8th A

8 A
Introduction: Raymond Brown comments on this part of Matthew’s Gospel: “At our time when a consumer society is very concerned with the best in clothes and food and when a great deal of energy is put into being sure that we have financial security for the future, the Matthean Jesus’ challenge not to worry about what to eat, or to wear, or about tomorrow may be even more biting than in his own time.” Christ in the Gospels of Ordinary Time, p. 25

WORRY is a recurring word in this section. It clearly is a recurring reality to us today. The word is used at least five times in this passage. Warren Carter, p. 176 “Do not worry. It forbids what many, in an age of anxiety, clearly do, provoked by political and socioeconomic injustices as well as by philosophical and religious uncertainties.” This observation contains words that have their own bite in our time.
It is interesting that Matthew balances male and female roles in talking about the birds and then grass. Birds “neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns” (traditional outdoor male roles); Wild Flowers “neither toil nor spin (traditional female roles).
It is also significant that the first reading uses an image of God that is feminine: “Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.”
“You of little faith” This term will be used of the apostles three more times in the Gospel (8:26; 14:31; 16:8). It is true of us too. Carter, p. 178 “...indicates not the absence of any faith, but little faith which must grow stronger and not be swamped or paralyzed by apparently overwhelming circumstances. It is to grow by discerning God’s immensely powerful, faithful and gracious sovereignty in creation, which Jesus promises is available to trusting disciples.” What are the overwhelming circumstances that we feel in our lives? Some might point to the war in Afghanistan, some to gun control, some to universal health care, some to immigration policy, some..... What am I, as a disciple of Jesus, called to do in my desire to strive?
“Your heavenly father knows that you need all these things” The promise is for what we need, no excess or luxury.
“Strive first for the empire/reign and its justice/righteousness.” Strive means active doing. What does this mean for me?
In Matthew’s time the disciples were living in the pervasive contexts of worry and trouble/evil. We surely identify with this reality.

WORRY, FAITH, STRIVE.

Third World Biblical insights of women

BIBLICAL INSIGHTS FROM: Hope Abundant (Third World and Indigenous Women’s Theology) editor, Kwok Pui-lan

p59ff “For us women from the Christian tradition, the task if to reflect anew on the role of the Bible in our lives, in our struggles, in the modification of our behavior...In the last twenty years, I believe, a particular phase of the struggle has been achieved. Through the contributions of many intellecvtuals and popular readings, we have succeeded in relativizing the written text and in seeing what is written as constrained by a historical, cultural, political, social and male perspective.”

P.104 “It needs to be somehow impressed upon women and men that many of the biblical statements that are considered oppressive are not necessaril factual or normative, nor do they reflect reality, but are often the wishful projections of male authors in situations where it was felt that women needed to be controlled since women were more assertive and successful.”

P. 112 “In the context of a multi-scriptural environment, ‘scripture’ understood as revelation that is canonized but not closed is essential for authentic and meaningful exegesis of the biblical text.”
P. 113 “The ‘Word of God’ is not absolute or ahistorical.”
P. 115 “This calls for what Tissa Balasuriya calls a ‘new hermeneutic,’...this involves recognition of the fact that there is a distinction between God’s revelation at a given time as expressed by the author and how the meaning of a text is interpreted in the cultural context of another time.”

P.181 “What alienates some African women is the interpretation of revelation that suggests that before Jesus Africans had not encountered God and that without Jesus all are doomed. Christian exclusiveness is in large measure not biblical and must therefore not be allowed to become an obstacle in the multi-religious communities of Africa.

P. 223 “The major problem of African Christians is their uncritical reading of the Bible...”

P. 233 “The Bible was born out of a culture that honored men and despised women and so it reflected this phenomenon. If we pay no attention to historical context and background in our biblical interpretation, but simply apply things mechanically, we turn the revelation of God into a fossilized word, and not the living Word.”

7th A

7th A
Introduction: Last Sunday we heard Jesus say to us: “...unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees you shall not enter the kingdom of God.”

