Memorial of St. Francis Borgia, Jesuit Priest (03 Oct 2019)
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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- Psalm 19.2.
- 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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