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1 Samuel 25: The Inverted Kingdom – Part VI

Posted in Favorite, Web site included, tagged , , , , , on January 22, 2024| Leave a Comment »


1 Samuel 25: The Inverted Kingdom – Part VI

Monday, January 22, 2024

Ernst Josephson: David and Saul

Ernst Josephson: David and Saul

Today and tomorrow we remember this Favorite from October of 2007 as we explore how the story of David, Saul, Nabal and Abigail presage the coming of Christ’s inverted kingdom.

Reading closely, we see that Saul fears David because he sees how closely David follows God. This obedience threatens King Saul and even stirs envy. He knows that despite the favor God has shown him, he struggles to obey.

For his part, David refuses to kill Saul, even when he has been presented with opportunities to do so. David understands that God has anointed both men as present and future king. He also understands that God’s plan is the ultimate plan and, unlike Saul, David does not succumb to the sin of “pride of self.” David understands that his authority comes from God, not from his own cleverness, good works or talent.

This interplay infuriates Saul who attacks David and then ostracizes him. In the ensuing battles, David repeatedly spares Saul’s life – which angers Saul even further. We might see these same dynamics playing out in our own lives. If so, let us see where we stand and who we are. The loyal and vulnerable David or the troubled, envious Saul?

Joseph Schonmann: David and Abigail

Joseph Schonmann: David and Abigail

In today’s story, we read about Abigail, an intelligent, reverent, patient woman, married to an alcoholic. She does not succumb to the twisted world of co-dependence and she understands that she is powerless in the face of certain “givens” of ancient times. She has little influence in the affairs of her husband; yet she lives her invisible life in a visible way. She must take sustenance from her confidence in God, act in a way that does not enrage an already angry master, and she must address injustice as best she can. Throughout this ordeal, we see that she continues to rely on God.

We also see the loyalty of Abigail’s servants.  Knowing of the struggle between Saul and David, they realize that their entire household is naked against the band of David’s rebels. They are also keenly aware that their master is wealthy but a drunkard; and that his churlishness has placed them in a dangerous situation. They go to Abigail who takes action in a calm, quiet and respectful manner. She wins their safety, and then waits until the morning when her husband is sober to let him know what she has done – that she has saved them. The hand of God acts to seal their safety as we see the results of Nabal’s courage.

As we reflect on these ancient tales and see the lessons of inversion – where the strong are weak and the weak are strong – and we anticipate their unfolding in the New Testament story of Jesus of Nazareth.

Tomorrow, the inversion that Jesus teaches.

Images from: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ernst_Josephson._-_David_och_Saul.JPG and https://www.artrenewal.org/artworks/david-and-abigail/joseph-schonmann/3469

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Ezra 6:18-22: Marvels – Part II, A Reprise

Posted in Favorite, Web site included, tagged , , on November 17, 2023| Leave a Comment »


Ezra 6:18-22: Marvels – Part II, A Reprise

Friday, November 17, 2023

Positive reinforcement word Miracles engraved in a rock

A Favorite from October 27, 2009.

We have recently lived through another cycle in which a few believe that not only are they beyond any human measure, they are also beyond the need of divine marvels. We might look at these modern-day versions of corruption and believe ourselves removed. We may look at the Israelites of Ezra’s day who return to their burned out city to work for its restoration and think that we would not have erred as they did. We watch as they promise that never again will they forget the gift of Passover which they have received, and we will also watch as we read the New Testament story in yesterday’s Gospel in Luke 13:10-17 as we see the leader of the synagogue complain because Jesus cures a woman on the Sabbath. On that day the whole crowd rejoiced at the splendid deeds done by him.

We ask ourselves the following questions. How easily do we forget our pattern of looking out for self rather than the group? How often do we place ourselves beyond the norm and sometimes attribute gifts to ourselves which rightly belong to God? Why, when we read about these exiles, do we look away from the Levites who fall into the same corruption for which this tribe now repents?

Reflecting on all of this, can we see that the best safety and surety we can seek is not the amount of money or power we can amass; but rather our relationship with God? Can we acknowledge that it is God who comforts and God who is present in every minute of our lives? Our cleanliness and lack of corruption do not stem from any rituals we perform or any friends we might have; but rather, we sleep peacefully, we work willingly, we play joyfully and we love openly when we remember well the marvels the Lord has done for us. 

For more reflections on the marvels God has worked for us, explore posts in the Miracles category or on the Miracles page in this blog.   

Image from: http://philipyancey.com/jesus-and-miracles  

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Ezra 6:18-22: Marvels – Part I, A Reprise

Posted in Favorite, tagged , , , , on November 16, 2023| Leave a Comment »


Ezra 6:18-22: Marvels – Part I, A Reprise

2ndtemple

Depiction of the Second Temple

Thursday, November 16, 2023

A Favorite from October 27, 2009.

