Thursday, October 8, 2015
Thursday, September 24, 2015
RE: 09.24.15~Readings for 26th Sunday
September 27, 2015
Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 137
Reading 1NM 11:25-29
The LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses.
Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses,
the LORD bestowed it on the seventy elders;
and as the spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied.
Now two men, one named Eldad and the other Medad,
were not in the gathering but had been left in the camp.
They too had been on the list, but had not gone out to the tent;
yet the spirit came to rest on them also,
and they prophesied in the camp.
So, when a young man quickly told Moses,
"Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp, "
Joshua, son of Nun, who from his youth had been Moses’aide, said,
"Moses, my lord, stop them."
But Moses answered him,
"Are you jealous for my sake?
Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets!
Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!"
Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses,
the LORD bestowed it on the seventy elders;
and as the spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied.
Now two men, one named Eldad and the other Medad,
were not in the gathering but had been left in the camp.
They too had been on the list, but had not gone out to the tent;
yet the spirit came to rest on them also,
and they prophesied in the camp.
So, when a young man quickly told Moses,
"Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp, "
Joshua, son of Nun, who from his youth had been Moses’aide, said,
"Moses, my lord, stop them."
But Moses answered him,
"Are you jealous for my sake?
Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets!
Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!"
Responsorial PsalmPS 19:8, 10, 12-13, 14
R. (9a) The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
the decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
the ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
Though your servant is careful of them,
very diligent in keeping them,
Yet who can detect failings?
Cleanse me from my unknown faults!
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
From wanton sin especially, restrain your servant;
let it not rule over me.
Then shall I be blameless and innocent
of serious sin.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
the decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
the ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
Though your servant is careful of them,
very diligent in keeping them,
Yet who can detect failings?
Cleanse me from my unknown faults!
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
From wanton sin especially, restrain your servant;
let it not rule over me.
Then shall I be blameless and innocent
of serious sin.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
Reading 2JAS 5:1-6
Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries.
Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten,
your gold and silver have corroded,
and that corrosion will be a testimony against you;
it will devour your flesh like a fire.
You have stored up treasure for the last days.
Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers
who harvested your fields are crying aloud;
and the cries of the harvesters
have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure;
you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter.
You have condemned;
you have murdered the righteous one;
he offers you no resistance.
Your word, O Lord, is truth;
consecrate us in the truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
"Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us."
Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.
Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.
"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"
Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten,
your gold and silver have corroded,
and that corrosion will be a testimony against you;
it will devour your flesh like a fire.
You have stored up treasure for the last days.
Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers
who harvested your fields are crying aloud;
and the cries of the harvesters
have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure;
you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter.
You have condemned;
you have murdered the righteous one;
he offers you no resistance.
AlleluiaCF. JN 17:17B, 17A
R. Alleluia, alleluia.Your word, O Lord, is truth;
consecrate us in the truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMK 9:38-43, 45, 47-48
At that time, John said to Jesus,"Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us."
Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.
Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.
"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"
Thursday, September 10, 2015
RE: 09.10.15~Readings for Sunday Sept 13th-2015
Commentary – 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B
September 13, 2015
First Reading – Isaiah 50.5-9a
The Lord GOD opens my ear that I may hear;
and I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
my face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.
The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
He is near who upholds my right;
if anyone wishes to oppose me,
let us appear together.
Who disputes my right?
Let that man confront me.
See, the Lord GOD is my help;
who will prove me wrong?
Commentary
THE SERVANT OF GOD IN ISAIAH
The key to this passage is in the verse that precedes today’s reading: “The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might know how to answer the weary a word that will waken them. Morning after morning he wakens my ear to hear as disciples do.” The one speaking here is nourished by God’s Word, and because of it he is persecuted; but God’s Word also gives him the strength to face his persecution.
We would obviously like to identify the speaker! This passage is from what is known as “the Servant Songs” in the book of Isaiah: four texts that paint a remarkable portrait of God’s Servant: he is a true prophet, leads an exemplary life, but is persecuted; he is posthumously recognized as God’s messenger, and mysteriously, it is through him that all of humanity is saved; through him is accomplished God’s project of salvation for all humanity. Of course, we immediately think of Jesus Christ!
But the prophet Isaiah was obviously not thinking about Jesus Christ when he wrote this text, probably in the 6th century BC, during the Babylonian Exile. Who then did Isaiah have in mind? Was it a particular individual? Or could it have been the people of Israel in exile? For they are indeed God’s servant - nourished each morning by God’s Word and persecuted because of their faith, yet still holding on despite hardships. If this hypothesis is correct, then the purpose of this text is to encourage the people to hold fast, assured that they will “not be put to shame”, as Isaiah says.
In this text, Isaiah describes the extraordinary relationship between the servant (Israel) and God. Its main characteristic is trust. To “hear” the word, to “hear as disciples do” means to live in trust. “The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue… Morning after morning he wakens my ear to hear as disciples do ... The Lord GOD opens my ear.”
