Daily word, 30 Jan 20

3^rd Thursday of the Year (30 Jan 2020) 

2Sm 7. 18-19, 24-29; Ps 132; Mk 4. 21-25

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

Uncontrollable

Hearers and watchers of narrative and drama are more aware than the actors in them. Our more accurate knowledge is called irony; Mark’s gospel drips with irony from its opening words: the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.¹ We know who God knows: Christ Jesus is God’s son. We know who the spirits and the cosmic forces know: Jesus, the Holy One of God. We know who Jesus’ opponents reject, and we know Jesus’ identity before the disciples grasp it.

From the start the gospel’s irony revolves around Jesus: he is the key to interpreting his announcement: the time is fulfilled and God’s reign is at hand²; Jesus embodies his announcement. Though address-ed to all the earth it is not earth-bound: it is God’s costly action for the world; hostile spirits and cosmic forces oppose him. The first spirit in the drama was vocal: What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!³ In his presence others shrieked, You are the Son of God.⁴

Our more accurate knowledge can be hard to take. It isn’t easy to sympathize with the disciples as they falter in coming to know Jesus; our hesitations to know Jesus allow us to do it. When we curb our desire to shake sense into them, we take heart: although they were slow to recognize and know Jesus, the disciples perse-vered! as did Jesus, which is easy to forget. Through his relationship with his disciples Jesus teaches us. How? Jesus urges, Take no excessive pride in self and achievements. A smug attitude closes us to Jesus and to the mystery he is, the mystery his Spirit manifests in the particulars of our lives, locations and times. Though they did not understand Jesus, one cannot say the disciples were smug: they followed Jesus though quite unaware. My teacher enlightened me and others that Jesus

seems to be saying, “if [we] think [we] understand the mystery of the kingdom and even control it, watch out; it remains alive and [awesome] beyond [our] comprehension. If [we] think disciple-ship consists in power because of the presence of God, beware; [we] are called to follow the one who suffered and died. [Our] discipleship is defined by his messiahship, that is, in terms of [obedient listening] and service.”⁵ 

Opposition to Jesus was violent; threats to kill him emerged early. The violent opposition forced Jesus to speak in parables. While parables confounded⁶ opponents we can do what they would not: apply them to ourselves. Do we receive the word as gift and help it take root in us? Do we welcome the light Jesus is and offers? When we welcome Jesus, do we share him? 

Signals that we are face to face with mystery punctuate the parables we apply to ourselves: Listen! Whoever has ears to hear…listen! Anyone who has ears to hear ought to listen! Take care how you listen⁷ Earlier Mediterranean prophets used such phrases to alert listeners to God’s ways that we can never domes-ticate. Jesus drew on Isaiah: see  but not perceive…listen but not understand.

We can only wait on the divine mystery—ever a human challenge. Whom do we await? Our benevolent God as Jesus revealed. Mystic Julian of Norwich in the 14^th C experienced the benevolent God as “courteous Lord.” The descriptor is rich: affable; gentle; considerate; thoughtful; chivalrous—loyal, honourable, strong. God lavishes for our benefit “princely friendship” in every circumstance to support and restore us.⁸

Have we gracious courage to welcome such divine qualities? Are we free to move beyond any shock that God is courteous? is humble? benevolently befriends? is human? Look to Jesus, and take care how you look? That is, ask for the grace you need and wait on it.

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1. Mark 1.1.
2. Mark 1.15.
3. Mark 1.24.
4. Mark 3.11.
5. Luke Timothy Johnson, The Writings of the New Testament (Kindle Locations 2621-2624).
6. Mark 4.11, part of Mark 4.1-20, yesterday’s gospel selection.
7. Mark 4.3, 8, 23, 24.
8. Her Showings, chapter 39. “Princely friendship” appears in the translation in Enfolded in Love: Daily Readings with Julian of Norwich. 

