Contents: Volume 2

27th & 28th Sundays in Ordinary Time

- October 6, 2024

1. -- Lanie LeBlanc OP - 27th Sunday

2. -- Dennis Keller - 28th Sunday
3. -- Friar John Boll OP - 27th Sunday
4. --

5. -- (Your reflection can be here!)

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Sun. 27 B 2024

The longer version of our Gospel selection includes a focus on marriage and children. these are important issues in today's world just as they have been in the past. As we view and consider this selection, it is good to understand the place of women t and children in the society in Jesus's time before we apply our thoughts to the present views.

What seems like "giving in" to the misuse of marriage and divorce at first by referring to Moses's command is actually Jesus insisting that women have at least a written decree of dismissal against them before a marriage was dissolved by the male . I those times, any reason was ok; the written part would make it more difficult since many people were illiterate. That would also protect the woman who was at the mercy of the males and her family in what was arranged marriages and incredible restrictions if she were single. Jesus, as always, was advocating protection of the vulnerable, in this case women.

Unfortunately, in today's world, marriage is sometimes viewed as a short term convenience and dispensable rather than the lifelong vocation it is intended to be. Those who are single have to be willing to commit to a lifetime of "working at it" if they decide to marry. Those who are married need to remain committed to "working at it" far after the honeymoon so the intended oneness of marriage becomes a reality without losing individuality. That stance, Jesus's stance, is much the same as any vocation designed to be a successful one.

Children were also viewed at that time in somewhat of a negative light, vulnerable and perhaps insignificant. Jesus raises that perspective to one of being beloved, worthy, and whose qualities are a key to entering heaven.

Some of those qualities include being open to learning, caring, inquisitive, trusting, kind etc.

Sometimes, well, really often, Jesus's perspective is much wider than our tunnel vision! Time to think deeper and reflect on becoming more like Jesus is critical to growing in adult faith. What aspect of this Gospel touches the particulars of your life , even the uncomfortable touchy ones like problems with marriage or difficult children? Trying to be open to hearing Jesus's perspective in the quietness of prayer might be a blessing to you and yours.

Blessings,
Dr. Lanie LeBlanc OP
Southern Dominican Laity
lanie@leblanc.one

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Twenty Eighth Sunday

of Ordered Time

October 13, 2024

Wisdom 7:7-11; Responsorial Psalm 90; Hebrews 4:12-13;
Gospel Acclamation Matthew 5:3; Mark 10:17-30

The first reading this Sunday takes us into the mysterious, but ever so important and necessary virtue of wisdom. Wisdom is defined in Webster as:

an ability to discern inner qualities and relationships: insight: good sense: judgment: a wise attitude, belief, or course of action: the teachings of ancient wise men.

The Catholic Encyclopedia identifies wisdom as “the effort toward knowledge: wisdom is the truth beyond the effort of thought. It can still be attained without thought; truth is wisdom attained, typically through experience. Wisdom runs parallel with faith. What transcends all knowledge is the mystery of God’s love.”

The wisdom Solomon – son of King David and Bathsheba – seeks is knowledge applied to understand real life situations. Our cognitive knowledge comes through experience. Passage of time is how we age. Aging allows people to experience through a succession of experiences. We assume a person with a long life has lots of experience that led to wisdom. Wisdom results from knowledge applied to present and future events and relationships. Wisdom is threatened by falsehood in cultures and from devious propaganda arising from untruths and fabrications contrary to what is real.

Solomon, in his youthful idealism, prayed he would possess wisdom. The stories of his wisdom are interesting and give credence to his gift of wisdom. However, his youthful commitment to the common good diminished as he became increasingly interested in wealth, in amassing power, and building stunning buildings – including the temple. After he died his taxation of citizens led to the break-up of the Kingdom. His successor, in imitation of his father, imposed even more taxes on the people for more grand projects. As a result, there was a division of the nation into a Northern Kingdom named Israel and a smaller Kingdom, Judah.

The first reading turns our focus to what is the core of wisdom in the Christian era. That is where the Gospel narrative leads us. Keeping in mind the theological application of wisdom applied to every day experience of life, we discover in this Gospel three parts applicable to practical Christian living.

In the first part, a young man, like young Solomon, comes to Jesus seeking advice about how to enter eternal life. He had been applying the law of Moses to his life choices. His claim is without pretense. Certainly, in our initial stages of spiritual growth we understand his commitment to moral behavior. When we commit to living a moral life, our practice is based on a binary choice: good versus evil. Our judgement of goodness versus sin is based on adherence to commandments and precepts. This is the first phase of spiritual growth. Commandments and precepts are standards for clearing our pathways through life. As in the aftermath of a terrible, catastrophic hurricane, until our chosen path is cleared of rubble, accumulated mud, and rushing waters, there is not a lot of progress spiritually. That clearing is essential to growth in our relationship with others and with God on our pilgrim journey. If we are content with obeying laws as the sole meaning and purpose of living, we often fail to move beyond the goals and allegiances to the way of the world. The young man in this first of three pathways to following Jesus is attracted to eternal life. But he was held back because he had great possessions. His heart was attached, and his path had yet to be cleared for a stronger way forward. Did his heart’s attachment to possessions a practice of idolatry?

The second part of the Gospel is Jesus’ preference for the poor and marginalized. Families and individuals locked in poverty have little to claim their hearts. Only if they succumb to an attitude of victimhood are they stuck. The energy and source of vitality in this life is the care and concern they have for one another. Not all the poor and marginalized discover strength in a community. Often poverty robs people of strength and creates bitterness and a self-evaluation of victimhood. That often leads to violence and hatred. Evangelization and a hand-up are tools to relieve a burden of poverty. This preference for the poor and marginalized is a responsibility for the way of Christians to help with a hand-up to conquering poverty.