The prophets repeatedly entreated the people, saying, “Hear, O Israel” or, “if today you hear God’s voice”; and in their mouth “to hear” consistently meant to trust God always and in all things. St. Paul explains why: it is because “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God” (Romans 8.28). God brings forth good out of every evil, difficulty or trial. God counters hatred with a stronger love, persecution with the power of forgiveness, and death with life and resurrection. Although the evil remains, God brings forth good from it.
It is this trust that propels the servant to accept the mission with which he is entrusted. This may sound like a play on words, but mutual trust is the key here. God has confidence in the servant to whom God has entrusted a mission; in return the servant confidently accepts the mission. And it is this mutual trust that gives the servant the necessary strength to stand firm even in the face of inevitable opposition.
The mission is that of prophetic witness: “that I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them,” says the servant. The Lord provides the necessary strength for the mission as well as the right words: “The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue.” God also provides the confidence to boldly witness to others: “He opens my ear,” indicates that listening (in the biblical sense of trusting) is itself a gift from God. Everything is gift: the mission and also the strength and the confidence that makes the servant unwavering in his mission.
THE PROPHET’S MISSION IS FULL OF RISKS
It is characteristic of the believer to see everything as gift from God; and whoever lives in this permanent giftedness from God is ready to face anything: “I have not rebelled, have not turned back.” Fidelity to the mission entrusted inevitably brings persecution: true prophets, that is to say those who actually speak the word of God rarely die of old age…
Isaiah describes the persecution in very realistic terms: “I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.” Why do prophets – God’s true servants - inevitably face persecution? Because faithfulness to the Word of God sets the servant apart from his contemporaries, which makes him disliked; if he truly “listens” to the Word of God, if he lives it concretely, he soon becomes discomfiting to others. His own conversion calls others to conversion. Some hear the call while others reject it and turn against the servant, sure that they are doing the right thing.
Each morning, the servant renews his strength by going to the One who enables him to face whatever comes: “Morning after morning he opens my ear ... The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced...” And here Isaiah uses a typically Hebrew expression: “I have set my face like flint”*: it expresses resolve and courage. We sometimes say of a distraught person that his “face fell”; here the servant is saying: “nothing will crush me, I will hold on no matter what happens; you won’t see me with a fallen face.” This confidence is not a prideful boast; it comes from knowing the source of his strength: “The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced...”
Jesus embodied all of this; and in today’s Gospel he invites us to follow him, whatever happens, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.”
------------
Note
*Luke uses this exact phrase when speaking of Jesus as he resolutely heads toward Jerusalem (Lk 9.51). A literal translation would be: “Jesus hardened his face to go toward Jerusalem.”
Responsorial Psalm – 1161-6, 8-9
R/ I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
I love the LORD because he has heard
my voice in supplication,
Because he has inclined his ear to me
the day I called.
R/I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
The cords of death encompassed me;
the snares of the netherworld seized upon me;
I fell into distress and sorrow,
And I called upon the name of the LORD,
“O LORD, save my life!”
R/I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
Gracious is the LORD and just;
yes, our God is merciful.
The LORD keeps the little ones;
I was brought low, and he saved me.
R/I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
For he has freed my soul from death,
my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
I shall walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.
R/I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
Second Reading – James 2.14-18
What good is it, my brothers and sisters,
if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
Can that faith save him?
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear
and has no food for the day,
and one of you says to them,
“Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well, ”
but you do not give them the necessities of the body,
what good is it?
So also faith of itself,
if it does not have works, is dead.
Indeed someone might say,
“You have faith and I have works.”
Demonstrate your faith to me without works,
and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.
Commentary
IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO SAY: LORD, LORD!
We are familiar with Jesus’ statement that, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Mt 7.21). Although St. James’ words are not as well known, they express the same thing: “What good is it… if someone says he has faith but does not have works?” If James’ words seem somewhat controversial, it is because the matter was being debated in his community: what if someone claims to have faith, but does not act? The formula “if someone” invites the assumption that some members of the community actually claimed to have faith while doing nothing to help their brothers and sisters.
In fact, it had been necessary for all preachers throughout the ages to address this issue, as can be seen in the Law and the Prophets, in Israel (indicating once again how much James identified with the Old Testament). Service to others was a favorite theme of the prophets; for example, Isaiah says: “Is this not, rather, the fast that I choose: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; setting free the oppressed, breaking off every yoke? Is it not sharing your bread with the hungry, bringing the afflicted and the homeless into your house; clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own flesh?” (Is 58.6-7). This is what James calls “faith with works.” We on the other hand might think that to practice one’s faith is to attend Mass.
It seems that this is the lesson of this text: there are various ways of practicing one’s faith, ... and indeed the New Testament authors express this: they speak of the practice of faith through worship and of the practice of faith through acts of charity; and they all agree in saying that one does not replace the other. Twice, Jesus quotes the prophet Hosea, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings” (Hos 6.6; quoted in Mt 9 and 12) as a reminder that all of our fine cultic practices (sacrifices) do not exempt us from acts of charity.