It must have seemed unreal to the Israelites – after praying for years – to not only return to Jerusalem but also to receive safe passage and assistance from the dynasty which had first overtaken them and then carried them into exile.  The people who had been in darkness were finally seeing a light; the tears they had sown in mourning were about to be harvested in joy.  The dream expressed in Psalm 126 – the response in today’s liturgy – was finally arriving in full force: The Lord has done marvels for us . . . Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the torrents in the southern desert.  Those that sow in tears shall reap rejoicing . . . The Lord has done marvels for us . . . Although they go forth weeping, carrying the seed to be sown, they shall come back rejoicing, carrying their sheaves . . . The Lord has done marvels for us.

In these days when our national and international environment tells us a variety of stories of men who con society, who offer bold-faced lies in an effort to cover their devious tracks, or who commit crimes in the open when expressing innocence, we might connect with Ezra’s words. He reports that the Emperor Darius  searched records looking for the promise made earlier that Jerusalem will be rebuilt and celebrated. Knowing that all that is precious that can be discovered and revived, we will easily proclaim: The Lord has done marvels for us.

In an era when the innocent cry 0ut to be heard, the marginalized ask for a seat at the table, and those who suffer at the hands of autocrats struggle to breath freely, we might take Ezra’s prophecy to heart. Returning from exile, they uncovered old haunts along familiar streets and byways. Admitting their culpability and celebrating their survival , the survivors of Jerusalem’s devastation can announce: The Lord has done marvels for us.

Where do we see ourselves in this story? How do we respond to this truth? When do we come forward to likewise declare: The Lord has done marvels for us.

Tomorrow, the crowd rejoices.

For more about Ezra and the second Temple, click on the image above or visit: http://www.foundationsforfreedom.net/References/OT/Historical/Ezra/Ezra00Intro.html

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1 Maccabees 5:11-27: The Holy Place

Posted in Favorite, Web site included, tagged , , on November 15, 2023| Leave a Comment »


1 Maccabees 5:11-27: The Holy Place

antiochus_original

Antiochus

Wednesday, November 15, 2023

 A Favorite from November 4, 2009.

Puffed up in spirit, Antiochus did not realize that it was because of the sins of the city’s inhabitants that the Lord was angry for a little while and hence disregarded the holy Place.

Today’s reading is a frightening one and yet in verse 17 we find the key to all that baffles us when we suffer.  We become puffed up when things go well, thinking that we have achieved all on our own, forgetting that God is the source of every goodness that comes to us. We, like Antiochus the hated pagan invader, pay no heed to holy places or holy people when we tumble head long in our belief that we have created our own good. We, like Antiochus may succeed for a while and may even feel a certain pride in what we believe we have accomplished alone. And we, like Antiochus will live a troubled and violent life.

Once, when I was at a low point in my life, I asked God why a particular holy place had been breached and the holy people routed. My answer came immediately: All earthly temples are violated eventually. All the faithful will suffer in God’s name.

When we feel squeezed, when we feel oppressed, when we feel unjustly condemned, when our holy places are violated and holy people broken, we can be assured that the Lord has not chosen the people for the sake of the Place, but the Place for the sake of the people (verse 19). We can rest in the knowledge that with or without the place, with or without the rest of the faithful, we can be holy, we can be constant, we can find within ourselves the Holy Place in where dwells the Spirit. We can rest in God because God alone is holy.

Image from: http://eekman.com/virtual_gallery/sculptures/antiochus.shtml

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Sirach 3:17-29: An Attentive Ear

Posted in Mini-Noontime, tagged , , , , , , , on September 23, 2023| Leave a Comment »


Sirach 3:17-29: An Attentive Ear

Saturday, September 23, 2023

Woman whispering and woman listening on a white background

These words are so simple. These words ask so little. These words bring us so much.

Be humble in everything you do, and people will appreciate it more than gifts.

God says: Listen to the words of my servant Sirach. Watch the actions of my incarnate self. Ease into the hands of my always-present Spirit. Be humble, as I am humble. You will receive more than you can imagine.

Don’t try to understand things that are too hard for you, or investigate matters that are beyond your power to know. Concentrate on the Law, which has been given to you. You do not need to know about things which the Lord has not revealed, so don’t concern yourself with them. 

God says: When I ask you to focus on the Law, I am speaking of the Law of Love that I show you in the life of Christ. Love your enemies. Gather those on the margins and tend to them. Your reward in this life and in the next is waiting for you.

Many people have been misled by their own opinions; their wrong ideas have warped their judgment.

God says: It is tempting to listen to yourself alone. While it is true that you need to test the teachers, prophets and spirits to see if they come from me, remember that listening to yourself alone is dangerous for it narrows your world. Open your ears to my voice and attend my wisdom.

