Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear All, Blindness in Christ's time was common. Hygiene was very primitive. Eye doctors had not yet arrived with their magic drops and wonderful lasers. However, what is interesting about this story is that the patient is given a proper name. Mark in his Gospel was not in the habit of being so specific. So, when we read “Bartimaeus, … the son of Timaeus” we know something important is going to happen. Exiled into destitution by his blindness, probably fallen out of family favor (I somewhere read that Timaeus means “respected one”) because of the belief at the time (which we today consider mistaken) that physical disability was also indicative of moral stigma. When Jesus was walking by, Bartimaeus gave Him a raucous yell using not only his everyday name but also the messianic title of Son of David. His eyes were dead but God had gifted him with a first class set of lungs. First the crowd admonished him and asked him to shut up, not unlike crowds (we?) do with unimportant, marginalized people. Even in the crowd Jesus becomes aware of the ragged person who is eager for personal contact with him… to this day, I believe, no matter how frayed I may be or feel… Jesus is not too busy for this personal contact, even within a sizable crowd at the beginning of the last leg of his journey up to Jerusalem about 20 miles southwest over steep and dangerous ascent. Jericho was an impressive oasis city in the first century with palaces, pools and public buildings in the Roman style. King Herod the Great had embellished the ancient city that had become a favorite wintering place for the Jerusalem elite. Close to trade routes it was a convenient gathering point for pilgrims preparing to go up to Jerusalem and therefore a good place for beggars to sit by the wayside hoping for some pious pilgrims tossing a few coins. Jesus instruction to the crowd to “Call him here” combined with the persistence of Bartimaeus seems to transform them from rebuking to encouraging the blind beggar to rise up and answer Jesus’ call. Full of hope and quite faith inspired Bartimaeus throws away his cloak, his last piece of possession (serving as coat, sleeping bag and collection rug for occasional coins tossed his way) and listens to exactly the same question we heard Jesus ask to James and John in last weeks gospel:

“What do you want me to do for you?”. We know how the “insiders” responded, blinded by self-aggrandizement asking for the best place in the kingdom. The “outsider” asks for nothing but that he may see. We witness the last miraculous cure before Jesus passion and crucifixion in Jerusalem, restoring physical sight to a man that showed to have the seeing eyes of faith. Bartimaeus is now free to go wherever he wants, not anymore confined to the one place at the side of the road and he chooses to follow Jesus on the way. The First Reading from the prophet Jeremiah is a profession of joy as the blind, the lame, the needy have been saved by the Lord and are on their way back home from the exile. The sixth-century B.C.E. verses from Jeremiah announce that vulnerable, dependent people are being brought back, gathered and led by a Shepherd Savior. The prophet assures the people that a gentle and loving God is like a father caring for his firstborn, carrying the poor and weak safely home. The “remnant” refers to the survivors of the fallen northern Kingdom of Israel to the Assyrians in 721 BC, who through the exile are finally being brought together with people of all different backgrounds and abilities into an “immense throng”. The restoration of Israel is about the close relationship of God with his people, mentioning Ephraim, one of the 12 tribes of Israel. All three Readings this week are success stories, but not in ways we might at first have thought. It was Bartimaeus’ faith that saved him. This is the true miracle. The restoration of his physical sight can be seen as simply the external manifestation of his faith. This tells me that the reign of God exists underneath, behind or deep within the circumstances of life, even if we cannot see it at first sight (no pun intended). The complete text of today’s Readings can be found at http://scriptures-my-journey-oflife-andfaith.blogspot.com/2009/10/thirtieth-sunday-in-ordinary-time.html With God’s Love and Blessings, Rainer

