede for those who harm us: Do we truly listen to these words?
When we allow our doubts and fears about God’s love for us and the goodness of his creation to overcome his love for us: Do we truly listen to these words?
When we examine the measure with which we measure others, will we want to be valued by this standard? Will we want to have others’ opinions rammed into our minds? Will we want others to lapse into mediocrity for fear of failure? Will we want others to give up entirely? Will we want others to speak in compassionate truth? Will we want to be measured with the norm we use when looking at others?
Do we truly listen to these words?
Notes from La Biblia de América: Can patience run dry? Does the capacity to lend support have a limit? Our Christian faith teaches us that the answer is, no. It is necessary to forgive seven times seven times – or infinitely. Love cannot have limits. Is this the only message Obadiah wants to communicate? Is he merely acting to break a cycle of violence in his own day, or does he speak to us as well? This briefest of prophecies has as a target the Edomites, a people in constant conflict with those in Judah, the descendants of Jacob’s brother, Esau. The abrasive conflict reaches a height when Edom backs the invading Nebuchadnezzar to destroy Jerusalem and carry the Jewish people off into exile. Obadiah speaks to the remnant left behind after the Assyrian holocaust. Obadiah speaks to us now.
Who are the Edomites in our own lives today? We know the land of Edom well. It is the place where our constant adversaries live. It is the hard heart which envies who we are and what we have. It is the stiff-necked place from where schemes and lies and plots all spring. And these are the places we are asked to measure with the same measure we wish ourselves to be measured. We are asked to measure in faith, with hope, and through love. Let us go to Edom with a full measure of love in our hearts.
LA BIBLIA DE LA AMÉRICA. 8th. Madrid: La Casa de la Biblia, 1994. Print.
If we can find the time this evening or this weekend, we will want to leaf through the first portions of the 13th chapter of Matthew and reflect. The Gospel writer is careful to record Christ’s words; he preserves them for us so many centuries after they were first spoken.
An essay in THE CATHOLIC STUDY BIBLE makes three points about this portion of Matthew’s Jesus Story. First, we must seek meaning in these verses and when we do, we will be rewarded with the wisdom and grace of Spirit’s presence. Second, we must always be confident in God’s promise and providence brought to us by Jesus. And third, leaders of all kinds will have to struggle with the gray world of often opposing forces. The past and present will be linked only when we seek and trust God.
“Parables are the trademark of Jesus . . . [T]hese pointed stories both reveal and veil the mystery of the Kingdom. Unless the listener is willing to probe beneath the surface of the parables, the true meaning of Jesus’ words will escape them . . . [T]rue followers of Jesus are to put aside everything and be fully committed to the compelling beauty of God’s reign.
“Many of the parables in Matthew’s Gospel have obvious moral messages . . . The parable of the weeds sown among the wheat explanation makes the point that the church, like the world itself, is a mix of good and evil. The disciples should not be discouraged by this but be confident that God’s grace will triumph at the end of time and evil will be punished.
“The conclusion of the parable discourse seems almost to be a signature of the Gospel writer . . . Bridging past and present in an open and respectful manner is one the greatest challenges of religious leadership.” (Senior RG 397)
And so we wait. We search. We question. We doubt. We struggle. We turn to and rely on God. We enter willingly into both the mystery and the revelation for the more we know the more we question.
The Parable Discourse is a lesson on how to meet difficulty. It is a graced interchange and dialog with our God. And it is an open door that invites us to enter the world of Jesus. May we be confident enough and bold enough to accept this invitation.
Senior, Donald, ed. THE CATHOLIC STUDY BIBLE. New York, Oxford University Press, 1990.RG 397. Print.
British Museum, London, England: Cuneiform tablet with part of the Babylonian ChronicleGod’s ways are just, and those who walk in pride will be brought low. Those who humble themselves for and in God will be rewarded. This is the lesson we read about today. The great and mighty Nebuchadnezzar realizes that the God of the Jewish nation is more powerful than anything known to humankind, and he wisely bows to the supremacy of this God.
Nebuchadnezzar ruled Babylon at the peak of its power, from 605 to 562 B.C.E. and he took pride in the building of temples and city fortifications. He is mentioned more than any other monarch in the Old Testament. He led several campaigns against Israel (in 604, in 597 and in 586) and succeeded in capturing Judah, ransacking the temple, and deporting thousands of the Jewish people. Nebuchadnezzar fought and won battles against the Middle Eastern powers in Egypt, Israel and Judah, and he consolidated this power to form a formidable empire; yet this powerful man bowed to the power of the God esteemed by Daniel, the bright young Jewish man whose God was stronger than any other power on earth. (http://www.biblehistory.net/Nebuchadnezzar.pdf)
Look for the video link labeled Babylon 612 B.C. How difficult it must have been to remain loyal to Yahweh and to not be drawn in by this grandeur and glory, and how difficult it must have been for the “madman” Nebuchadnezzar to bow to this unseen God when he controlled all he could see. This is truly a powerful God.
Written on April 12, 2009 and posted today as a Favorite.
