October 24, 2010
The parable Jesus tells to people convinced of their own righteousness gives us a chance to reflect on our own righteous presumptions. In Luke's Gospel, Jesus compares two people praying in the temple: a self-important Pharisee and a traitorous tax collector. The Pharisee counts his blessings and tells the Lord God about the ways he tries to be faithful. He tries to be a good man. The tax collector assumes a different posture and attitude - he realizes he depends upon the mercy of God. He knows this mercy is undeserved because of the egregious sins he committed.
Consider first the direction of each man's prayer. The Pharisee addresses God but talks only about himself and his efforts to be good. He wants God to know the good he has done and he spews forth a litany of good works. He is proud of himself because he lives nobly. Although his actions are laudable, he is not a virtuous man. His effort to be righteous merely does not go the whole distance.
The tax collector similarly addresses God and simply asks for mercy. He needs mercy because he did not meter it out to others. His prayer focuses on what God has done and can do for him. He knows he is dependent upon God for mercy because left to his own, he will fail. His heart pleads for God's intervention in his life because of the shame and guilt he carries. He wants to feel better connected to God and he waits for God's next move.
If we consider the ways in which the two relate to others we see a dramatic difference. The Pharisee pulls himself away from those people with whom he does not want to associate. This is not a fruit of real prayer. Prayer connects us to others and draws us together into a unified whole. Prayer makes us want to be closer to others and helps us to see the humanity and divinity in each other. The tax collector realizes he has been separated by his own actions and desires to be brought back into a community.
Of course, this parable exaggerates the two men and we do not want to get caught up in particulars of their characterization. We want to see that we are like each of them at times. We have to examine with the Lord those situations in our lives when we distance ourselves from others; we have to examine those situations when we are separated and want a healing reconciliation. The key to it is to allow the Lord to help us see what is stirring in each of us. Notice God before you dwell upon yourselves.
Prayer is healthy when we address the Lord and ask him to help us see the dynamics present within us. We will flip back to our Pharisee-like behavior and tell God about our actions. When we do that, we turn our attention back to God to contemplate his abiding presence. True Ignatian contemplation will bring up the stuff of our present lives as we meditate upon God's life, but our focus remains on God's presence to us. When we do this, we are like the poor tax collector who learns to depend upon God's incomparable mercy. We become grateful to God who helps us deepen our trust in him. We all want to develop a more secure basis for greater trust in the Lord.
Quote for the Week
Prayer: Socrates
Our prayers should be for blessings in general, for God knows best what is good for us.
Themes for this Week’s Masses
First Reading: In Ephesians, Paul addresses the believers' moral life urging them to imitate God who has forgiven everyone their sins and has shown patience and steadfastness. Each person is to respect and honor the other in imitation of the ways Christ has honored God. All are to be treated with kindness for God resides in the soul of each believer. We belong to a community. We are heirs to God's promise. We are in the household of God with Christ as the head. In Philippians, Paul prays in the gratitude for the partnership in remaining steadfast to the Gospel. He rejoices that the proclamation of the Gospel will continue, even during his imprisonment. Paul longs to be with Christ and he realizes Christ wants him to remain in the flesh for the church's benefit.
Gospel: Jesus heals a woman suffering from an 18-year long crippling infirmity and is rebuked because he does it on a Sabbath. Jesus compares the kingdom of God to a mustard seed and baking yeast. He tells the crowds to enter the narrow gate because many who presume they will enter the kingdom of heaven will not be allowed. Only those who Jesus knows well will be invited. Foreigners from all lands will be invited before many of the Israelites. The actions of Jesus incur wrath at a Sabbath meal in a leading Pharisees' home when he cures a man of his dropsy. He then tells the invited guests not to jostle for the best seats but to choose the lowest so the host may elevate him in stature. Anyone who humbles himself before God will be exalted.
Saints of the Week
Thursday: Simon and Jude, Apostles, are mentioned twice by the Evangelist Luke, but little is known about them. Simon is thought to be the Zealot - to distinguish him from Simon Peter - and Jude (Judas) is distinguished from Iscariot. Simon is thought to have association with the Zealot nationalistic movement that wanted to overthrow Roman authority. Jude is also called Thaddeus and is the patron for hopeless causes. Both were martyred. I find it astounding that we know so little of the Apostles upon whose faith the church was built.
This Week in Jesuit History
• October 24, 1759: 133 members of the Society, banished from Portugal and put ashore at Civita Vecchia, were most kindly received by Clement XIII and by the religious communities, especially the Dominicans.
• Oct 25, 1567. St Stanislaus Kostka arrived in Rome and was admitted into the Society by St Francis Borgia.
• Oct 26, 1546. The Province of Portugal was established as the first province in the Society, with Simao Rodriguez as its first provincial superior.
• Oct 27, 1610. The initial entrance of the Jesuits into Canada. The mission had been recommended to the Society by Henry IV.
• Oct 28, 1958. The death of Wilfrid Parsons, founder of Thought magazine and editor of America from 1925 to 1936.
• Oct 29, 1645. In the General Chapter of the Benedictines in Portugal, a statement published by one of their order, that said St Ignatius had borrowed the matter in his Spiritual Exercises from a Benedictine author, was indignantly repudiated.
• Oct 30, 1638. On this day, John Milton, the great English poet, dined with the Fathers and students of the English College in Rome.
Halloween
Halloween is the third most commercialize holiday following Christmas and Valentine's Day. It has taken on a completely secular character. It is associated with violent horror movies or witchcraft on the one hand or with funny costumes, candy, and harvest themes on the other. Lost is the association with the holy day that follows it on the calendar - All Saints Day.
For Christians, Halloween serves as a good reminder that our souls are battlegrounds for the evil spirits and the Holy Spirit. Let us take seriously that we are to pray to the Lord God to dispel the darkness brought about by these evil spirits so we can be a people who walk in the light of Christ who sanctifies all who believe in him.
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