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Dear Preachers:
We commonly make reference to Sunday’s three Scripture readings. But there are four. We tend to neglect the Psalm following the first reading. We call it a "Responsorial Psalm," meaning it has been chosen as a response to the first reading – and it has. But that makes it sound like a lesser scriptural passage, i.e. just a "response." The Psalms are not "lesser," possessing second-class status in the Bible. Let’s look at the Psalm chosen for today’s "Response." It’s part of Psalm 27.
Psalms frequently bear titles which state their "theme." Psalm 27 is called a "Psalm of Confidence." It certainly does express confidence in God and is appropriate during the season between Advent/Christmas and Lent. In the Common Lectionary of our Protestant sisters and brothers these Sundays are counted as "Sundays After the Epiphany." Epiphany means "showing." In Advent we longed for the light of Christ. In Lent we will enter the stark wilderness longing for forgiveness. But for now, we celebrate "Epiphany" – God’s light, revelation, "showing." What we hoped for in Advent is now at hand. As our first reading proclaims, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light, upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shown."
People tend to characterize the "God of the Old Testament" as angry and vengeful. They welcome Jesus’ arrival as a softening of God’s heart towards us. Psalm 27 is, just one of the many texts in the Hebrew Scriptures that give lie this caricature of God. The psalmist expresses trust and confidence in God and longs to dwell in the house of the Lord "all the days of my life." And more. Just dwelling in God’s courts is not enough. The one praying the Psalm longs to see God face-to-face. No one wants a face-to-face experience with a cruel and judgmental God. In this prayer we can express a longing for a God of bounty. The psalmist encourages us to wait for the Lord. The expectation is that the one who longs for God will be satisfied. God does not stand far off and just observe us, but satisfies our longing. The wait is well worth it.
But all is not sweetness and roses. We detect real life as the background to this Psalm. It expresses confidence in God when something, or someone, is threatening that confidence, "The Lord is my light and my salvation whom should I fear?" It is a reminder that God has been present in hard times and is present now to help us face our struggles. We don’t know what fears the psalmist had. But we can certainly know the difficulties we face. Somehow, even in the face of our fears, God is already our "refuge" – a safe and secure hiding place. We name the hard times we face as we pray this Psalm today and express confidence in our trustworthy God, as well as a longing to "gaze on the loveliness of the Lord" in some real confidence-building way.
Jesus hears that Herod has arrested John the Baptist. The voice that roamed the desert calling people to, "Prepare the way of the Lord," has been silenced, locked in a prison cell. After John has been silenced Jesus’ voice is heard proclaiming, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Jesus doesn’t run and hide despite the danger. He takes his message to Galilee, which was ruled by Herod. Matthew quotes Isaiah, "The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light." John is in prison, but you can’t imprison the Word of God which brings light to the "land of gloom."
Jesus preaches "Repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand." God is present and acting in a new way through Jesus. But in order to receive the message of life Jesus offers people, they must "repent." They must change their minds, examine how they think and act. Do we find ourselves in some way sitting in darkness; dwelling in the land of gloom? Are we stuck in old ways of thinking, our imagination closed to the new possibilities which God’s presence can bring to fulfillment? Jesus invites us to think differently, leave behind the ways of "the land of gloom." God’s kingdom is now; new life is being offered to those who will accept it.
Jesus begins his preaching and healing ministry, but he can’t do it by himself. He needs to invite others to join him. Based on their achievements the first fishers didn’t have much to offer in service to the Lord. They could bring the skills learned as fishers – patience, hope and perseverance. In a way they also had to "repent," put aside their limited ways of thinking and with Jesus have a change of mind and heart. They will be with Jesus and what they learn from being with him they will also share with others.
Symbolic of the disciples’ willingness to change is their leaving behind family and possessions. They will have a new family with Jesus and their former possessions will not be needed to do their mission of being "fishers of people."
You have to admire their initial enthusiasm and the spontaneity of their response to Jesus. But they are human and their dedication and loyalty will falter – especially when Jesus is taken prisoner and executed. Like us, they will need to remember that Jesus’ invitation to "repent" is offered each time they falter as followers. They were disappointed in Jesus; it didn’t turn out the way they hoped. It often doesn’t. But Jesus doesn’t give up on them – or us – and always welcomes us back when we "repent." We choose gloom and darkness even when light and life are offered to us.
