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Daily Scripture

+ 5th Week in Ordinary Time

It still has meaning.

1 Kings 8:1-7, 9-13 Psalm 132:6-7, 8-10 Mark 6:53-56

The priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place beneath the wings of the cherubim in the sanctuary, the holy of holies of the temple. There was nothing in the ark but the two stone tablets which Moses had put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel. [1 Kings 8:6, 8]
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In recent years there has been much discussion in liturgical circles about the proper location of the tabernacle in the worship space. The directives implementing the Constitution on the Liturgy by the Second Vatican Council prescribed that the tabernacle be located in prominent location in the church or chapel, preferably in a chapel dedicated to the reservation of the Blessed Sacrament and appropriate for veneration. In any case, it was not to be located on the altar table used for the celebration of the Eucharist. As a result in many churches renovations, the tabernacle was moved to the ‘side altar’ previously used for the veneration of the Blessed Virgin or St. Joseph and in some churches, it was placed on the old altar previously used for Mass. In situations the old altar was replaced with a permanent pedestal on which the tabernacle was placed.

In liturgical matters, nothing is simple. Those of a more conservative disposition insisted that the location of the Tabernacle on the side altar reduced the status of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist thereby diminishing its meaning in the devotional life of the faithful. Others of a more liberal persuasion opined that in fact, the location in a separate chapel within the church assigned to the sacrament greater prominence thereby increasing the devotional aspect. Moreover, in as much as an emphasis of the ‘action’ of the Mass as the repetition of the “Lord’s Supper” was promoted by the Council, it seemed to liturgists that the location of the tabernacle in the main sanctuary behind the free standing Eucharist table would compete with the ‘action’ of the Mass as a sacred meal.

The most recent prescriptions in the United States provide that the tabernacle be located in the main sanctuary on suitably ornate pedestal. It is ironic that in the major basilicas including the basilica of St. Peter in Rome, the tabernacle is located on a side altar that is not very prominent.

Whatever the location, it should not be a bone of contention worthy of a liturgical battle. The public and private devotion to the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist is rooted in the long tradition of the Church and should not be disparaged. In the same way in which the tablets of stone on which the Ten Commandments was symbolic of God’s presence in the temple, so too, the reservation of the Eucharist Bread has been one of the longest-standing practices of the devotional life of Catholics. It is intended to extend the meaning and the effects of the Eucharistic celebration into the life of the faithful who continue to spend time in prayerful meditation on the mysteries of the life of Jesus not the least of which is his faithfulness unto death on the cross for the salvation of the world. The two aspects of Eucharist need not be in competition. The ‘Mass’ continues to be considered a “sacrificial” meal. But we need to be clear that its connection with the passion and death of Christ even as the lamb of God is not to suggest that his death was mandated to satisfy and angry God. That in my opinion is not an appropriate application of Old Testament sacrifices. No, Jesus sacrificial death was the completion of his entire sacrificial life of unqualified and indiscriminate love in the same way as the sacrificial love of partners in marriage offer their sacrificial love to one another or in the manner that Mother Teresa offered her live in sacrificial service to victims of poverty in the streets of Calctta. It is in this sense that devotion to the Eucharist in the tabernacle takes its extended meaning.

During the celebration of the Eucharist, we become what we eat. Through our devotion to the Eucharist reserved in the tabernacle, we are reminded that the Eucharistic presence in our mind, heart and soul extends into all the good works of our lives with the hope that we too will always think and act with the same sacrificial love as did Jesus in his earthly life.

Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time 'A'

Sunday August 31, 2008

Life Was Meant To Be Great Not Easy!

Although I have never had the privilege of undergoing an MRI or CAT scan, I have heard enough about the procedure to know that it is not my personal choice for a recreation alternative. But as challenging as it might be for most of us, it can produce the same or more accurate results in a fraction of the time required by more complicated and painful procedures.

The mechanism scans all or a portion of the human body and can identify signs of life-threatening illnesses before they mature and take hold of an individual. It’s really an extraordinary diagnostic.

Of course, it takes trained technicians to administer the scan and knowledgeable physicians to interpret the results. However, only after a careful review of the medical history and life-style patterns of the patient can an accurate diagnosis be made and the appropriate treatment applied.

From that point on, much depends on the disposition of the patient and his or her will to be well.

The spiritual lives of institutions and societies have a similar pattern to health diagnosis and a path to wellness. As with the physical health of the human body, the soul of an individual, the soul of the Church and the soul of a nation sometimes require an M.R.I. or a scan to detect symptoms of spiritual illness and social decay.

Among all the prophets, Jeremiah might be characterized best as one of the most effective ‘scanners’ of ancient Israel.