Today God says to us in the 1st reading from the Book of Leviticus: “Be holy, for I, the Lord, you God am holy.” In the Gospel Jesus says to us: “...you must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Those are ways of stating the theory. But then the first reading gets down to particulars. “You shall not bear hatred for your brother or sister in your heart.
Though you may have to reprove your fellow citizen,
do not incur sin because of him.
Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against any of your people.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
I am the LORD.”
There are three DON’TS 1) Don’t bear hatred in your heart for your brother, 2) take no revenge, 3) do not cherish a grudge for your countryman. These “don’ts” are followed by one “Do”. You shall love your neighbor as yourself..

In the second reading Paul speaks to the Corinthians and us about our dignity as temples of God. He also calls us to be wise in the ways of God.

The Gospel of this Sunday is the real killer. Jesus tells us that aggression is not to be returned and that we are to love not just our neighbor but even our ENEMY AND PRAY FOR OUR PERSECUTORS.

It is important to understand verse 39a. Our translation reads: “But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.” Barbara Reid in her commentary informs us: “Verse 39a is best translated “do not retaliate against the evildoer.” The verb in Greek most often carries the connotation “resist violently” or “armed resistance in military encounters” (e.g.Eph 6:13)
Warren Carter translates this sentence: “Do not violently resist an evildoer.” The strange NRSV translation Do not resist an evildoer (or evil) forbids self protection...” and invites a submissive approach to tyrants. Prior to this four scenes have exhorted the audience to resist doing evil! Following this Verses 39-42 offer scenes of resisting oppressive power. Armed revolt or submission are not the only alternatives. Jesus’ third way is active nonviolent resistance. “Four somewhat witty yet serious examples of this active nonviolent resistance follow.”
1) “turn the other cheek” Warren writes: “Rather than be subdued into nonresponsiveness, and rather than lashing out in violence and continuing the cycle, Jesus teaches a third response: turn the other also. This action shows that one has not been intimidated or provoked into uncontrolled actions. It is a chosen, active, nonviolent response to a system designed to humiliate. The chosen action refuses submission, asserts dignity and humanness and challenges what is supposed to demean. It refuses the superior the power to humiliate.”
2) “give your cloak as well” This means to strip oneself naked in court. By standing naked before one’s creditor who has both garments in his hand, one shames and dishonors the creditor.
3) “go also the second mile” It is a strategy for responding to what is intended to humiliate by refusing to be humiliated. It would also threaten the Soldier that he might be brought to task for what happened.
4) “give to him who begs” It counters a cultural understanding of giving as benefiting the giver or benefactor’s reputation and social position, and obligating the recipient to reciprocate by enhancing the patron’s status.
“Do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you” This means setting aside reciprocity and benefits from repayment, high interest rates, or default.

Jesus offers four examples of nonviolent resistance to oppressive power. They are examples of creative, imaginative strategies which break the circle of violence. The servile refuse to be humiliated; the subjugated take initiative by acting with dignity and humanity in the midst of and against injustice and oppression which seem permanent.
W.Wink describes Jesus’ third way (active non violent resistance) in phrases such as: Seize the moral initiative, find a creative alternative to violence, assert your own humanity and dignity as a person, meet force with ridicule or humor, break the cycle of humiliation, refuse the inferior position, shame the oppressor, be willing to suffer. Such actions exhibit different relationships and manifest the destabilizing, transforming reign of God..

Barbara Reid sums up the command to love our enemies and pray for them in these words: “Giving loving treatment only to one’s own people does not adequately fulfill the Law. Verse 48 sums up: “There must be no limits to your goodness, as your heavenly Father’s goodness known no bounds” (cf. NAB: “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect”).”

6th A Ordinary Time

6th A

First reading: Reminds us several times that we have the power to “choose”.
Second reading: Our God is a God of wisdom, mysterious, hidden, deep. “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it so much as dawned on us, what God has prepared for those who love him.”
Gospel: We continue the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus addresses several important and yet complicated questions: his view of the Law and Prophets, murder, adultery, divorce and false oaths. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary treats this section with great care and great detail. There is no room here for knee jerk understanding or interpretation.