The third part of this Gospel is about voluntary poverty. This is for those who join the mission and ministry of Jesus. Their reward is not a physical one. The solidarity with and presence of the Lord in that work brings fulfillment and joy. With that commitment comes an awareness of God in creation, in the Scriptures, and in relationships with others. As we heard last Sunday, those who follow Jesus in his ministry are servants. In their service God’s is present to them. But then – as if to contradict this – there is the experience of many saints (check out Teresa of Calcutta). There is a felt absence of God’s presence. Spiritual writers name that “the dark night of the soul.” 

What has this to do with wealth? Are we expected to sell all we own? What about our responsibilities to provide nourishment, health care, shelter, transportation, clothing, and education for our children? Can we divorce ourselves from these obligations to follow Christ? Voluntary poverty of the third part of the Gospel this week applies to a ministry serving others. Jesus models this ministry. All are not called to such a level of service. But at the least, all are called to recognize and support the dignity and worth of every human.

The second part of the message tells us we are to be conscious of persons on the margins of society, the poor, the forgotten, those ill, those challenged in their existence. Ignoring or looking away from the poor denies their dignity and worth as creation of God.  There is much wisdom in this Sunday’s liturgy of the Word.

Dennis@PreacherExchange.com

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Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B
2024-10-06 - Homily

“But from the beginning of creation,
God made them male and female.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
So they are no longer two but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate."

This is pretty much the only direct comment
we have from Jesus on Marriage.
All the rest are indirect.
The most notable is the Wedding feast at Canna in John’s Gospel. Then there are all the allusions to the kingdom as a wedding celebration - and they are everywhere! “Only the Father knows” “I go to prepare a place for you”

With marriage, as with all things, Jesus is never a minimalist.
Always directing us to life, wholeness, and fulfillment.

So he minces no words and tells us that God’s intention
is always that the “man and woman become one flesh” and “Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate.”

Yet, in the light of the ideal, Jesus always treats us with gentleness, mercy, and forgiveness!
We see this in the woman caught in adultery
and the prodigal son’s return to his profligate Father.

So the Church has struggled with this passage from the beginning, even in the communities of the Apostles.

In my first assignment as a priest
I worked with a medical student who came to see me because her husband exhibited among other things controlling and violent tendencies. I listened, and walked with her through her decision and process, divorce and annulment. I mostly helped her to make decisions during her journey that would minimize the harm and promote healing. She make it through on her feet and heading into the future.

Another couple came in for marriage preparation,
and with a couple of major issues apparently resolved, eventually got married. It did not last long. The young woman cane back for help. I listened to and helped her navigate her way through the Divorce, Annulment. A couple of years later, she had met a wonderful young man and they came in for marriage preparation, they were a delight to work with. Last I heard from them, they were still happily married.

The vision of Jesus inspires us all! And we seek the ideal.
One thing I have learned from those who have experienced a broken marriage, Is that they hold onto this ideal as a source of hope. It is not easy, but that ideal is a light in the darkness that helps them to let go when nothing else works, and move on with hope.

I believe that the central key to growing in the ideal that Jesus articulates is this, “what God has joined together”

The first section of this Gospel is one of the top three Gospel’s chosen by couples for their wedding. It is easy to focus on “the two shall become one flesh” and embrace the divine support and participation in “no human being must separate.” and miss the central importance of
“what God has joined together”

This is the Key to understanding the gift of marriage
and understand what God is doing in this sacrament.
This is not a legal joining together as in a contract,
such that once it is signed all is established.
(We often have this same misconception about Creation.
In reality, it continues through time with us as partners with God in the work and blessings of creation.)

“What God has joined,” indicates an active process of working toward the Ideal of becoming one in marriage.
Just GETTING married does not do it,
It is LIVING marriage daily that brings it about.

Fr. Paul Feider published a book in 1986 on the sacraments that refers to research on the impact of prayer on the stability of marriage. He writes,
“Statistics I heard some time ago about marriages in the United States indicates the power of constantly focusing on Christ as the center of the marriage. They show that in our country, 50 out of 100 nonreligious marriages end in divorce; 33 out of 100 religious marriages end in divorce; ten out of 100 marriages in which the couples worship together end in divorce; and only one in 1105 marriages in which couples pray WITH each other on a daily basis ends up in divorce.”

Allowing God to join us day by day is the key.
Attention to prioritizing common and ordinary activities
that bind us in faith and in the sharing of common life
are part of our openness to God’s presence and grace.
This is more than prayer, meals, time, attention, cooperation, and common goals, which are all part of it.

In my observation of couples coming in for marriage preparation, couple prayer is the most challenging practice to begin.
Yet, Couples who have learned to pray together are the most joyful and comfortable in their relationship. They truly enjoy the challenges of the preparation process and are willing to openly acknowledge and face their difficulties.

So to those of you who are still looking or are in a dating relationship, look for the ways you can share faith.

To those who are growing in their married life grow the practice of daily prayer together, and you will reap dividends.

I am convinced that
if couples, who are committed to one another,
build the practice of praying together on a daily basis,
that Jesus’ saying can be read as
“What God has joined together, NO ONE CAN separate!”

And if you need help starting the conversation,
I give you permission to say, “Fr. John said ...”

Fr John Boll, OP

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Volume 2 is for you. Your thoughts, reflections, and insights on the next Sundays readings can influence the preaching you hear. Send them to preacherexchange@att.net. Deadline is Wednesday Noon. Include your Name, and Email Address.

-- Fr. John

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