Our lives seem full of words and in particular this recent election cycle seems to have the very air full of them. Words for, words against, words that describe, words that deceive, words that inflame, words that bring peace, empty words, words that fill, but so many words. At this point in his prophecy Jeremiah has spouted many life-saving words and yet the prophet is being ignored. He will eventually disappear from the world stage but his words will remain for they are God’s words. The words Jeremiah utters and writes down will prove him to be on target and in tune with God. We might wish to be so in accord with our creator. In the midst of so many words we stumble across this verse as we reflect on how we might make God’s words our very own.
Jeremiah 15:16:When your words came to me, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God Almighty.
Jeremiah repeated the words the Lord gave him to say; we pray that we might be so ardent.
Jeremiah spoke faithfully in the name of God Almighty; we pray that we might be so persistent.
Jeremiah lived out the creator’s words; we pray that we might be so authentic.
Jeremiah sticks to the message the Lord gave him to deliver; he does not go off message nor does he incorporate his own agenda into the words he is given to speak. Jeremiah complains to God that he is cursed by many; he says that he ought never to have been born. He lives in pain as a consequence of his fidelity to God; yet Jeremiah does not give in.
Jeremiah delivers God’s words and in doing so he also delivers hope. Jeremiah speaks difficult words and in doing so he makes them his heart’s delight. Jeremiah makes God words his own, and in doing so he makes the invisible God visible.
Jestin Xavier: Journey in the DesertJoshua 24:17: It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our fathers up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled.
There are many deserts in our lives and many places of captivity. They sap our strength.
There are many signs that God performs in his love for us. They bring us hope.
There are many protected journeys on which God shepherds us. We travel safely thorough enemy nations.
God says: I bring you out of the desert because I love you dearly. I perform great signs and wonders for you because I cherish you deeply. I make a way for you through dangerous places because I want to accompany you. I protect you in each day’s journey because I want to abide with you. I myself have brought you out of arid places to a fertile place where you will flourish. I have great plans in mind for you. I want to free you from that binds you and keeps you from celebrating your freedom in joy with me.
When we feel trapped in our lives, we must ask God for freedom.
When we face insurmountable obstacles in our daily journey, we must ask God to make a way for us.
When we fear for our safety and fret over the enemies who will take us captive, we must ask God for protection.
Enter the word Egyptinto the blog search box for more reflections on making a journey with God’s protection, or go to the Journeys of Transformation page and consider making a journey this coming week-end.
Psalm 30:6: At night there are tears, but joy comes with the dawn.
The darkness of night seems to magnify our fears; demons multiply when shadows fall. The morning light dispels our aches, pains and fears. If only we might live constantly in those moments of first light.
God says: I understand why you fear the darkness; it is where the wicked spend their time. I appreciate how much you love the light and how hard you work to bring light into the darkness. Jesus comes to you each day in both obvious and subtle ways to replenish and nourish the energy that drains as you struggle with your dark hours. My Spirit abides with you endlessly to lift you when you are down, to animate you when you are discouraged. I defend, protect, call and unite you. The darkness is empty and hollow, and has no power over you. Live in me and you will have the light with you always. With me joy abides. In me the Spirit lives. For me Jesus saves. Come, and remain in me.
It is possible to live in the light even though we are surrounded by darkness.
For more reflections about dispelling the dark, type the word Light in the blog search box and see where the light leads you. Click on the image above to read a story about two brothers and the lesson that the “first light” brought to them.
John 14:16-17:Jesus taught us saying, “I shall ask the Father, and he will give you another Paraclete to be with you forever, the Spirit of truth whom the world canhttps://stockcake.com/s/dove-painting never accept since it neither sees nor knows him; but you know him, because he is with you, he is in you”.
We tend to think of ourselves as independent, separate beings; we believe that our skin holds our organs in and the world out, and yet we know this thinking to be incorrect. The human skin is a porous organ with billions of pores that act as gateways to the world; and just so does the Paracletepermeate our souls and call us to God.
And God says: No matter how much you try to remain apart from me, I will be with you. No matter how much you struggle to remain separate from me, I will be in you. This is incontrovertible. This is immutable. This is absolute. My eternal truth will be with you and in you always for this is how much I love you.
We are God’s well-loved creatures. God’s Spirit abides within us. We are loved. Let us act as though we understand that it is Godwho made us, and Godwho is in us.
Enter the words Holy Spirit in the blog search box, see what comes up, and spend some time reflecting on what it means when Jesus says that God is in us.
Psalm 18:26-27: With the faithful you show yourself faithful, O God; with the forthright you show yourself forthright. With the pure you show yourself pure, but with the wicked you are wily.
God is greater than any evil we encounter in our lives. God is more forgiving than any compassion we may be shown. God is more gentle, more kind, more persevering and forgiving than we can imagine. God endures. God does not give up or give in.
God says: Do you find it difficult to think of me as wily when I deal with the wicked? I am prudent with them just as I ask you to be. I know that the wicked believe in themselves more than they believe in me. I know that many of the wicked are fearful and so I call them to serenity just as I call you. I have created all of humanity and my hope is that each of you will rise to the fidelity, the purity, the forthrightness and holiness that calls you. When you meet the wicked and do not know how to handle them, call on me. My wiliness is far greater than their evil.
The practices of the wicked lead us away from life eternal.
The practices of fidelity lead us to a life of purity.
The practice of forthrightness leads us to a life of honesty.
The practice of prudence leads us always back to God.
The Noontimes 