Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear All, Our First Reading this week from the fourth book of Hebrew Bible (aka Christian Old Testament), the Pentateuch (aka Torah), is an account of the journey from Sinai to Moab (before crossing the Jordan River to the Promised Land). It is called Book of Numbers because Moses counts more than 600 Thousand Israelites fit to bear arms (military service). One of the themes of this week’s readings is about partisan religion. Eldad and Medad were not in the tent when the Spirit of God came upon the seventy elders. Eldad and Medad weren’t there, but they still received the Spirit and began to prophesize. “Stop them,” Joshua told Moses, “Why?” asked Moses. “Would that God’s Spirit come upon all the people.” In this week’s Gospel according to Mark it is the only time the Apostle John speaks on his own. He calls Jesus’ attention to someone who is casting out demons in his name and how the disciples had tried to stop him. John more or less wants Jesus to stop this man because the disciples couldn’t manage it by themselves. But John forgets that Jesus’ first concern is for as many people as possible to hear the words of salvation and to experience the liberation this brings. John was really surprised when Jesus welcomes this anonymous exorcist and tells the disciples not to stop him. Anyone who is not against us is for us. Last Sunday I was in Zurich, Switzerland, looking for a catholic church to attend Mass. The reception of the hotel told me that a few blocks away the Christian Catholic Church had service at 9:30 on Sunday morning. The service had a few nuances that were different from what I was used to, but I thought it must be geographic dissimilarities. During the Liturgy of the word, however, I realized that the Readings (about which I had written my reflections the evening before) were not the ones of the Roman cycle. I learned that the Christian Catholic Church separated from Rome in 1870 after Vatican I, because of some dogmatic differences. I was reminded that all religions have a tendency

to claim exclusive control of the avenues of salvation. But God is surely free to work outside of our familiar religious structures. This doesn't mean that such structures are unnecessary or unimportant. It does mean that we should work in genuine humility to make our own religious structures as open as possible to the saving power of God. It is profoundly reassuring that right after that experience in Zurich I get to read Numbers and Mark telling us that anyone who is not against God is for God. The second theme of today is about ending up in hell for taking unfair advantage of others. The Letter of James is quite explicit in modern day advantage taking, like withholding wages, storing excessively for the last days, etc. In Mark’s Gospel it is quite interesting to note that on the one hand the Lord seems very open and tolerant and yet right after stating “Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ” …. “will surely not lose his reward”, Jesus seems very severe and harsh. Christ takes this very seriously: He does not want his disciples to be obstacles to anyone’s faith. The task of a disciple is to bring people into the Kingdom and not cause them to be lost. It is a scandal to take advantage of vulnerable people who can so easily be exploited when they should be protected and assisted. This is where real sinfulness lies and the punishment is swift and severe. Gehenna was the place where Jerusalem's trash was deposited. It was usually smoldering and was infested by all sorts of pests and parasites. It was certainly not where one would hope to end up. Let us stay away from partisan religion and let us help those who are in need, are two clear messages of today’s Readings, whose complete text can be found at http://scriptures-my-journey-oflife-andfaith.blogspot.com/2009/09/twenty-sixth-sunday-in-ordinary-time.html With God’s Love and Blessings, Rainer

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Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear All, One theme that weaves through all three Readings this week is envy, one of the most hateful sins. The Old Testament Reading from the Book of Wisdom tells how people bring down a “just man” because he makes them feel inadequate (“is obnoxious to us”) by comparison. In the Second Reading from the Letter of James, envy (“Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist”) is identified as the source of conflicts and wars. And in Mark’s Gospel we see the disciples maneuvering for tops spot (“discussing among themselves”, “who was the greatest”). Envy is a desire for superiority that leads to satisfaction at the others downfall. Envy creates feeling of sadness at the others superiority. We all have experiences of envy, sometimes in ridiculous ways that torment us. The cure is repentance, often by recognizing our dependence, like Jesus teaches his disciples in this week’s Gospel, becoming like a little child, depending from God and from others. Dante in The Divine Comedy tells about a woman, Sapia, so filled with envy that she rejoiced at the downfall of her hometown, bringing bad fortune to those she envied. Sapia ends up in purgatory and the cure she undergoes involves her eyes being sealed and having her arm on the person ahead of her to find the way. Understanding deep in our souls our dependence on each other is one way to cure this ugly sin. Jesus’ teaching in this week’s gospel makes it crystal clear, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” We do remember Him doing so at the last supper when as the

