Daily word, 30 Oct 19

30^th Wednesday of the Year (30 Oct 2019)

Rm 8. 26-30; Ps 13; Lk 13. 22-30

Homily of Fr. Paul Panaretos, S.J., Full Spiritual Exercises

God’s Purpose

Now and again I imagine St. Ignatius of Loyola learning at the University of Paris. It was a flagship Catholic university with the best curriculum available. Ignatius knew that because he had studied in other universities with curricula that were not stellar. Paris allowed Ignatius to access his day’s finest resources.

As he accessed them and learned I imagine his days in Paris confirmed what the Trinity lovingly, patiently, gracefully had taught Ignatius before he entered university halls. The Trinity, Ignatius recounted, had given him “an elucidation so bright that all…things seemed new to him.”¹ That enlightenment is a gift not the fruit of effort; and Ignatius welcomed us into a universe of gifts.

Sharing life with this generous God is our goal. Our triune God eternally desires it for us. It is St. Paul’s the good; even now God works with all things for it. Some scoff at that—and not only today; ancients did as well. Yet ancient, pious pagan philosophers defended this divine desire. St. Paul was not alone.² I imagine Ignatius in Paris feeling confirmed by St. Paul’s words to Roman Christians he had yet to meet. Both Paul and Ignatius viewedthe big picture. Both experienced God working with them for good.

Paul had experienced Christ Jesus, the dead one raised to indestructible life, setting Paul apart for his unique life. Christians of Rome shared their experiences of Christ; Paul built on their shared experience: God works all things together toward the Good, the goal toward which each person and all creation moves. The Good in Ignatian language is “life with God forever”³—forever has begun with each present moment.

This long view does not include, as my teacher put it, “the incidental details of lost coins or school exams.”⁴ This long view cries, God is with us, for us no matter what! That is far from the distorted way some Christians read this: namely, God will make everything turn out right. We know and have experienced things do go awry, even terribly. Yet God is with and for us. What happens to us in our wounded world is not God’s purpose. God’s purpose unites us to God’s people, frees us to discover our true selves and gifts us with a share in God’s life forever.

How? someone asks. The primal one, Christ Jesus, purposefully set apart—what predestined means—purpose-fully set apart to heal creation, is the icon-image of healed humanity. The nearer we stay to Jesus, the more like him we allow ourselves to become, the more healed, freed we are, even when contrary to appearances. Keeping close to Jesus for our healing and wholeness in no way changes that his healing, wholeness are gift.5

About this Ss. Paul and Ignatius speak with one voice: God is on our side not because we earn God; sharing God’s life in part now, and eventually fully, is God’s gift. This divine gift is God’s mercy, God’s compassion; it is God lovingly desiring us. Nor is it reserved for a few because God lovingly creates without reserve. Or as Jesus expressed it: People will come from east and west, from north and south and will recline at [God’s banquet] table. —Imagine that!

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1. Fr. Joseph N. Tylenda, S.J. A Pilgrims Journey (Kindle Locations 952-953). Ignatius Press. Kindle Edition.
2. Epictetus, Of Providence. Boethius—bridge between ancient and medieval philosophies: “God, the Creator of all nature, directs and disposes all things for good” (Consolation of Philosophy, Book IV at paragraph 134.
3. Spiritual Exercises, [23].
4. Luke Timothy Johnson, Reading Romans: A Literary and Theological Commentary. Smyth & Helwys, 2o12, p. 141. Kindle Edition.
5. Paul was emphatic in Romans 3.24, literally: are justified by [God's] grace as a gift....

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Wiki-images by Douglas James Butner Enlightening Sunset CC BY-SA 4.0; by Carole Raddato Mosaic floor portion CC BY-SA 2.0

Sunday word, 13 Oct 19

28^th Sunday of the Year (13 Oct 2019)
2Kgs 5. 14-17; Ps 98; 2Tm 2. 8-13; Lk 17. 11-19

Homily of Fr. Paul Panaretos, S.J., Spiritual Exercises

Ever Faithful

Thanksgiving is tomorrow in Canada. The Word today joins gratitude and faith with two sobering reminders: faith is not always clothed in spectacular dress; and people of faith are not to expect thanks but to thank Christ, our model of faithful living.

Luke’s Gospel lets us notice healings by Jesus as effective signs of life in God’s realm. In the ancient Mediterranean world of Jesus leprosy was considered impossible for humans to heal; but the awaited Messiah could heal it. Leprosy also banished one from others. Living with leprosy was worse than death in a society for which community was most important.

Leprosy affected the valiant and the timid. Scripture recalled Naaman was valiant; he was an Aramean not a Jew; he was a leper. Naaman traveled from his king to the king of Israel; he expected a spectacular cure. To be told, Wash in the puny Jordan, angered him. If river washing was the way to a cure he could have stayed home and washed in far better rivers.¹

Wash Naaman did: not only was he healed; faith in the God of Israel joined a foreigner to God’s people. Scripture remembered Naaman.

In his homily at Nazareth inaugurating his Spirit-led ministry Jesus named Naaman and another foreigner. Toward both God had been gracious. That Jesus would minister to foreigners and not exclusively to his people enraged them.² Their hearts had grown puny and could not imagine God was faithful toward every human God creates.

Divine fidelity let St. Paul make his surprising turn on a traditional saying: endure and reign; deny and be denied, but human infidelity cannot limit God’s faithfulness.