This section is Jesus’ interpretation of several scriptures. One of the keys to understanding Jesus’ words is 5:20 “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus now declares a former understanding of the Law inadequate as he places more stringent demands on his disciples. Jesus dares explicitly to modify or correct what Tgod said through Moses. He makes the demand of the Law more penetrating
He addresses murder, adultery, divorce and oaths.
1) MURDER. Killing another person is the epitome of broken relationships. The Law given to Moses forbids killing. Jesus’ command is to defuse anger and work toward reconciliation before the rupture in the relationship reaches a murderous stage. He then gives three concrete examples. a) avoid insulting one another, b) liturgical sacrifices do not cover over broken relationships, c) he warns against letting conflicts escalate to the point of litigation in court..
However there is a good kind of anger. St. Augustine said, “Hope has two lovely daughters, anger and courage. Anger so that what should not be is not and courage so that what should be is.”

2) ADULTERY. As anger is prohibited as the first step toward murder, so the lustful look is condemned as the prelude to adultery. The androcentric language (“...everyone who looks at a woman with lust...”) reflects a society in which male concerns dominate and in which marriage is commonly patriarchal. In our culture it is not only men who look with lust.

3) DIVORCE. Building on the previous example, Jesus adds that divorce is also a form of adultery. This is addressed to males and reflects the Jewish custom that only they could initiate divorce. (This is surely different in our present society and culture.) The commentary in the New Jerome Biblical Commentary states: “Since the matter of divorce is often painful, it is useful to remember that Jesus’ deep intent was not to cause pain but to set out a clear and high ideal of human relations, a vision of marriage as a covenant of personl love between spouses which reflects the covenant relationship of God and his people. Unfortunately this vision does not always fit the vagaries of the human heart.”

4) OATHS. Jesus insists that relations among Christians be so transparent as to end the need for taking oaths at all. “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the evil one.” We must examine our personal responses and be aware that a different meaning to ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ is often experienced in our culture.

5th Sunday A

Sunday 5 A
Of Salt and Light

To better understand Jesus saying to the disciples, “You are the Salt of the Earth,” we need to do some adjusting of our perceptions. Today we hear more of the negatives connected with too much Salt, high blood pressure, heart attacks, obesity. In Jesus time salt was looked on much differently. It was used not only to improve the taste of food but also to preserve meat and fish. Salt in the ancient world was a precious commodity. Roman soldiers were partially paid with packets of salt (“sal” in Latin); this was the origin of our word “salary” and of phrases like “worth his salt.”
Here in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas we have some rich natural salt deposits. They are found at La Sal del Rey (El Sal del Rey) and La Sal Vieja (Old Salt) in western Willacy County. In the book HISTORIC RIO GRANDE VALLEY by Marjorie Johnson she notes: “Because salt is so important to both animals and man for many purposes—flavoring, medicine, meat preservation, water purification, mining and steel smelting, the salt deposits have been utilized and coveted by many.”
“Warring Indian tribes from north and south of the Rio Grande harvested supplies of salt to cure meats and tan hides, resuming their battles only after they had left the area, for the tribes did not attack each other while on salt missions. Spanish explorers claimed the lakes for the king of Spain… At one time, Santos Coy of Camargo employed 500 men and used 10,000 mules in connection with the operation of the Salt Train, which traveled as far as Durango and Zacatecas in the interior and Veracruz on the Gulf coast….Ships from Spain, France, and England returned to their European ports loaded with salt after bringing supplies to their colonies in the New World.” Pp. 21,22

So when Jesus says, “You are the Salt of the earth…light of the world.” These are words of blessing, but also words of commission. The importance of salt in Jesus’ time and even its importance in our own valley as illustrated above, gives us an insight into how precious we are in God’s sight. Salt was a precious commodity to the people of Jesus’ time, to the first peoples of our valley and later to the king of Spain, the Mexican government, the Republic of Texas, the state of Texas down to our own time of first private ownership and now to the Lower Rio Grande National Wildlife Refuge.