Stubbornness will get you into trouble at the end. If you live dangerously, it will kill you. A stubborn person will be burdened down with troubles. 

God says: The attentive ear is always open and discerning because it spends more time listening to me than any other voice that clamors for your attention. When you listen to me, your hear good news that overwhelms the chaos of the world.

There is no cure for the troubles that arrogant people have; wickedness has taken deep root in them. Intelligent people will learn from proverbs and parables. They listen well because they want to learn.

God says: When you think more of yourself than you do of others, you cannot hear my voice. Your ear cannot attend. Your eye no longer sees the beauty that surrounds you. Put your pride behind you and follow me. Open your eyes. Open your ears. Open your heart. The peace and joy I have already planted in you will begin to grow and flourish. Hope and fidelity and love will mark you as my own.

Image from: https://progressity.wordpress.com/2012/07/02/why-listening-is-the-most-important-leadership-skill-and-how-you-can-improve-yours/

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Job 8: Taking the Dare – Part II

Posted in Favorite, tagged , , , , , , on May 18, 2023| Leave a Comment »


Job 8: Taking the Dare – Part II

Vladimir Borovikovsky: Job and his Friends

Vladimir Borovikovsky: Job and his Friends

Thursday, May 18, 2023

Satan believes that he can tempt Job into doubting God’s abiding friendship. Job’s friends make conditions worse. Today we read a speech from Bildad who believes that Job has brought ruin upon himself; but this friend is not privy to Satan’s challenge and dare as we are.  Bildad operates from his own experience and from the information he has at hand; he believes that Job has sinned and that he suffers as a result. There is no calculus in his mind for innocent suffering, and so here and in his second speech (Chapter 18) he encourages Job to confess and repent of his wrongdoing. This is something Job cannot do, of course, for he has not sinned. There is nothing to confess. He suffers innocently.

Teresa of Ávila is correct. Our intimate relationship with God is a challenging and arduous journey. Rather than being a state of mind or condition, it is a process in which our hubris, fear, suspicion and independence are winnowed away until we are left with humility, obedience, trust and love. When we meditate on the entire story of Job we are given the opportunity to examine our own journey with God and the quality of our faithfulness. Do we cling to God because of favors that might be granted us? Do we count God as a friend because we hope to receive certain blessings? Is this a relationship in which we do for God only because God is the best bet, carries the greatest weight, wields the greatest force and is the generally accepted deity? Or do we claim God as our own because God claims us? Do we humble ourselves before God because we understand that we are creatures created from God’s love? Do we hand ourselves over as objects of the dare – as Job does – because ultimately we trust God more than we trust ourselves?

If a friend approaches us in our misery and encourages us to fess up about something we have done when we have, in fact, done nothing to merit our pain: what is our response? Do we enter into the dare? Do we count on ourselves and our own resources? Or do we count on God?

Adapted from a favorite written on May 5, 2010.

Image from: https://catholicyearoffaith.wordpress.com/2012/07/03/faith-in-the-book-of-job-part-1/

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Luke 18:9-14: More than Ourselves

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on March 4, 2023| Leave a Comment »


Luke 18:9-14: More than Ourselves

pharisee-publican-praying-j

James Tissot: The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Saturday, March 4, 2023

Jesus tells his next story to some who were complacently pleased with themselves over their moral performance and looked down their noses at the common people.

The story begins in this way . . . Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax man.

“I know this one,” we tell ourselves. But do we really?

“I am the Tax Man,” we say as we move quickly through the verses. But do family, friends and strangers alike see us this way?

“I am humble,” we continue, “and so will be made great”. But is this all there is to the story?

Jesus reminds us: If you walk around with your nose in the air, you’re going to end up flat on your face, but if you’re content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself.

It is likely that most of us are both tax man and Pharisee as we move through our days; and it is certain that God’s forgiving heart heals our wounds and forgives our errors. When we read various versions of this well-known story, the impact of the daily choice we make to accept our foibles and forgive faults in others is evident. And it is certain that when we lay all that we are and all that we do in God’s able hands, we allow God’s great love to make us more than we ever might have dreamt.

This is God’s great kingdom and commandment of love at work. This is the power of the love that Jesus brings to the world. This is the effect and outcome of the Spirit’s nurturing, healing presence. For even when we walk with our noses in the air, God makes a way for us to become more than ourselves.

As we consider the tax men and Pharisees in our lives and where we place our hopes and build alliances, we better understand the reality of this week’s Lenten practice. Rather than thinking: “The dream of peace is an unreal and distant illusion,” let us think instead, “The dream of peace we hold is present in God’s kingdom. And God’s kingdom is now”.