Jesus embodied God’s faithfulness. He healed with no words. He recommended: Go, show yourselves to the priests who had been entrusted to certify healings of leprosy.³ The Samaritan leper alone sounded loud praise of God and returned to thank Jesus for healing him. Jesus only remarked the foreigner returned to give praise to God. Perhaps you and I need to note what Jesus did not do: he did not undo the healing of the other nine.

That is worth pondering. God is ever gracious to us even when we are ungrateful. This Thanksgiving we may notice our hearts are warmer, are more supple, and we are grateful for everything, even for what we so easily overlook.

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1. 2Kings 5.1-13. The verses immediate prior to the reading provide the context for the foreigner’s visit to the prophet of Israel’s God.
2. Luke 4.25-28.
3. Leviticus 14.1-9 included rituals as well as pronouncements.

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Wiki-images: Naaman cleansed. PD-US; Healing of 10 lepers PD-US

Sunday word, 06 Oct 19

27^th Sunday of the Year (06 Oct 2019)

Hbk 1. 2-3; 2. 2-4; Ps 95; 2Tm 1. 6-8, 13-14; Lk 17. 5-10

Homily of Fr. Paul Panaretos, S.J., Full Spiritual Exercises

Two Roles

Qumran was home to a sectarian group of Jews that separated themselves in the desert. They devoted themselves to live torah, the desire of God for the world. They lived in the world yet not part of it, distinctly sensing they lived torah, the divine wisdom. Their steadfast loyalty allowed them to live wholeheartedly for God.

Their commentary on Prophet Habbakuk’s conviction, the just one shall live by steadfast loyalty was key: to live by faith concerns all those who observe the Law in the House of Judah, whom God will deliver from the House of Judgement because of their suffering and because of their steadfast loyalty in the Teacher of Righteousness,¹ their founder.

That is an illuminating window on another community in the same century in the same locale: the Jesus-movement of Christian communities. Christians’ steadfast loyalty—faith—had become personal trust in their founder, Messiah Jesus whom they experienced as raised from death and more powerfully alive than he had been on earth: he lived in the very presence of God.

Personal trust operates in Ignatius’ foundational principle. It offers two roles: our triune God creating and gifting; and our coming to desire God’s desires for us. Our role sets aside what limits us welcoming and living from God’s desires. Our personal trust operates when we open space² in our lives for God. So it is in other relationships: people affect us when we open and welcome them. Our triune God entrusts us with all creation, desiring we enjoy it and care for it. God respects our freedom to open space for God or decline to open. To open space for God to act for our good opens the door onto Ignatian spirituality.

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1. QpHabbakuk commentary on Habbakuk 2.4b.
2. Annemiek van Campen, “The Mystical Way of Images and Choice,” The Way Supplement 103 (2002), p. 11.

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Wiki-images by: Habakkuk and God, Miniature PD-US

Daily word, 03 Oct 19

Memorial of St. Francis Borgia, Jesuit Priest (03 Oct 2019)

Neh 8. 1-4a, 5-6, 7b-12; Ps 19; Lk 10. 1-12

Homily of Fr. Paul Panaretos, S.J., Ignatian Spirituality Retreat

More Expansive

Before mass: Hebrew is a verbal language. Actions are its building blocks, not concepts. Modern, western languages are more heavy with concepts. As a result we can miss hearing in more expansive, relational ways. To notice in relational ways with all our senses is a grace to beg our triune God these days.

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The theme of the song that is Psalm 19 is creation. In its first half the psalmist focused on it: The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament proclaims God’s handiwork.¹ If heaven and earth declare the glory of God, more wonderful are God’s desires for humans. The psalmist extolled them in its second half.

God’s desires were enshrined in torah. Sadly its translation as law confines our imaginations. The root of torah is to flow; it came to mean shoot an arrow, and figuratively to point a finger, thus to show, to instruct.² The English connotation, to instruct, rests between others: be visible; display; manifest/reveal; then verify and accompany/escort. All more expansive, relational ways to show.

Those who heard Ezra read torah at the Water Gate listened in such expansive ways. Torah had been lost to them in their long exile in Babylon. Ezra read it to them on their return to Jerusalem. Weeping became joyful tears on discerning God’s desires for humans are trustworthy…giving wis-dom; they rejoice the heart and enlighten the eye; they are more precious than…purest gold and sweeter also than…honey. Such gracious care defied head-knowing; it could and can be appreciated by the heart. That led to joyous celebrations of their interior freedom.

That freedom is our gateway to the Peace of the New Creation, the realm of God. Jesus and his disciples proclaimed it in deed and word. Jesus  is torah of God: of and coequal with God; flowing from God; showing God. Jesus invites us to experience him here so we can show him better to others.

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1. Psalm 19.2.
2. 3384. יָרָה yarah, yaw-raw´; or (2 Chr. 26:15) יָרָא yara, yaw-raw´; a primitive root; properly, to flow as water (i.e. to rain); transitively, to lay or throw (especially an arrow, i.e. to shoot); figuratively, to point out (as if by aiming the finger), to teach:—(+) archer, cast, direct, inform, instruct, lay, shew, shoot, teach(-er,-ing), through. At “יָרָה יָרָא,” Strong’s Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary of the Old Testament, paragraph 3400. Jeff A. Benner built his “What is Torah?” on yarah.


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Wiki-image: Ezra. PD-US