Jesus also uses these metaphors to remind Christians that we have a responsibility in the world. We are commissioned. Christians can lose their effectiveness and value in the world, and therefore be discarded as useless. The symbol of rejection in the Gospel passage is powerful, “But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” Matthew is constantly warning his church: the rejection which befell Israel can befall you as well. This is a word of warning to us as powerful as the word of blessing that he offers in the image.
In the history of the Church we have seen the Church become so identified with the world that she lost her voice, her witness, and her power for a season. The Russian Orthodox Church did just that under the final days of the czars, and when the communist revolt came, the people threw out the church as well as the czars. In Central and South America the Catholic church was for a long time identified with the rich.

Both salt and light are most effective when they draw attention, not to themselves, but to something beyond themselves. When used in seasoning food, salt works best when it enhances the flavor of the meal and is not even noticed by the one eating. Similarly, a well placed lamp is one that does not itself stand out, but rather illumines well what is noteworthy in the room. We are called to improve the quality of human existence and preserve it from destruction.
We have heard the song, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine…” Children learn it and sing it with delight. As simple as the words may be, and as airy the melody, the message is profound. In fact, it can be fully understood only by adults, for it is a proclamation of one’s willingness to give witness to one’s faith. Like salt, our care of others will bring out the best of a world that has turned sour; like the radiance of a lamp, we can enlighten a world that is floundering in darkness. We can be a city set on a mountain for all to see, a refuge and safe haven in a world threatened by hatred and terror. Ours may be only a little light, but if each of us lets it shine, we can indeed make a difference.
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5th Sunday of the Year "A"

"You are the salt of the earth."

In Jesus' time, salt was used not only to improve the taste of food
but also to preserve meat and fish. When Jesus compares his followers
to salt he says that they improve the quality of human existence and
preserve it from destruction. (Collegeville commentary, Harrington).

salt is both a spice and preservative

Salt in the ancient world was a precious commodity (even monopolized
by the royalty in Egypt and Persia). Roman soldiers were partially paid
with packets of salt ("sal" in Latin); this was the origin of our word
"salary" and of phrases like "worth his salt," etc.

Webster dictionary: (pl.) any of various mineral salts used as a
cathartic (Epsom salts), to soften bath water (bath salts), as a
restorative (smelling salts), etc.
(Colloq.) a sailor, esp. an experienced one
--salt of the earth (after Mt. 5:l3:) any person or persons regarded
as the finest, noblest, etc.
--worth one's salt worth one's wages, sustenance, etc.

4th Sunday A

4th A Sunday

This Sunday the first reading works toward showing us how much the spirit of the Hebrew Scriptures is present in the teachings of Jesus. The prophet Zephaniah speaks of a “remnant”. Zephaniah begins the long development of the theological meaning of humility, poverty, and lowliness as contained in the Hebrew word “anawim”. New Testament saints like Mary, see in poverty an interior attitude of dependence upon God. We can make a litany of Saints who lived this attitude, Juan Diego, Mother Teresea, Pope John XXIII, St. Theresa of the Little Flower, St. Martin de Porres, etc., etc.

Raymond Brown comments on the beginning of Chapter 5. “More than any other teacher of morality, the Matthean Jesus instructs with divine power and authority, and by this empowerment makes possible a new existence. There are parallels between Moses and the Matthean Jesus. The OT conveyor of divine revelation encountered God on a mountain, the NT revealer speaks to his disciples on a mountain. For Christians, next to the Ten Commandments as an expression of God’s will, the eight Beatitudes have been revered for expressing succinctly the values on which Jesus placed priority. In the comparable Lucan passage there are only four beatitudes (phrased more concretely: “you who are poor...hungry now...weep now...when people hate you”), and it is likely that Matt has added spiritualizing phrases (‘poor, in spirit...hunger and thirst for righteousness”) and four spiritual beatitudes (meek, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers). Seemingly Matt’s community has some people who are not physically poor and hungry; and the evangelist gives assurance that there was an outreach of Jesus to them as well, if they have attitudes attuned to the kingdom. Jesus teaches these beatitudes to the disciples who are to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. (Christ in the Gospels of the Ordinary Sundays, Raymond Brown, pp23,24)

...the values on which Jesus placed priority. Later on in chapter 5, vs. 20 Jesus says, “I tell you unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