Click on the image above for a study and reflection on these verses, or visit: http://www.swordofthespirit.net/bulwark/february2014p8.htm 

Tomorrow, you have seen him.

Image from: http://www.swordofthespirit.net/bulwark/february2014p8.htm

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2 Chronicles 26: Pride and Fall

Posted in Favorite, Web site included, tagged , , , , , , on February 5, 2023| Leave a Comment »


2 Chronicles 26: Pride and Fall

Sunday, February 5, 2023

Rembrandt: The King Uzziah Stricken with Leprosy

Rembrandt: The King Uzziah Stricken with Leprosy

This chapter in 2 Chronicles tells us a great deal about Uzziah, a promising man who falls when he presumes that he can be God to himself and others in the way he chooses.  He might represent the perennial flaw in humankind.

But after he had become strong, he became proud to his own destruction and broke faith with the Lord, his God.

And how did this happen?

He entered the temple of the Lord to make an offering on the altar of incense.

Why was this incorrect?

But Azariah the priest, and with him eighty other priests of the Lord, courageous men, followed him . . . saying to him: “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests . . . who have been consecrated for this purpose”. 

Today, we each bring our offerings to the Lord.  Christian liturgies often provide a time when we can offer ourselves back to God both collectively and individually. These moments give us the opportunity to be priests ourselves. They bring us the opening to enter fully into relationship with God, in our personal service to God on the manner God shows us. The Old Testament Law asks us to remain in covenant with the Lord and to serve God with burnt offerings and sacrifice. The New Testament Law of Love asks us to live the Beatitudes in an intentional way. Both Testaments bring us a yardstick with which we might measure our adherence to this law, our fulfillment of old statutes, our flowering in Christ. The presence of Christ that we bring to our troubled world.

Today’s readings in MAGNIFICAT are God’s constancy and ours.  Our fidelity to God and to one another. God’s law is not a set of arbitrary rules but the concrete shape given to the lasting covenant that God has made with human beings – broken many times by faithless people, kept from generation to generation by our God.  God’s faithful constancy is an anchor in an ever-shifting world, where love declared today is spurned tomorrow, and all other certainties are blown away by the wind. Even when those who love us are inconstant, we must remain constant in our love of them for in this way we reflect God’s constancy to us.

Pride calls us to our false selves. Constancy in God helps us to remain faithful in God. The story of Uzziah is one in which we may see ourselves or others puffing up in self-importance, blinding our vision to the fall that inevitably follows. God’s Law of fidelity and gratitude never fails; it brings flourishing rather than destruction. God’s laws are the statutes we teach ourselves and our children. They are the laws that open us to possibility, and that bind our hearts forever to God.

On this last Sunday before Lent, let us consider the temptation to  ignore pride in our own lives. And let us determine to remain constant and faithful to God.

Adapted from a reflection written on February 27, 2008.

Cameron, Peter John. “Meditation of the Day.” MAGNIFICAT. 27.2 (2008). Print.

Image from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uzziah

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James 3:13-4:10: Envy

Posted in Mini-Noontime, tagged , , , , , , , on November 12, 2022| Leave a Comment »


James 3:13-4:10: Envy

Saturday, November 12, 2022envy

“Within this call to conversion, James develops the theme of envy as exemplifying the measure of the world . . . Why is envy so singled out? Because its underlying assumption is that your gain is my loss. This is the opposite of the Spirit of the community, where all gain by anyone’s growth and all rejoice in anyone’s good fortune. Envy causes me to sorrow when another has something I lack. And when life is measured simply in terms of what I possess – ‘I am what I have’ – then for another to have and me to lack is intolerable. Envy drives the acquisitive instinct . . . the step is a short one to conflict, war, and murder, not only between individuals but also between nations . . . It is remarkable that this passage, which alone in the New Testament analyzes the causes of human conflict, should play so little role in moral discussions of war and peace”. (RG 551-552)

God says: James is correct when he tells you that envy is often at the root of your violence and anger. He is also correct when he points out that life in the Spirit means that you feel joy when one of you rejoices and sadness when one of you is in pain. Your friendship with me brings much than consolation; it brings you the ability to see the world as I see it, full of potential for goodness. I resist those who are full of pride in themselves and I nurture those who look for life in me. When you agree to live in The Way you will no longer be envious of others and you will celebrate when any one of you does well because you will understand that all good things come from me. When you are envious of others I am saddened, for your envy tells me that you do not understand my generosity. When you make war against one another I grieve,  for I can see that you do not understand my love. James is bringing my message to you . . . take time with it today.

Enter the word envy into the blog search bar and explore.

Senior, Donald, ed. THE CATHOLIC STUDY BIBLE. New York, Oxford University Press, 1990.RG 551-552. Print.

Image from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-couch/201307/why-women-fear-envy-and-why-we-dont-need

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