Come and See!

The Word…

As long as Moses kept his hands raised, Israel had the better of the fight…
Aaron and Hur supported his hands, so that his hands remained steady till sunset

(Ex 17:8-13).

“Remain faithful…all Scripture is inspired by God… Proclaim the word;
be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient;
convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching”

(2 Tm 3:14-4:2).

Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity

for them to pray always without becoming weary. …
“But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

(Lk 18:1-8).

Pondering the Word…

The message for this week: “Hang in there.”

These are times that try our souls and our patience and tire our spirits. We follow in the same, world-weary, worn footsteps of generation upon generation before us. It seems that, contrary to Santayana’s warning, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” we can’t help but repeat it regardless of whether we remember or not! And even if we do remember, we don’t seem to learn from the past. Ah…we are only human! But let’s see what lessons we can learn from today’s readings.

In Exodus, we hear Joshua must depend on Moses’ recourse with God to defeat the enemy. Moses must depend on Aaron and Hur to keep his hands raised. It’s a team effort, human and divine. This is how our Lord works—through flawed humanity, “grace perfecting nature” (Aquinas).

Paul instructs Timothy to rely on Scripture and to persevere; to use lessons from the past to teach and lead others. And, to hold on to the faith he has known all his life, now come to fruition in Christ Jesus.

Jesus tells a humorous parable about the persistent widow to illustrate the importance of praying always, presenting God as much more open to our prayers than the stubborn judge! But at the end of the passage, Jesus seemingly asks himself: “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” He wonders—perhaps with a prayer to God—"Will all of you be able to persevere in the face of difficulty? Will you work together to find strength?” (He gets his answer at Gethsemane.) “Can you hang in there when the going gets rough and you are face-to-face with your enemy?” “Will the faith you’ve professed be strong enough to see you through?”

Living the Word…

A few ideas for prayer: Who or what is my enemy? (For me, it’s usually myself.) Do I read Scripture with an eye toward lessons I can apply in my life? (For example, do we pray for intentions, but recognize God’s will is first and foremost, as Jesus did at Gethsemane?) Am I willing to rely on others when I face challenges, and am I ready to support others as they struggle to raise their hands in prayer? What do I do to strengthen my faith when my hope is waning? See if you can remember and apply what we’ve shared as you go about your day.

Mon, Oct 20: “Abraham did not doubt God's promise; rather, he was empowered by faith and… fully convinced that what God had promised he was also able to do” (Rom 4:20-25). A good follow-up from yesterday’s reflection. Does our faith empower us? Provision: What do you believe? In the creed, we say, “I believe in God…” That’s great, but it’s an intellectual statement to believe “in” something or someone. The real, and frankly more difficult question is do I “believe God?” Am I “fully convinced that what God has promised God is also able to do?” “This is our faith” that matters when the rubber meets the road. Fodder for deep, heartfelt prayer.

Tue, Oct 21 “Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master's return” (Lk 12:35-38). People who work in the fields tie up their long robes or skirts to sow and harvest, and frankly, to protect vulnerable parts of their bodies. Jesus uses this parable to explain that we need to do the same for our minds, souls, and hearts. Servants keep their lamps lit to welcome their master home. Our “lamps” are our gifts and talents, especially our gift of faith! Provision: What does it mean for you to “gird your loins?” To “light your lamp?” This can be a great and challenging prayer exercise. Where are you vulnerable? Where might you need some extra protection, some extra attention to keep your spirit whole and ready to work in God’s vineyard? (Note: this is not about sin or being anxious. Where do you need the Spirit’s help and strength?) Are you willing to allow others to see your light burning brightly? Remember, the Master may appear, not only when you least expect it, but also wearing the face of the downtrodden, the poor, the oppressed.

Wed, Oct 22: “Neither present your bodily members to sin as weapons of iniquity; rather, present…your bodily members to God as weapons of justice” (Rom 6:12-18). Ugh! Paul uses a lot of warrior images in his letter to the Romans, but hey—he’s writing to the Romans here. He uses language that speaks to them. In the US recently, there have been examples of warrior images being used as a backdrop for the Lord’s Prayer and other of Jesus’ words. Hmmh…I wonder…is the intent the same? Are our government leaders trying to stir up violent passions in the name of Christ? If so, it might be wise to remember what happened to the Roman empire! "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Provision: Be a nonviolent “warrior” for justice. Let’s have our passions for justice stir us to follow Christ’s path of nonviolent resistance.

Thu, Oct 23: “Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division”
(Lk 12:49-53). In the 17 years I’ve been writing these reflections, I have written on this one (or Matthew’s version—"the sword”) at least 25 times! Please, please understand what Jesus is saying. He does not wish for or condone division or violence in his name. He knows, though, the forces that use God for their own selfish and sinful purposes—even if it is under the guise of going back to the letter of the law rather than accepting God’s law of love and mercy—will react with violence and “the sword” against those who work for peace, justice, and inclusion. It is happening now. We see it…or if we don’t, we are blind. Provision: “He shall be peace” (Micah 5:4. As his disciples, we too, shall be peace. In Jesus’ time, the stand-off was between those who kept a death grip on the letter of Jewish law, the Romans who squelched any disruption to their power, and the new Christian community who worked to bring about the Kingdom of God. Where do you stand?

Fri, Oct 24: “I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh” (Rom 7:18-25). You may recall I mentioned a book a few weeks ago, Cherished Belonging, by Greg Boyle, SJ, in which he shares the premise, “We are all unshakably good—no exceptions!” For many, Paul’s take seems easier to accept. But pay attention to his caveat: “that is, in my flesh.” I think Greg and Paul are basically saying the same thing! Provision: Look for the Divine within. We are all born into the fleshy world, with its challenges of poverty, dysfunction, illness, injustice, war. Not one of us is immune. And not one of us is lacking God’s Spirit dwelling within. Take time today to recognize that Spirit in yourself and others, particularly those bound tightly by the challenges of the flesh.

Sat, Oct 25: “The concern of the flesh is death, but the concern of the spirit is life and peace” (Rom 8:1-11). Wow! What a powerful close to our reflections this week! Yes, we are flesh, and it is through our flesh, animated by the Spirit within, that we work together, inspired by the Word, to bring about the Kingdom. Let our faith continue to empower us to be “warriors” for justice. Provision: Pray always to be the Spirit of life and peace in the world. And…hang in there!