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Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear All, If we ever were looking for a place where some followers of Jesus appear rather immature, in a real arrogant attitude, this week’s passage from Mark is one of them, when it talks about James and John with a selfish request: “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left”. The Zebedee brothers are cozying up to Jesus for some good seats at the victory party. Their lack of really understanding what Jesus has been telling them comes through when they respond yes without a blink in their eyes to Jesus’ question about drinking the cup he will drink. He had been telling them about his upcoming suffering and death, but it does not fit into their worldview about Kingdom and once again we can connect with them not “getting it”. The other ten disciples become angry, even offended. We do not know if they were upset with James and John or with Jesus for the response he gave: “it is not mine to give (the good seats) but it is for those for whom it has been prepared”. Recognizing their indignation Jesus brought them back together for a ‘come to Jesus’ conversation and we read one of the most important statements in Mark about Jesus ‘mission statement’: “For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve”, followed by unquestionable clarity about his Passion, death and Resurrection: “and to give his life as a ransom for many." Still to this day it sounds rather counterintuitive that to be leader one has to be servant. Jesus clarifies for us that in the gentile world the ruler is served, but in the Kingdom of God, that is in the Christian way “whoever wishes to be great …. will be your servant, .. to be first… will be the slave of all”. That Jesus walked his talk when his humble services went beyond washing his disciples’ feet at the last supper, to dying on the cross ‘as a ransom for many’.

The First Reading is from one of the Servant Songs from the late Isaiah, recorded about 600 BCE. It represents how a faithful Jew is to look upon the sufferings of his own life. A faithful Jew will suffer and his torment will atone for his sin and those of his Jewish community. He sees his life, not as a curse, but a way of God to bless. We can interpret it as a prophesy that came true in the passion and death of Jesus. While I have difficulties reconciling in my own mind a loving God that is pleased when I am crushed in infirmity, when I fast forward to the stronger, more mature person I have become after some of those crushing experiences, I am reminded of an example in the mineral world. The steel only becomes so hard and strong after the iron has been melted to liquid state (crushed?). At the personal level it brings out a stronger more mature person. In the case of Christ it is as ransom for the sins of all mankind. The Letter to the Hebrews, which we have been reading for the last three weeks, presents a passage that encourages us to take our confession of sins to the one priest “who has similarly been tested in every way” and can relate to our struggles, Jesus, the Son of God. The complete text of today’s Readings can be found at http://scriptures-my-journey-oflife-andfaith.blogspot.com/2009/10/twenty-ninth-sunday-in-ordinary-time.html With God’s Love and Blessings, Rainer

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Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear All, The First Reading from the Book of Wisdom is part of the prayers of King Solomon, son of David, the final king of the United Monarchy before the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah split. Salomon was the builder of the first temple in Jerusalem. He ruled during forty years about 10th Century BCE. We read a beautiful poem exulting wisdom above everything, deeming riches nothing in comparison to her with very vivid contrasts of gold to sand and silver to mud (mire). Solomon prayed for wisdom, yet all good things came to him in company of her (wisdom is addressed as a female in the whole book) and countless riches. The Letter to the Hebrews passage this week has a very graphic description of the sharpness of the word of God. While we can’t tell what the distance is between soul and spirit, we do understand the narrowness between joints and marrow. Awesome to know that God is able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. Sometimes a bit frightening to learn that everything is naked and exposed to the eyes or God. We all have had thoughts at some point or other which we really wouldn’t want anyone to know. The reassuring thing about this, our God who sees it all, is that he is also a loving and forgiving God. As long as we ask for it… but that is topic of some future reflection. The Gospel passage from Mark sort of tears me in two directions. Initially I am thrilled to find a successful business man asking the right question: “What does it take to inherit eternal life”. Often one encounters successful people that are only interested in knowing how to become even more successful in the here and now. Be it wondering when the first million will be earned or when the next promotion will be awarded or how to win the next tournament or big contract. Finding someone asking the right question is encouraging. The good teacher inquires about basics. Again the young man is up to speed with

the don’ts of the commandments (not kill, not commit adultery, not steal, not defraud, not bear false witness) and honors father and mother. One can sense that even Jesus is delighted when Mark tells us that looking at the successful man, he loved him. At this point Jesus invites him to get to the next level in his spiritual life, by getting rid of all he possesses to become a disciple. The young man is dismayed (“his face fell”) and he went away. He got stuck on his spiritual journey, not being able to go beyond the basics, to the point that he is lost in history. We don’t know his name or anything else about him. It is here where I personally continue to struggle with the idea of giving everything up. I don’t believe Jesus is asking us to become material masochists. Yet letting go of material things that clutter our lives and freely giving to needy ones has proven a spiritual uplift. I have also experienced what Jesus teaches to his disciples toward the end of today’s Reading: “no one has given… who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age”. I have to admit that only recently I have been able to stay with the reading to get to that very sentence. I used to ‘go away sad’ from this reading at the point of the camel and the needle’s eye. While I am more comfortable with it, I know that I have a long way to go in my own spiritual journey. In summary asking for wisdom and giving freely have rewarded in history, are announced in two passages this week and at some level many of us have experience it in our own lives. May it encourage us to do more! The complete text of today’s Readings can be found at http://scriptures-my-journey-oflife-andfaith.blogspot.com/2009/10/twenty-eighth-sunday-in-ordinary-time.html With God’s Love and Blessings, Rainer

