Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Waterfall

Magnificent Faith…

And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.”– Luke 1:46-55

The verses above are referred to as the Magnificat a.k.a. the Canticle of Mary. Having traveled to the home of Elizabeth and Zechariah, being received with such joy and as “the mother of my Lord” by her pregnant relative, and, at the sound of her voice, also by the baby in her womb, Mary is given the gift of confirmation of what the angel, Gabriel, had revealed to her:

But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the
Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son
of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.” – Luke 1:35-37

In Mary’s response, we see words of praise and declarations of the goodness of God. Imagine what it was like to be present at that moment?

Now, think of a time when your heart was overflowing with gratitude. What was going on and how did you respond?

As you continue to reflect and pray, in what ways have you, or can you continue to be inspired by this deeply felt experience of gratitude?

Turning to the Gospel for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Matthew 15:21-28, we have the Canaanite woman turning to Jesus, pleading for help her daughter who is not well. At the beginning of St. Luke’s account of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth (the Gospel for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary), it is written:

During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. – Luke 1:39-40

In contrast, at the beginning of this Sunday’s Gospel, it is written:

Then Jesus went from that place and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” – Matthew 15:21-22

Also, make note of the following:

Mary’s actions follow the Annunciation, where the Angel Gabriel is sent to her and she responds with a yes to God’s will for her.

Jesus’s actions follow an encounter with (or interrogation by) the pharisees and scribes about his disciples not following “the tradition of the elders” and in which he speaks of God’s will when he says to them:

“Hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy about you when he said:
‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines human precepts.’” – Matthew 15:7-9

Take some time to consider what leads to or precedes your moments of “setting out” and “withdrawing” and where, or how, the will of God comes into play.

Returning to the Gospel and the Canaanite woman, it is written:

But Jesus did not say a word in answer to her.
Jesus’ disciples came and asked him,
“Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.”
He said in reply,
“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
But the woman came and did Jesus homage, saying, “Lord, help me.”
He said in reply,
“It is not right to take the food of the children
and throw it to the dogs.”
She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps
that fall from the table of their masters.”
Then Jesus said to her in reply,
“O woman, great is your faith!
Let it be done for you as you wish.”
And the woman’s daughter was healed from that hour. – Matthew 15:23-28

Take what you find most interesting about the responses/reactions of the Canaanite woman, the disciples, and Jesus and consider it from a traditional, cultural, “matter of fact, right/wrong, true/false” perspective. What do you notice?

Now take what you noticed and apply “the God of the Magnificat” (the God of mercy, strength, compassion, help, healing, fulfillment, covenant) perspective to it. What happens?

Pray with what you’re noticing at this moment and ask the Lord for insight, wisdom, and inspiration that you may carry into the coming days. How might your faith become more deeply magnificent?

What grace does the Lord want to bestow upon you?

Waterfall

Thus says the Lord:
Observe what is right, do what is just;
for my salvation is about to come,
my justice, about to be revealed.
The foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
ministering to him,
loving the name of the Lord,
and becoming his servants—
all who keep the sabbath free from profanation
and hold to my covenant,
them I will bring to my holy mountain
and make joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be acceptable on my altar,
for my house shall be called
a house of prayer for all peoples. – Isaiah 56:1, 6-7

It’s Not Always About a Leap…

In the Gospel passage for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus says to his disciples,

“Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.” – Luke 12:51

It’s not that Jesus wants there to be division, but rather that he knows reality.

One cannot get to peace by holding fast to anything or anyone other than God. And peace, like love, when honest and true, flows through to us by the grace of God, continues with our cooperation, and connects one and all. There’s always an extension onto others.

However, when one looks to differentiate, judge, or draw hard lines, venturing or being led away from grace, the extension gets cut off. For the peace and love of God does not occur in strict isolation, or in a single caste. Similarly, it cannot be had where there is holding back, or where humility lacks.

Take some time to pray with and consider how you experience peace and love. Express to the Lord your thoughts and feelings about the experiences that come to mind.

Next, ask the Lord for guidance and insight as to the ways that what you say and do, and what you don’t say and don’t do, are or can be an extension of the peace and love that has been bestowed to you. Allow yourself time to reflect on this and to hold a conversation with Jesus.

Envision sitting together in a place of quiet solitude. Share with Jesus whatever it is that you need at this moment. Ask Jesus to reveal any blind spots that may be interfering or leading you away from cooperating with God’s grace. What holds you back?

When the conversation reaches its end, picture yourself looking into Jesus’s eyes and feeling his peace radiating throughout you. Your heart is on fire. Jesus smiles gently at you—living faith.

We are living faith, through the choices that we make.

Stepping Up, Stepping Out…

Having stood next to the falls of Niagara and experiencing with awe the rainbows and mists as well as their thunderous rage, even in a controlled setting, the words of Dr. Seuss, “So be sure when you step, Step with care and great tact. And remember that life’s A Great Balancing Act…”, came to mind upon seeing the painting below.