James is saying the same thing with his little parable: “If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it?” Translate: The world’s finest rhetoric does not accomplish anything.
But this is something we already know! However, James seems to be saying that not only is fine rhetoric useless in helping others; it does nothing for us as well! According to him, our faith withers when it is not put into practice, that is to say, placed at the service of others. A few lines down, he says: “For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead” (2. 26). This means that acts of charity are the breath of faith.
Once again, we can hear St. John in the background: in his first letter he writes, “If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him? Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth… Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love” (1 Jn 3.17-18, 8). Or again, “everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God ” (1 Jn 4.7).
Faith is not something we carry around with us; it is a journey in which we discover God through service to our sisters and brothers. Jesus uses a different comparison, that of a building under construction: “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock… And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand” (Mt 7.24 ... 26).
And St. Paul says: “if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing” (1 Cor 13.2). Obviously, Paul and James are in agreement. But then, what should we make of Paul’s many statements on salvation as a free gift? He insists that God saves us gratuitously, without any merit on our part: it is not what we call our “works” that save us. (By “works” Paul means works of charity, but more so circumcision and Jewish dietary laws).
In reality, there is no fundamental opposition between Paul and James on this matter. Nevertheless, they are each addressing a different audience and so they do not emphasize the same things. The Christians to whom Paul writes are constantly arguing over whether or not they ought to observe all of the Jewish practices (starting with circumcision) in addition to Christian baptism. So Paul tells them: God saves us gratuitously, (“by faith”, as he says); we simply need to believe in God and to openly receive the salvation offered. Works of charity will inevitably follow if our faith is real!
However, some in James’ Christian community cleverly manipulate Paul's affirmations to say that since it is sufficient to have faith, our works (our acts of charity) count for nothing - no need to care for others! To these, James simply recalls Jesus’ words: “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13.35).
-----------
Addendum
Jesus echoed this in many ways: for example, the parable of the last judgment in Matthew’s gospel seems to favor “works”: “whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mt 25.31-46).
Gospel – Mark 8.27-35
Jesus and his disciples set out
for the villages of Caesarea Philippi.
Along the way he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that I am?”
They said in reply,
“John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others one of the prophets.”
And he asked them,
“But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said to him in reply,
“You are the Christ.”
Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.
He began to teach them
that the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days.
He spoke this openly.
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the gospel will save it.”
Commentary
Peter has dared to utter the most extraordinary statement imaginable at the time: “You are the Christ.” Jesus' reaction is rather unexpected: although he does not refuse the title, he forbids his disciples to tell anyone. This is not the first time that we encounter the “messianic secret” in Mark’s gospel: that it is too early to tell everyone that Jesus is the Messiah, because this title is still too ambiguous. Yes, Jesus is the awaited Messiah, but he does not meet the expectations of the Messiah! This is what Jesus will try to make his disciples understand: “the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days.”
To Jewish ears such words were completely paradoxical: even as Jesus claimed the title of Messiah (the Son of Man is a synonymous term), he foresaw failure, suffering and death. A few words on the title “Son of Man”: this phrase is taken straight out of the book of Daniel, Chapter 7: “As the visions during the night continued, I saw coming with the clouds of heaven One like a son of man. When he reached the Ancient of Days and was presented before him, He received dominion, splendor, and kingship; all nations, peoples and tongues will serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, his kingship, one that shall not be destroyed” (Dn 7.13-14). A few verses on, Daniel makes it clear that this Son of Man is not a solitary individual, but a people: “But the holy ones* of the Most High shall receive the kingship, to possess it forever and ever... the kingship and dominion and majesty of all the kingdoms under the heavens shall be given to the people of the holy ones of the Most High, whose kingship shall be an everlasting kingship, whom all dominions shall serve and obey” (Dn 7.18,27). Therefore, when Jesus applies to himself the title of Son of Man, he does so as the head of God’s people. He is indeed the Messiah who comes to establish God's reign on earth.
But a suffering Messiah was a preposterous idea! Peter is right to voice his opposition. Like many of his contemporaries, he expected a Messiah-King who would be triumphant, glorious, powerful, and drive out definitively the Roman occupiers from Palestine. Therefore Jesus’ words are unacceptable - the almighty God would not allow such things! This text could possibly be entitled: “Peter’s first denial”, that is, his first refusal to follow the Messiah in suffering. Jesus confronts Peter’s impulsive act of refusal as a real temptation for himself and vehemently says: “You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
It is only natural that our thinking be impulsively “human”! We must however allow the Spirit to transform our thinking and even to turn it on its head if we wish to remain faithful to God's plan. Unlike Matthew and Luke, Mark does not relate the details of Jesus' temptations in the desert, but here he undoubtedly describes one of them, a very serious temptation at that, since it elicits such a strong reaction from Jesus, evidence that he is facing a real struggle: “he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan.”
Why did Mark mention that Jesus reacted this way because of his disciples presence? Is it not because Peter’s misunderstanding is all the more serious in that he risks leading others into error? The title of Satan (“the obstructer”) captures what is at stake: just like Isaiah’s Servant (first reading), Jesus is committed to “listen” to his Father, to allow himself to be taught like a disciple, and to fully accomplish his mission in spite of having to suffer from the insults, spitting and the blows of others. “I have not rebelled, have not turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.”