We don’t have to be avid and knowledgeable Scripture readers to have heard today’s gospel before. "I will make you fishers of people." We might even think to ourselves, "This doesn’t apply to me, I’m a Christian and one of Christ’s followers."
It’s not only a Scripture passage recalling a past event in the lives of the disciples. Following Jesus is not a once-for-all decision. It has to be renewed at each stage of our lives. Even daily: We may choose today to cheat a little at work; ignore the neighbor in need; close our ears to someone asking for help; not speak or act out of our commitment to Jesus etc. It may be a familiar passage. But it is not an echo from a past age, rather it is very much for today. Do we hear Jesus saying to us today, "Come after me and I will make you fishers of people?" We repent from what is the delaying our response to get up and follow him again and again. Again the choice is before us to put the past and its attachments aside and follow Jesus.
Click here for a link to this Sunday’s readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012526.cfm
"The Psalms are a
mirror — St. Athanasius
One thing I ask of the Lord; this I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life —Psalm 27: 4
Back in December 1989, I read an editorial that asked a very thought-provoking question. The letter was written to the readers of Better Homes and Gardens magazine by the editor- in-chief, David Jordan. The following is the part that moved me: I sometimes ask myself what "family values" actually means to most of us. The love and nurturing that we give and get from our families, the sacrifices family members willingly make for each other, the powerful loyalty that binds families together, all certainly come under "family values."
Goodness knows, I applaud all of the above. What bothers me are some indications that make me ask, "While we’re all for family values, do we really value families?" If we really value families, why do we, the most wealthy nation on earth, allow an increasing number of our families to become homeless? Don’t we know the benefits to children of a safe, secure family environment? Then why do we allow hundreds of thousands of children to grow up in welfare motels, abandoned buildings, back seats of cars, and other wretched circumstances? Why does one child in every five live below the poverty line?
In my mind, Jordan is talking about God’s family. Let me rephrase the question, "While we’re all for God’s family values, do we really value God’s family?" Do we recognize our brother or sister as the struggling poor who are trying to keep a roof over their head; as the woman who paid for her mistakes and is now trying to re-enter society; as the hungry children whose parents cannot afford to feed them by the end of the month; as the school age kids that are embarrassed by their unkempt clothes; as the recovering addict; as the grandmother trying to keep her grandkids from joining gangs; as the migrant worker who toils in fields doing back-breaking work; as the indigent disabled man with the disfiguring disease? Do we really value this family? We should. Raising a family is the most important task that we can ever do.
As we close out Poverty Awareness Month, open your hearts to our greater family; open your hearts to life in solidarity by reaching out and lifting someone up. Then, we can truly dwell in the house of the Lord.
Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, Raleigh, NC
Mini-reflections on the Sunday scripture readings designed for persons on the run. "Faith Book" is also brief enough to be posted in the Sunday parish bulletins people take home. From today’s Isaiah reading:
The people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light, upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone Reflection:
If we have turned to Jesus, as he invites us today, then we are reflectors of his light – we are light bearers. He calls us again to be part of the fulfillment of Isaiah’s promise: to bring light into the darkness, joy for those in gloom and distress.
So we ask ourselves:
POSTCARDS TO DEATH-ROW INMATES
"One has to strongly affirm that condemnation to the death penalty is an inhuman measure that humiliates personal dignity, in whatever form it is carried out." ---Pope Francis
Inmates on death row are the most forgotten people in the prison system. Each week I am posting in this space several inmates’ names and locations. I invite you to write a postcard to one or more of them to let them know that: we have not forgotten them; are praying for them and their families; or whatever personal encouragement you might like to give them. If the inmate responds, you might consider becoming pen pals.
Please write to: Wisezah Buckman #1120630 (On death row since 11/2/2023) Jonathan Monk #1427917 (3/26/2025) Central Prison P.O. 247 Phoenix, MD 21131 Please note: Central Prison is in Raleigh, NC., but for security purposes, mail to inmates is processed through a clearing house at the above address in Maryland. For more information on the Catholic position on the death penalty go to the Catholic Mobilizing Network: http://catholicsmobilizing.org/resources/cacp/DONATIONS
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These
reflections follow the Liturgical Calendar and appear here about mid-week each
week. They are written by various guest authors.