undisputed leader of the group he washes each one of his disciple feet, even Peter who initially doesn’t get it. Am I getting it? Am I growing into a state inoculated against the hateful sin of envy?, by actively seeking to serve others and passively becoming like a child in recognizing my utter dependence on God and on others. The final encouragement the Jesus give his disciples, and us, is that by receiving a child in Jesus’ name we are receiving him and the One who sent him. Last Sunday I met with a friend in Shanghai who I hadn’t seen in over eight years. He and his wife are on assignment in China with their three teenage children. They are fostering a baby that was found in a garbage ground at only weeks of age. It needed surgery because of some external head tumor. The baby is now 9 months old, after successful surgery is growing healthy and is being offered for adoption. While reflecting on the last sentence of this week’s gospel I was encouraged by this real personal encounter with someone doing what Jesus taught us. Admiration, a total opposite to envy, is what I felt. The complete text of the readings at http://scriptures-my-journey-oflife-andfaith.blogspot.com/2009/09/twenty-fifth-sunday-in-ordinary-time.html With God’s Love and Blessings, Rainer

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Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear All, In this week’s Gospel according to Mark, Jesus is wandering on the fringes of Palestine, in the land to the north. In this story he is avoiding the hostility of his adversaries and instructing his followers who are travelling with him, free from the crowds during his teachings in Galilee. The miracle is relatively simple and straightforward. He took the deaf man with a speech impediment aside from the multitude and in a personal encounter with the Messiah privately said “Be opened” and his ears opened, his tongue was released and he went on to speak plainly. The miracle story is not only the recording of an actual incident in Jesus’ life, but also aimed at those members of the community (maybe even us today) having difficulties in hearing Jesus. So much noise in our lives, and not only in the sense of sound. There is noise in the sense of disturbance, like static on the phone line. In addition to all the audio noises, like TV, radio, the kids, the neighbors, cars, etc. there is also noise in turmoil in our lives created by our continual worrying about tomorrow and maybe the hanging on to the battle stories of the past. As Jesus called the man away from the crowd, so he is calling us away from the noises of our life to his quiet. A little quiet in our homes, a few minutes before the morning gets going, or after the kids are in bed… just a little time to get away from the noise. Jesus touched the man’s ear and he said “Be opened”. Like in the baptismal ritual the celebrant touches the mouth and ear of the newly baptized repeating the blessing from the Gospel, “Be opened”. When we hear the still, small voice Elijah heard in the cave, whispering that God loves us. Or we may hear Mary’s voice at the wedding feast of Cana reas-

suring the wine stewards and us, “Do whatever he tells you”. Mark’s repeated theme is that Jesus did indeed do signs and wonders, but refused demands for spectacular signs, because he was not merely a wonder worker, but a prophet, a prophet who opens the hearts of all, as the First Reading from Isaiah suggests. Jesus makes real Isaiah’s prophecy from 800 years before, saying “to those (us?) whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God”, “he comes to save you” when “the ears of the deaf” will “be cleared” and “the tongue of the mute will sing”. Jesus makes this prophecy a reality for those that walked the earth with him and for us two thousand years later. The Second Reading from the Letter of James is a first century invitation to avoid discrimination. To stay away from becoming judges of others and making distinction among rich and poor. God has indeed chosen “those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith”. Mother Teresa of Calcutta a very prominent example of the twentieth century, being present to the poorest in their weakest hour. The complete text of the readings at http://scriptures-my-journey-oflife-andfaith.blogspot.com/2009/08/twenty-third-sunday-in-ordinary-time.html With God’s Love and Blessings, Rainer

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