A triumphant Messiah is not part of God's plan of salvation: for human beings to “come to the knowledge of truth,” as Paul says (1 Tim 2.4), they need to discover the God of tenderness and forgiveness, of mercy and compassion, which is not revealed through acts of power but through the supreme gift of the life of the Son: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15.13). Jesus invites all his disciples throughout the ages to follow him in this.
Mark notes that Jesus then called the crowd and continued his teaching on the demands of evangelization: “He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.”
Translated with permission by Simone Baryliuk, from: Commentaires de Marie Noëlle Thabut, 13 septembre, 2015
http://www.eglise.catholique.fr/foi-et-vie-chretienne/commentaires-de-marie-noelle-thabut.html
September 13, 2015
First Reading – Isaiah 50.5-9a
The Lord GOD opens my ear that I may hear;
and I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
my face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.
The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
He is near who upholds my right;
if anyone wishes to oppose me,
let us appear together.
Who disputes my right?
Let that man confront me.
See, the Lord GOD is my help;
who will prove me wrong?
Commentary
THE SERVANT OF GOD IN ISAIAH
The key to this passage is in the verse that precedes today’s reading: “The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might know how to answer the weary a word that will waken them. Morning after morning he wakens my ear to hear as disciples do.” The one speaking here is nourished by God’s Word, and because of it he is persecuted; but God’s Word also gives him the strength to face his persecution.
We would obviously like to identify the speaker! This passage is from what is known as “the Servant Songs” in the book of Isaiah: four texts that paint a remarkable portrait of God’s Servant: he is a true prophet, leads an exemplary life, but is persecuted; he is posthumously recognized as God’s messenger, and mysteriously, it is through him that all of humanity is saved; through him is accomplished God’s project of salvation for all humanity. Of course, we immediately think of Jesus Christ!
But the prophet Isaiah was obviously not thinking about Jesus Christ when he wrote this text, probably in the 6th century BC, during the Babylonian Exile. Who then did Isaiah have in mind? Was it a particular individual? Or could it have been the people of Israel in exile? For they are indeed God’s servant - nourished each morning by God’s Word and persecuted because of their faith, yet still holding on despite hardships. If this hypothesis is correct, then the purpose of this text is to encourage the people to hold fast, assured that they will “not be put to shame”, as Isaiah says.
In this text, Isaiah describes the extraordinary relationship between the servant (Israel) and God. Its main characteristic is trust. To “hear” the word, to “hear as disciples do” means to live in trust. “The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue… Morning after morning he wakens my ear to hear as disciples do ... The Lord GOD opens my ear.”
The prophets repeatedly entreated the people, saying, “Hear, O Israel” or, “if today you hear God’s voice”; and in their mouth “to hear” consistently meant to trust God always and in all things. St. Paul explains why: it is because “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God” (Romans 8.28). God brings forth good out of every evil, difficulty or trial. God counters hatred with a stronger love, persecution with the power of forgiveness, and death with life and resurrection. Although the evil remains, God brings forth good from it.
It is this trust that propels the servant to accept the mission with which he is entrusted. This may sound like a play on words, but mutual trust is the key here. God has confidence in the servant to whom God has entrusted a mission; in return the servant confidently accepts the mission. And it is this mutual trust that gives the servant the necessary strength to stand firm even in the face of inevitable opposition.
The mission is that of prophetic witness: “that I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them,” says the servant. The Lord provides the necessary strength for the mission as well as the right words: “The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue.” God also provides the confidence to boldly witness to others: “He opens my ear,” indicates that listening (in the biblical sense of trusting) is itself a gift from God. Everything is gift: the mission and also the strength and the confidence that makes the servant unwavering in his mission.
THE PROPHET’S MISSION IS FULL OF RISKS
It is characteristic of the believer to see everything as gift from God; and whoever lives in this permanent giftedness from God is ready to face anything: “I have not rebelled, have not turned back.” Fidelity to the mission entrusted inevitably brings persecution: true prophets, that is to say those who actually speak the word of God rarely die of old age…
Isaiah describes the persecution in very realistic terms: “I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.” Why do prophets – God’s true servants - inevitably face persecution? Because faithfulness to the Word of God sets the servant apart from his contemporaries, which makes him disliked; if he truly “listens” to the Word of God, if he lives it concretely, he soon becomes discomfiting to others. His own conversion calls others to conversion. Some hear the call while others reject it and turn against the servant, sure that they are doing the right thing.
Each morning, the servant renews his strength by going to the One who enables him to face whatever comes: “Morning after morning he opens my ear ... The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced...” And here Isaiah uses a typically Hebrew expression: “I have set my face like flint”*: it expresses resolve and courage. We sometimes say of a distraught person that his “face fell”; here the servant is saying: “nothing will crush me, I will hold on no matter what happens; you won’t see me with a fallen face.” This confidence is not a prideful boast; it comes from knowing the source of his strength: “The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced...”