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Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear All, This week we are invited to think and pray about the institution of marriage. The First Reading from the Book of Genesis, the very first book of the Bible, is from the second narrative about creation. In the first creation account from Gn 1:1-2:4, God creates man, male and female, in the image of God on the sixth day. In contrast in the second creation story, from which this week’s passage comes, the creation from man and woman occurs sequentially. After creating man from earth, God acknowledges that man needs a suitable partner, and the living creatures of the earth and sky are formed. After none turn out to be a suitable partner, God forms woman from man. In this highly allegoric chronicle the concept of suitable partnership is mentioned twice. The emphasis on companionship and mutuality makes it clear that man and woman are made for each other. Any subordination read into the sequentiality of the creation is a mistake. Often when priests preach about marriage, one may be reminded of the story about a middle aged woman who after one of such sermons said: “I wish I knew as little about marriage as he does”. Chuckles aside, we all know a lot about marriage, from experience and from observation. Each one of us exists because a man and a woman loved each other and brought us into the world. If we are among the lucky ones, they stuck together and took care of us. This may be a good proof point that marriage is very important. Yet, let’s face it, a great many people are not so sure anymore about the sanctity or even validity of marriage. Men and women keep falling in love and start living together, but, in increasing numbers, they feel no need to get married. Fifty years ago, that may have made the news, but not today. At some level it is understandable. Weddings are not only expensive, but risky. They not always turn out the way we hoped. Marriage has become quite unpopular in many quarters because it involves making promises. “For better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, until death do us part” sounds pretty daunting, doesn’t it? For many that is too risky. So they just live together and leave themselves a way out if things don’t go the way they hoped. On the surface is seems more prudent than making promises they might not be able to keep. To such people the teachings in this week’s Gospel sound too idealistic. Many consider it rigid and unrealistic to insist that two people make binding promises to stay together through good and bad times, after the glow has faded. Lovers should be free, instead of being tied down, is their mantra. But freedom comes with a price, which the children (some of us later in life?) are paying. We have become a nation of single-parent families, with damaging impact to many of their children (higher school drop out rates, etc.) Such families are part of a national tragedy. This week’s teachings from Genesis and Mark have unequivocal messages. They are not easy. They call for courage and sacrifice. The sacrament of matrimony is one of the seven visible symbols that point to and embody a spiritual reality. In the case of marriage it points to the spiritual reality of Jesus’ love for the church. The promise of each spouse to care for the other one implies a giving up of self. It is not anymore ‘me’ the most important entity in the universe, but the spouse. With this in mind, and considering Jesus sacrifice on the cross, it puts things into perspective when it comes to love for the spouse. The generous help of God’s grace to meet the challenges of a faithful life together can go a long way. And the benefits of a blessed life together in companionship are gigantic. From experience I can say, paraphrasing the passage from the Book of Genesis, that “it is not good for man to be alone”…, it is great to be with a suitable partner, the spouse! The last passage of this week’s Gospel from Mark shows us one more, of the several scenes in the New Testament where the apostles are ‘not getting it’. In the best of the intent they shove away children, thinking that they have nothing to do with the ‘adult talk’ they are just having with the great teacher. Jesus ‘became indignant’ and a bit frustrated that his disciples had not realized that children and matrimony are two sides of the same coin. We could call it the coin of Gods creation at work. The moments between the beginning (the Alpha) and the ending (the Omega) of the world, is the procreation of the human race: Marriage and raising children! We know very little about the ‘book ends’ (beginning and end) but we are very present to the creation at work here and now. The final guidance for spiritual positioning of accepting the Kingdom of God like a child as entry-ticket is also unmistakable. The complete text of today’s Readings can be found at http://scriptures-my-journey-oflife-andfaith.blogspot.com/2009/10/twenty-seventh-sunday-in-ordinary-time.html With God’s Love and Blessings, Rainer

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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