Imagining the amount of focus, control, and awareness crossing the falls step by step on a wire, once again the word “awe” best captures the impression.

Sitting with the readings for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, these same words “focus”, “control”, and “awareness” provide an opportunity for further reflection on relationship with God. In the first reading (Is 56:1, 6-7), we are reminded of what one can control—“Observe what is right, do what is just;” (v. 1)—one’s own actions; what one’s focus ought to be—joining, ministering, loving, serving the Lord (v. 6); and an awareness through which we ought to live—”For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” (v. 7)—striving toward the same kind of faithfulness to love and equity with which God bestows upon us.

In the responsorial Psalm (Ps 67:2-3,5,6,8), the psalmist cries out, “O God, let all the nations praise you!” (v. 4). The verses resonate or echo the desire to live up to and embrace what the Lord has said through the Prophet Isaiah in the first reading. They call for inclusivity and equity among God’s people—all those who observe what is right and do what is just, join, minister, love, and serve.

With the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans, St. Paul reminds us that love and mercy go hand in hand. This is especially important to consider when forming opinions and discerning choices.

Brothers and sisters:
I am speaking to you Gentiles.
Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles,
I glory in my ministry in order to make my race jealous
and thus save some of them.
For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world,
what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.
Just as you once disobeyed God
but have now received mercy because of their disobedience,
so they have now disobeyed in order that,
by virtue of the mercy shown to you,
they too may now receive mercy.
For God delivered all to disobedience,
that he might have mercy upon all. –  Rom 11:13-15, 29-32

It is the grace of mercy that calls one to exercise an understanding heart, and the grace of love and mercy together that move one toward what is just.

In the Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 15:21-28), the story of the Canaanite woman, provides an example of the grace of God in response to an authentic desire for what is good and just. The Canaanite woman believes that Jesus can heal her daughter and does not allow the fact that she is not Jewish or that Jesus initially seems to turn her away, to dissuade her from seeking that healing and engaging in dialogue not only to ask for what her faith has led her to believe, but also to ask a question that ends up revealing Jesus ministry as being for all people. The woman and Jesus, like God the Father throughout many Bible passages, show an openness to dialogue, propensity toward flexibility with a fixed focus on love and mercy, self-control through respect and consideration in truly listening to each other, and an awareness that flows from a relationship or interactions where all parties have an authentic desire for what is good and just.

Looking again to the tightrope walker, how do they keep their balance? The one pictured above is holding a pole with both hands and using it to maintain their center of gravity, and therefore their balance. At this time in your life, how are you holding onto God, and God onto you? In what ways is God your center of gravity, helping you to focus, exhibit self-control, and have awareness for what is good and just? In what areas do you need God more as your center of gravity? What are some of the ways in which faith has helped you maintain your balance in terms of living and striving to live in a way that exemplifies mercy and love of God, neighbor, and self?

“Thus understanding and love, that is, the knowledge of and delight in the truth, are, as it were, the two arms of the soul, with which it embraces and comprehends with all the saints the length and breath, the height and depth, that is the eternity, the love, the goodness, and the wisdom of God.” – St. Bernard of Clairvaux

At that time, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out,
“Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David!
My daughter is tormented by a demon.”
But Jesus did not say a word in answer to her.
Jesus’ disciples came and asked him,
“Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.”
He said in reply,
“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
But the woman came and did Jesus homage, saying, “Lord, help me.”
He said in reply,
“It is not right to take the food of the children
and throw it to the dogs.”
She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps
that fall from the table of their masters.”
Then Jesus said to her in reply,
“O woman, great is your faith!
Let it be done for you as you wish.”
And the woman’s daughter was healed from that hour. – Mt 15:21-28

Cloud of Witnesses…

With current day events, we hear and see a great deal about witnesses and influence or power. Yet, oftentimes, information can be skewed or lacking in merit, but still repeated and passed along as fact. This isn’t a new problem, though. Perhaps it is more rampant, but nonetheless it has always been the case that for any situation, it is best when sifted through more than once and held in context, but also alongside openness to truth, no matter what, and a desire to earnestly look at the entire picture. This cannot be done with a battlefield attitude or a mindset of “me against you” or “us against them.”

In chapter twelve of the letter to the Hebrews, St. Paul encourages the people as brothers and sisters, which is the way that he usually refers to the intended recipients of his letters and preaching, to let go of the things that hold them back, and to take comfort, draw strength, and be inspired by the example and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior. He starts out this passage reminding his audience of who they really are—brothers and sisters. Then, another reminder when he writes, “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses…” It’s interesting to pause there and not only sit with that image, but also reflect upon it in a personal way. Who is in your cloud of witnesses? How have they influenced you? And you them? Also, what is behind that influence?

Brothers and sisters:
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us
and persevere in running the race that lies before us
while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,
the leader and perfecter of faith. – Hebrews 12:1-2