Jesus embodied all of this; and in today’s Gospel he invites us to follow him, whatever happens, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.”
------------
Note
*Luke uses this exact phrase when speaking of Jesus as he resolutely heads toward Jerusalem (Lk 9.51). A literal translation would be: “Jesus hardened his face to go toward Jerusalem.”
Responsorial Psalm – 1161-6, 8-9
R/ I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
I love the LORD because he has heard
my voice in supplication,
Because he has inclined his ear to me
the day I called.
R/I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
The cords of death encompassed me;
the snares of the netherworld seized upon me;
I fell into distress and sorrow,
And I called upon the name of the LORD,
“O LORD, save my life!”
R/I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
Gracious is the LORD and just;
yes, our God is merciful.
The LORD keeps the little ones;
I was brought low, and he saved me.
R/I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
For he has freed my soul from death,
my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
I shall walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.
R/I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
Second Reading – James 2.14-18
What good is it, my brothers and sisters,
if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
Can that faith save him?
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear
and has no food for the day,
and one of you says to them,
“Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well, ”
but you do not give them the necessities of the body,
what good is it?
So also faith of itself,
if it does not have works, is dead.
Indeed someone might say,
“You have faith and I have works.”
Demonstrate your faith to me without works,
and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.
Commentary
IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO SAY: LORD, LORD!
We are familiar with Jesus’ statement that, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Mt 7.21). Although St. James’ words are not as well known, they express the same thing: “What good is it… if someone says he has faith but does not have works?” If James’ words seem somewhat controversial, it is because the matter was being debated in his community: what if someone claims to have faith, but does not act? The formula “if someone” invites the assumption that some members of the community actually claimed to have faith while doing nothing to help their brothers and sisters.
In fact, it had been necessary for all preachers throughout the ages to address this issue, as can be seen in the Law and the Prophets, in Israel (indicating once again how much James identified with the Old Testament). Service to others was a favorite theme of the prophets; for example, Isaiah says: “Is this not, rather, the fast that I choose: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; setting free the oppressed, breaking off every yoke? Is it not sharing your bread with the hungry, bringing the afflicted and the homeless into your house; clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own flesh?” (Is 58.6-7). This is what James calls “faith with works.” We on the other hand might think that to practice one’s faith is to attend Mass.
It seems that this is the lesson of this text: there are various ways of practicing one’s faith, ... and indeed the New Testament authors express this: they speak of the practice of faith through worship and of the practice of faith through acts of charity; and they all agree in saying that one does not replace the other. Twice, Jesus quotes the prophet Hosea, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings” (Hos 6.6; quoted in Mt 9 and 12) as a reminder that all of our fine cultic practices (sacrifices) do not exempt us from acts of charity.
James is saying the same thing with his little parable: “If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it?” Translate: The world’s finest rhetoric does not accomplish anything.
But this is something we already know! However, James seems to be saying that not only is fine rhetoric useless in helping others; it does nothing for us as well! According to him, our faith withers when it is not put into practice, that is to say, placed at the service of others. A few lines down, he says: “For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead” (2. 26). This means that acts of charity are the breath of faith.
Once again, we can hear St. John in the background: in his first letter he writes, “If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him? Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth… Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love” (1 Jn 3.17-18, 8). Or again, “everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God ” (1 Jn 4.7).
Faith is not something we carry around with us; it is a journey in which we discover God through service to our sisters and brothers. Jesus uses a different comparison, that of a building under construction: “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock… And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand” (Mt 7.24 ... 26).
And St. Paul says: “if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing” (1 Cor 13.2). Obviously, Paul and James are in agreement. But then, what should we make of Paul’s many statements on salvation as a free gift? He insists that God saves us gratuitously, without any merit on our part: it is not what we call our “works” that save us. (By “works” Paul means works of charity, but more so circumcision and Jewish dietary laws).
In reality, there is no fundamental opposition between Paul and James on this matter. Nevertheless, they are each addressing a different audience and so they do not emphasize the same things. The Christians to whom Paul writes are constantly arguing over whether or not they ought to observe all of the Jewish practices (starting with circumcision) in addition to Christian baptism. So Paul tells them: God saves us gratuitously, (“by faith”, as he says); we simply need to believe in God and to openly receive the salvation offered. Works of charity will inevitably follow if our faith is real!
However, some in James’ Christian community cleverly manipulate Paul's affirmations to say that since it is sufficient to have faith, our works (our acts of charity) count for nothing - no need to care for others! To these, James simply recalls Jesus’ words: “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13.35).
-----------
Addendum
Jesus echoed this in many ways: for example, the parable of the last judgment in Matthew’s gospel seems to favor “works”: “whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mt 25.31-46).
Gospel – Mark 8.27-35
Jesus and his disciples set out
for the villages of Caesarea Philippi.
Along the way he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that I am?”
They said in reply,
“John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others one of the prophets.”
And he asked them,
“But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said to him in reply,
“You are the Christ.”
Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.
He began to teach them
that the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days.
He spoke this openly.
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the gospel will save it.”
Commentary
Peter has dared to utter the most extraordinary statement imaginable at the time: “You are the Christ.” Jesus' reaction is rather unexpected: although he does not refuse the title, he forbids his disciples to tell anyone. This is not the first time that we encounter the “messianic secret” in Mark’s gospel: that it is too early to tell everyone that Jesus is the Messiah, because this title is still too ambiguous. Yes, Jesus is the awaited Messiah, but he does not meet the expectations of the Messiah! This is what Jesus will try to make his disciples understand: “the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days.”
To Jewish ears such words were completely paradoxical: even as Jesus claimed the title of Messiah (the Son of Man is a synonymous term), he foresaw failure, suffering and death. A few words on the title “Son of Man”: this phrase is taken straight out of the book of Daniel, Chapter 7: “As the visions during the night continued, I saw coming with the clouds of heaven One like a son of man. When he reached the Ancient of Days and was presented before him, He received dominion, splendor, and kingship; all nations, peoples and tongues will serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, his kingship, one that shall not be destroyed” (Dn 7.13-14). A few verses on, Daniel makes it clear that this Son of Man is not a solitary individual, but a people: “But the holy ones* of the Most High shall receive the kingship, to possess it forever and ever... the kingship and dominion and majesty of all the kingdoms under the heavens shall be given to the people of the holy ones of the Most High, whose kingship shall be an everlasting kingship, whom all dominions shall serve and obey” (Dn 7.18,27). Therefore, when Jesus applies to himself the title of Son of Man, he does so as the head of God’s people. He is indeed the Messiah who comes to establish God's reign on earth.
But a suffering Messiah was a preposterous idea! Peter is right to voice his opposition. Like many of his contemporaries, he expected a Messiah-King who would be triumphant, glorious, powerful, and drive out definitively the Roman occupiers from Palestine. Therefore Jesus’ words are unacceptable - the almighty God would not allow such things! This text could possibly be entitled: “Peter’s first denial”, that is, his first refusal to follow the Messiah in suffering. Jesus confronts Peter’s impulsive act of refusal as a real temptation for himself and vehemently says: “You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
It is only natural that our thinking be impulsively “human”! We must however allow the Spirit to transform our thinking and even to turn it on its head if we wish to remain faithful to God's plan. Unlike Matthew and Luke, Mark does not relate the details of Jesus' temptations in the desert, but here he undoubtedly describes one of them, a very serious temptation at that, since it elicits such a strong reaction from Jesus, evidence that he is facing a real struggle: “he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan.”
Why did Mark mention that Jesus reacted this way because of his disciples presence? Is it not because Peter’s misunderstanding is all the more serious in that he risks leading others into error? The title of Satan (“the obstructer”) captures what is at stake: just like Isaiah’s Servant (first reading), Jesus is committed to “listen” to his Father, to allow himself to be taught like a disciple, and to fully accomplish his mission in spite of having to suffer from the insults, spitting and the blows of others. “I have not rebelled, have not turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.”
A triumphant Messiah is not part of God's plan of salvation: for human beings to “come to the knowledge of truth,” as Paul says (1 Tim 2.4), they need to discover the God of tenderness and forgiveness, of mercy and compassion, which is not revealed through acts of power but through the supreme gift of the life of the Son: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15.13). Jesus invites all his disciples throughout the ages to follow him in this.
Mark notes that Jesus then called the crowd and continued his teaching on the demands of evangelization: “He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.”
Translated with permission by Simone Baryliuk, from: Commentaires de Marie Noëlle Thabut, 13 septembre, 2015
http://www.eglise.catholique.fr/foi-et-vie-chretienne/commentaires-de-marie-noelle-thabut.html
Thursday, May 21, 2015
RE: 05.21.15~Readings & Commentary
Second Reading – Galatians 5.16-25
Brothers and sisters, live by the Spirit
and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh.
For the flesh has desires against the Spirit,
and the Spirit against the flesh;
these are opposed to each other,
so that you may not do what you want.
But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are obvious:
immorality, impurity, lust, idolatry,
sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy,
outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness,
dissensions, factions, occasions of envy,
drinking bouts, orgies, and the like.
I warn you, as I warned you before,
that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, generosity,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Against such there is no law.
Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh
with its passions and desires.
If we live in the Spirit,
let us also follow the Spirit.
Gospel – John 15.26-27; 16.12-15
Jesus said to his disciples:
“When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father,
he will testify to me.
And you also testify,
because you have been with me from the beginning.
“I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.
But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,
he will guide you to all truth.
He will not speak on his own,
but he will speak what he hears,
and will declare to you the things that are coming.
He will glorify me,
because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.
Everything that the Father has is mine;
for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine
and declare it to you.”