In A Man and His God, (p. 30) Martin Pables writes: “...we, without fully realizing it, have allowed our vision to be shaped by something other than the gospel of Jesus Christ. His gospel is in fierce competition with what I and others call “the cultural gospel.” There is another set of values and standards around that is so all pervasive that we barely recognize it, much less examine and challenge it.” He then goes on to list aspects of the Cultural Gospel: Blessed are the rich and comfortable (poor) ; Blessed are the tough (meek) ; Blessed are they whose every want is satisfied (hunger and thirst for righteousness) ; Blessed are they who get even (merciful) ; Blessed are you when they accept you and pamper you (insult you and persecute you).

Cardinal Bernardin commented on Jesus words: “...learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart. Your souls will find rest...” “Jesus practiced what he preached. He was gentle toward the people he served and humbly obedient to the will of his Father. He called us to love one another and laid down his own life for us. The ‘rest’ he offers us comes from adopting and living each day his attitudes, his values, his mission, his ministry, his willingness to lay down his very life--in whatever circumstances we find ourselves.”

3rd Sunday A

3rd Sunday A
Learning from Meticulous Matthew

l) "When Jesus heard that John had been arrested he withdrew to
Galilee." This sentence has been understood as Jesus courageously
taking up the mission of John.. It clearly signals a change of direction
in Jesus' life. This change involved a geographical move but also a
new phase in the life of Jesus. Matthew in this passage moves us
rapidly through Jesus beginning to
proclaim his theme, calling followers, teaching, proclaiming and
healing. The lives of Jesus and John were closely intertwined. There was
friendship but also foreshadowing. Later in the Gospel in chapter l4
when Jesus hears about the horrible death of John, Matthew tells us,
"...he withdrew into a deserted place by himself." Jesus could see
images of his own life in the life of John. Our lives too are intertwined
with those of others. One point for our consideration this Sunday is
to examine our lives in terms of changes of direction.

2) "From that time on Jesus began to proclaim this theme: Reform
your lives! The kingdom of heaven is at hand." Here Matthew edits
Mark's Gospel to put the exact same words on the lips of Jesus that had
been on the lips of John. But though the words are the same the
understanding of John is different from that of Jesus. Both call for
reform of lives. The necessity of "doing" the will of God will be
developed in a special way in Matthew's Gospel. John thought that the
coming of the kingdom of heaven would bring judgment, that sinners
would be condemned and perish. Instead in Jesus the coming of the
kingdom would mean something different. Jesus in Matthew's Gospel will
be portrayed as the wisdom teacher and compassionate healer.

3) "He said to them, Come after me and I will make your fishers of
men. They immediately abandoned their nets and became his followers."
Jesus distinguishes himself from the teachers of his day by taking the
positive initiative to call disciples. The crisp format of the call
narrative reminds us of the Old Testament call narratives when a prophet
or king was swept into Yahweh's service. Here as in Mark (unlike Luke
and John) the disciples response is motivated only be Jesus' invitation,
an element that emphasizes his mysterious power, his extraordinary
attractiveness and magnetism. Here we also have the important theme of
discipleship being developed. To be a disciple is to be with Jesus and
to share in his mission.

4) "Jesus went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and
illness among the people." One author has described the author of this
Gospel as "meticulous Matthew." In this summary statement of the
mission of Jesus we see some of Matthew’s precision. Jesus in his
travels is doing three things: teaching, proclaiming and curing. For
Matthew the time of Jesus is the time of arrival of the kingdom. As
Herald he proclaims what God does in Jesus. In Jesus God shows a
ministry of word and of deed. Jesus is wisdom teacher and compassionate
healer. Chapters 5-7 will develop the notion of wisdom teacher and
chapters 8-9 that of Jesus as compassionate healer. In chapter 9: 35
Matthew will repeat this exact summary. Chapter 10 expands Jesus’
call to disciples to join his liberating mission “fish for people” (4:19).

Between now and the beginning of Lent, we will be
exploring the teaching of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. After the
Easter season when we resume ordinary time we will take up Matthew's
Gospel at the second of his five great discourses, the Missionary
discourse.