It was not a vocation he welcomed. He knew he would be rejected and rebuked by his contemporaries. His was a life-threatening vocation. At the lowest point of his career he refused to give up or give in to despair. In fact he experienced the power of God’s presence and spirit: “Within me there is something like a burning fire, shut up in my bones. I can hold it in no longer; I must speak up and speak out for the Lord.”

He had the gift of clairvoyance that enabled him to look into the soul of Israel and into the heart of its leadership. He challenged insiders and outsiders, the high and the mighty as well as the lowly. He was fired up with justice and had no choice but to speak the truth whatever the consequences though it cost him his life. Ultimately it did.

Jeremiah was a prototype of Jesus and his words this weekend prepare us for Jesus’ challenge to Peter and the disciples as recorded by Matthew.

Last week Peter in his own name and in the name of his colleagues confessed Jesus as the Messiah, [Matt 16:15-16] but he and they just didn’t get it. They didn’t have a clue to the meaning of his title and the cost of his mission.

To expand their understanding, Jesus issued a warning about what was to happen to the Messiah in Jerusalem. Peter became adamantly protective of Jesus, refusing to submit to such a prophecy. Instead of the “rock” (Peter’s name means ‘rock’), Peter became a stone and a stumbling block. Matthew cleverly connects this exchange with Peter to Jesus’ rebuke of Satan after the series of temptations in the desert in the beginning of his gospel But his rebuke to Satan, “Be gone; get out of here!” was a complete dismissal.

His rebuke to Peter on the other hand had a redemptive quality: ” Get behind me and follow me where I am going.” In other words, I am the leader, not you, Peter. Whereas Satan could never follow Jesus, Peter still had the opportunity to get on board and get in line. A transformation took place in that exchange and the disciples gained new insight into Jesus’ call. Moreover, they learned that discipleship with Christ was not about position, power and prestige but about truth, integrity and a self-giving love that demanded a careful examination of their lives and of their motivation for their ‘hanging out’ with Jesus.

There can be no neutrality in the life of the Christian. Whenever we gather in this assembly we take a risk knowing that the Word of God might prick our individual and collective consciences.

The word of God scans our souls as individuals, as a church and as a nation and there are prophets all around us who make us think. My godmother was a prophet in my life. She took her ‘vocation’ very seriously. She would call periodically to check up on me to make sure I was faithful to my vocation staying on the straight and narrow.

But we must be very careful to avoid a fundamentalist or literal interpretation of the Scriptures. They must be understood within the historical context in which they were written and filtered through contemporary realities. We must also take care not to be deceived by false prophets – those who justify evil in the guise of good, wolves in sheep’s clothing. In a world of easy access to whatever pleases us, we need to tune in to those who make us think rather than those who make us feel good.

We come here not only to listen but also to respond, to act ethically and morally in the fulfillment of our daily responsibilities not only as individuals but also as a parish community, as a global church and as a national citizenry in accord with our Christian conscience. This is not a subtle plug for either candidate. There are many moral issues at stake and we ought not be a ‘single issue’ church.

To be well as individuals, as a church and as a nation, we must enthrone God rather than ourselves, the president or even the Pope. To become whole as individuals and as a community, we must be faithful to Jesus unto death.

And here is a prophetic prayer from the pen of a twentieth century prophet that may stir the all two quiet waters of our spiritual indolence:

Grant us prudence in proportion to our power,
Wisdom in proportion to our science,
Humaneness in proportion to our wealth and might.
And bless our earnest will to help all races and peoples
to travel, in friendship with us,
Along the road to justice, liberty and lasting peace:

But grant us above all to see that our ways
are not necessarily you ways,
That we cannot fully penetrate the mystery of your designs
And that the very storm of power now raging on this earth
Reveals your hidden will and your inscrutable decision.
Grant us to see your face in the lightning of this cosmic storm,
O God of holiness, merciful to all:
Grant us to seek peace where it is truly found! In your will, O God, is our peace! Amen”

[Passion for Peace by Thomas Merton, Edited by William H. Shannon, Crossroad Publishing Company, New York, NY, 1995. Appendix: Merton’s Prayer for Peace, pages 328-329]
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One of the areas of prophetic ministry for Christians is to tend to the unfinished task of the healing of victims of clergy abuse. You can help not only by speaking out but by helping us to help victims directly with counsel, financial aid, the restoration of their dignity. Please consider our appeal:

Victims of sexual abuse didn’t choose which road they took in life. Others chose it for them, leading to pain and suffering.

But there is one road that can bring those wounded back to health. It’s The Road to Recovery.

Please help The Road to Recovery reach those in need of a healing way home. Send your donations to:

Road to Recovery, Inc.
PO Box 1908
Livingston NJ 07039

All donations are tax deductible and all money goes to direct aid and services to victims transitioning to survival.

For additional information, click weblink to Road to Recovery to the right on this page.