Commentary
THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH
Five
times during this final discourse with his disciples Jesus promises the gift of
the Spirit as their helper; and on several occasions he refers to it as the
Advocate, (translate: the one called to accompany them and never leave them):
“And I
will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate* to
be with you always,
the
Spirit of truth,
which
the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it,
because it remains with you, and will be in you” (Jn
14.16-17)…
“The
Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name—he will teach you
everything and remind you of all that [I] told
you"(Jn 14.26)…
“When
the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth
that proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. And you also testify,
because you have been with me from the beginning” (from today's text - Jn 15.26-27)…
“But I tell you the
truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not
come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you”(Jn 16.7)… “But
when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not
speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the
things that are coming” (Jn 16.13).
If
Jesus repeatedly insists on the gift of the Spirit it is to comfort his
disciples at this time of his departure; from now on they will be the ones on
the firing line, and Jesus alerts them to this: “I have told you this
so that you may not fall away. They will
expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who
kills you will think he is offering worship to God.
They
will do this because they have not known either the Father or
me.
I
have told you this so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told
you”
(Jn 16.1-4). Jesus knows
that his followers will not be treated differently from him: those who wanted
his death sincerely believed that by removing a blasphemer they were acting in
the name of God. In his Passion Narrative, Saint John reports that “The
Jews answered (Pilate), “We have a law, and
according to that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of
God” (Jn
19.7).
This
terrible misunderstanding always surprises us: that those who defended God
crucified God’s own Son. In turn, the Son’s disciples will also be persecuted
and eliminated one after the other in the name of true religion. They will need
the support of the Spirit of truth, whom John calls the Advocate, the Defender;
but let us be clear: it is not a matter of defending Jesus’ followers against
God’s judgment, but rather of assisting them when they are brought before human
tribunals so that they can authentically witness to Christ. Jesus defined his
own vocation as witnessing to the truth; before Pilate he says, “For this I was born
and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth” (Jn 18.37).
Likewise the disciples have no other purpose than to bear witness to Christ so
that the world will know the truth of the Father.
THE
GIFT TO THE BELIEVERS IS TO MAKE THEM TRUE WITNESSES
The
definitive Covenant between God and humanity will be established only when
humanity finally knows God as God truly is. The terrible misunderstanding of
which I spoke earlier, caused by humanity’s ignorance of God is a problem that
runs throughout the Bible: from Adam’s suspicion in the Garden of Eden when he
imagines that God envies him, to the people’s suspicion in the desert of Sinai
when in their thirst they blame God for having brought them out of Egypt, and
all the way to the crucifixion of the Son of God because he does not meet the
expectations of his contemporaries, it is always the same ignorance. The
prophets tried in vain to alert the people: “Hear,
O heavens, and listen, O earth, for the LORD speaks: Sons have I raised and
reared, but they have rebelled against me!
An ox
knows its owner, and an ass, its master’s manger; But Israel does not know, my
people has not understood” (Is
1.2-3).
But
God did not give up; God knows that humanity cannot discover the Wholly Other on
its own; so God will intervene, as Jeremiah says: “I
will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They shall be my people
and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole
heart” (Jer
24.7).
That
should enlighten all our efforts at knowing God: because God is the Wholly
Other, it is impossible to reach God through our efforts alone, and so it is God
who comes to us and reveals Godself. That is why we are given God’s Spirit, the
first gift given to believers so that by their testimony the world can come to
know the truth of God.
----------------
Addendum
It
is interesting to compare Peter’s words during the election of Matthias in the
Acts of the Apostles (“it is
necessary that one of the men who accompanied us the whole time the Lord Jesus
came and went among us, beginning from
the baptism of John until the day on which he was taken up from us, become with
us a witness to his resurrection”
Acts 1.20) with those of
Jesus during his final discourse: “And
you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning” (Jn 15.27).
Translated with
permission by Simone Baryliuk, from: Commentaires de Marie Noëlle Thabut,
24 mai, 2015
http://www.eglise.catholique.
Thursday, May 7, 2015
RE: 05.07.15~God wants us to be filled with joy
Commentary
GOD WANTS US TO BE FILLED WITH JOY
“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy might be complete.” This is good news indeed! Christ speaks these words to his apostles to fill them with joy. And the reason for this joy is that throughout his life Jesus has shown the Father’s love: "As the Father loves me, so I also love you.” When humanity will finally know God as God is, it will be filled with joy. The more one reads the Bible, the more one is struck by the importance given to this truth; humanity’s problem is that it does not know God, that it has a false idea of God. Humanity sees God as a terrible judge instead of a Father who rejoices over his children’s joy.
Beginning with the Old Testament, the prophets have always sought to reveal the true face of the God of tenderness and mercy, a God who wants us to live in joy. For example this is what Isaiah says: “And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and enter Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy; they meet with joy and gladness, sorrow and mourning flee away” (Is 35.10)… “Shout for joy and be glad forever in what I am creating. Indeed, I am creating Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight; I will rejoice in Jerusalem and exult in my people” (Is 65.18-19).
Since these passages are taken from later texts in the Old Testament, it means that Revelation has greatly advanced; Zephaniah even dares to say that God sings joyfully when his children are happy: “Shout for joy, daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, daughter Jerusalem! The LORD has removed the judgment against you, he has turned away your enemies; the King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear. On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, Zion, do not be discouraged! The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior, who will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, who will sing joyfully because of you…” (Zep 3.14-17).
