Dear Friends,
After a nearly 6 year hiatus from blogging I am returning with a scripture reflection from today's Mass readings.
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Year C
Nehemiah
8:2-6, 8-10; Psalm 19:8-10, 15; 1 Corinthians 12:12-30; Luke 4:1-4; 4:14-21
All the people listened attentively to the book of the law.
Nehemiah 8:3
I think this is what is needed: a day when we as a nation come
together and listen to the words of
Sacred Scripture being proclaimed.
Can you imagine? Think about the
impact! What if our nation observed a
national holiday (holy day) in which all businesses closed and the reading of
scripture took place throughout the day and was broadcast across the nation on
TV, radio, and the internet. I think
that would go a long way to fixing the ills of our nation. That is, it would go a long way IF we would
listen and IF we would obey. This week a
couple of issues have commanded our attention that illustrate the necessity of
such an action.
First, there has been the issue surrounding the exchange between a group of students from Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky and a Native American activist. I have not seen any of the videos. However, what has come out in the days following the confrontation is that the initial story did not tell the whole story. Before rushing to judgment we would have done well to heed the scriptural admonition that love believes all things (1 Corinthians 13:7), meaning that we are not called to be naïve, but rather to believe the best about someone until all the facts are in and the opposite is evident. Furthermore, we could have listened to the Proverbs which states If one gives answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame (Proverbs 18:13), and He who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him (Proverbs 18:17). To be fair, a number of those who initially came out against the students have offered public apologies, including the school administration and the bishop of Covington.
Second, there has been the very grievous issue of the state of New York enacting a law to allow abortion up to the moment of birth. Many celebrated this act, including the Governor of New York who is purportedly a Catholic. We are again in need of hearing the exhortation to Choose life (Deuteronomy 30:19), meaning to choose the way of obedience to the Lord, and You shall not kill (Exodus 20:13). Abortion advocates will immediately point out that they are not killing since this is not a person yet. But the knowledge of basic biology should tell us “how babies are made” and that life begins at conception. The very term, abortion, means to bring to a sudden stop a process that has already begun. What is that process? Life! At a minimum one would think we could all agree that the presence of a heartbeat or brain activity certainly signals life, but we have ignored this as well. Again, a perusal through the pages of scripture would remind us that the pagans were those who sacrificed their children to other gods and that the most evil of rulers insisted on the mass slaughter of the innocents in both the times of Moses and the birth of our Lord Jesus. The Psalmist cries out in awe and wonder You formed my inner parts, you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am wondrously made (Psalm 139:13, 14). Here, as in marriage, we are to be mindful that what God has joined together, let no man put asunder (Matthew 19:6).
In complete contrast to this is the life of our Lord who once stated to the devil Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). In today’s Gospel we see Him enter the synagogue in His native town of Nazareth and proclaim The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. He then announced Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing. He who is the Word incarnate calls us to return to the hearing and the practicing of what is written in Sacred Scripture because they bear witness to me (John 5:39). Heeding the written word leads us to the living Word. There, we are called to yield to Him, listen to Him, and follow Him. When we do we will find life, liberty, love, peace, and joy; all things we are truly seeking anyway.
In Nehemiah’s day the people wept when they heard the words of the law because they knew they were not keeping them and, thus, were deserving of the judgment of God. However, God offered them mercy and reminded them of His ways, not to condemn them, but to forgive so they may be healed and right relationship with Him could be restored. The same is true for us. We should not think of God as breathing fire and hunting us down for judgment. Rather, His “pursuit” is one of love and a mission of mercy. Truly, if we die in our sins we will perish. But if we heed the word of God, we will find mercy and live.
I realize, sadly, that we are not likely to have a national day of listening to Sacred Scripture. But nothing prevents the Christian from a continual examination by the same to ensure that we are living as near to God as we can. I confess I am sorely in need of such. Can any of us claim exemption? The antiphon from today’s Psalm says Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life. Then let us do as the people did in Nehemiah’s day and listen attentively to scripture every time it is read or mentioned. Let us hear again the exhortation from Deuteronomy 30:19, 20: I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice, and clinging to him; for that means life to you and length of days.