Unfortunately, we find all this hard to believe, as if it was too good to be true; only at the end of time will humanity finally know God and therefore live in joy. This is why, in the Old Testament, joy is always presented as an inherent part of the salvation that awaits humanity. When God “will pour out his Spirit upon all flesh,” as the prophet Joel says (3.1), then we will know that God is love and we will be filled with joy.
A JOY THAT NO ONE CAN TAKE FROM YOU
The New Testament speaks of the joy that accompanied the coming of the One who came to reveal God’s face to humanity: for example, when the angel announces John the Baptist’s birth to Zechariah, he tells him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth” (Lk 1.13-14). And when the shepherds are told of Jesus’ birth, the angel says, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Lk 2.10).
This theme was obviously dear to John; in his Gospel, on the night before his Master’s betrayal, the presence of joy is stronger than the trials at hand; for example: “You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I” (Jn 14.28)… Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy. When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you” (Jn 16.20-24). And in his last prayer, Jesus says to his Father: “now I am coming to you. I speak this in the world so that they may share my joy completely” (Jn 17.13).
In turn, the apostles promise joy; Saint John is very insistent on this promised joy in his letters: “we are writing this so that our joy may be complete” (1 John 1.4) ... “Although I have much to write to you, I do not intend to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and to speak face to face so that our joy may be complete (2 John 12). Perhaps this is the mark by which we can recognize prophets and apostles: they reveal to us the true face of the God of joy. When their time comes they will hear these words spoken to them: “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy” (Mt 25.21).
Translated with permission by Simone Baryliuk, from: Commentaires de Marie Noëlle Thabut, 10 mai, 2015
http://www.eglise.catholique.fr/foi-et-vie-chretienne/commentaires-de-marie-noelle-thabut.html
GOD WANTS US TO BE FILLED WITH JOY
“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy might be complete.” This is good news indeed! Christ speaks these words to his apostles to fill them with joy. And the reason for this joy is that throughout his life Jesus has shown the Father’s love: "As the Father loves me, so I also love you.” When humanity will finally know God as God is, it will be filled with joy. The more one reads the Bible, the more one is struck by the importance given to this truth; humanity’s problem is that it does not know God, that it has a false idea of God. Humanity sees God as a terrible judge instead of a Father who rejoices over his children’s joy.
Beginning with the Old Testament, the prophets have always sought to reveal the true face of the God of tenderness and mercy, a God who wants us to live in joy. For example this is what Isaiah says: “And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and enter Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy; they meet with joy and gladness, sorrow and mourning flee away” (Is 35.10)… “Shout for joy and be glad forever in what I am creating. Indeed, I am creating Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight; I will rejoice in Jerusalem and exult in my people” (Is 65.18-19).
Since these passages are taken from later texts in the Old Testament, it means that Revelation has greatly advanced; Zephaniah even dares to say that God sings joyfully when his children are happy: “Shout for joy, daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, daughter Jerusalem! The LORD has removed the judgment against you, he has turned away your enemies; the King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear. On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, Zion, do not be discouraged! The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior, who will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, who will sing joyfully because of you…” (Zep 3.14-17).
Unfortunately, we find all this hard to believe, as if it was too good to be true; only at the end of time will humanity finally know God and therefore live in joy. This is why, in the Old Testament, joy is always presented as an inherent part of the salvation that awaits humanity. When God “will pour out his Spirit upon all flesh,” as the prophet Joel says (3.1), then we will know that God is love and we will be filled with joy.
A JOY THAT NO ONE CAN TAKE FROM YOU
The New Testament speaks of the joy that accompanied the coming of the One who came to reveal God’s face to humanity: for example, when the angel announces John the Baptist’s birth to Zechariah, he tells him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth” (Lk 1.13-14). And when the shepherds are told of Jesus’ birth, the angel says, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Lk 2.10).
This theme was obviously dear to John; in his Gospel, on the night before his Master’s betrayal, the presence of joy is stronger than the trials at hand; for example: “You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I” (Jn 14.28)… Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy. When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you” (Jn 16.20-24). And in his last prayer, Jesus says to his Father: “now I am coming to you. I speak this in the world so that they may share my joy completely” (Jn 17.13).
In turn, the apostles promise joy; Saint John is very insistent on this promised joy in his letters: “we are writing this so that our joy may be complete” (1 John 1.4) ... “Although I have much to write to you, I do not intend to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and to speak face to face so that our joy may be complete (2 John 12). Perhaps this is the mark by which we can recognize prophets and apostles: they reveal to us the true face of the God of joy. When their time comes they will hear these words spoken to them: “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy” (Mt 25.21).
Translated with permission by Simone Baryliuk, from: Commentaires de Marie Noëlle Thabut, 10 mai, 2015
http://www.eglise.catholique.fr/foi-et-vie-chretienne/commentaires-de-marie-noelle-thabut.html
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