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Wiki-images: Jesus teaches by the sea PD-US; Julian of Norwich by Antiquary CC BY-SA 4.0

Sunday word, 26 Jan 20

3^rd Sunday of the Year (26 Jan 2020)

Is 8 .23-9. 3; Ps 27; 1Co 1. 10-13, 17; Mt 4. 12-23

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

New Possibilities

Early last autumn Pope Francis gave new focus to the 3^rd Sunday of the Year; he declared it “Sunday of the Word of God…devoted to the cele-ration, study and dissemination of the word of God.”¹ Francis phrased his description well: 

A day devoted to the Bible should not be seen as a yearly event but rather a year-long event, for we urgently need to grow in our knowledge and love of the Scriptures and of the risen Lord, who continues to speak his word and to break bread in the community of believers.²

You have retreated to be with God. Scripture is the privileged doorway by which God communicates to us, and we contemplate God’s self-communication. In Ignatian praying time with scripture regularly is a life-changing event. The effect can be a sea-change; to stay with the maritime metaphor: often Ignatian praying is our daily course-correction, drawing us nearer to our triune God, who is both our Goal and our Beloved.

Praying as course-correction alerts us to the journey that each disciple’s life is. Journeys always involve preparation and frequent monitoring. The scriptures alert us to new possibilities, self-awareness and growing unity. Growing  familiarity with the word offers us new awareness about God that John and Jesus offered, namely, God is near us tenderly.

After John’s successful ministry was forcibly stopped—he had been arrested—Jesus came into his ministry and realized he needed to leave home to minister effectively. Galilee was a good, strategic choice. Once the territories named had been attached to a foreign realm; by Jesus’ time the seaward road bustled with trade and Gentiles as well as Jewish residents. Also Galilean Jews were very observant; Galilee  was the “heart and soul of Jewish learning from the first and second century onwards;”³ Jewish Galileans were the “most religious Jews in the world in the time of Jesus”;⁴ they were more open to change,⁵ important because Jesus began as John did: Metanoia yourselves; Change your hearts; Reorient your lives! New awareness and metanoia mean greater fidelity to God not less.

The method of Jesus’ ministry from the first was gathering. Jesus gathered others by his speech and more by his deeds. His gathering was healing, joining, unifying. Near the sea Jesus gathered fisherman as his associates. They knew how to gather fish, Jesus would empower them to gather humans; not to confine but to impart healing forgiveness as well as his life—and this for everyone in every age.

Paul’s letter to the Corinthians reminds us that early in the Jesus-movement some felt it was not enough to belong to Christ crucified. The cross was a shameful instrument of torture and death; no one would link it with divine care; better to associate oneself with an eloquent leader. We are not so different: we wear a cross with pride and are hard-pressed to appreciate its scandal, let alone how God works toward the good with everything. Our societies lure us with eloquence to set ourselves apart with every new-and-improved product or to be defined by our societies.

Jesus did not merely talk, Jesus acted. He invites us to notice him acting in us and for us. As we notice, we feel Jesus incorporate us anew into his Body, his world, his living creation; and we fall more in love with our “risen Lord, who continues to speak his word and to break bread in the community of believers.”

                          Link to this homily’s Spiritual Exercise

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1. His letter, “INSTITUTING the SUNDAY of the WORD OF GOD,” 3.
2. Instituting, 8.
3. L. Michael White, Galilee: Portrait of Jesus’ World.
4. Ray Vander Laan, Rabbi and Talmidim.
5. Eric Meyers, Galilee: Portrait of Jesus’ World.

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Wiki-images by: Mark Nakasone from Haifa, Israel, Capernaum harbour  CC BY 2.0; Jesus calling Peter and Andrew PD-US

Dailyword, 20 Jan 20

Tuesday, 2^nd Week of the Year (20 Jan 2020)

1Sm 15. 16-23; Ps 50; Mk 2. 18-22

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

Coping with Saul-syndrome

Do any of us cope with Saul-syndrome? When we do not adequately esteem ourselves, the Saul-syndrome has gripped us. The syndrome prevents us from viewing ourselves as our triune God creates. It frequently affects us though we feel it does not. Hear again Samuel’s initial diagnosis of the syndrome: Though little in your own esteem, [Saul,] are you not leader of the tribes of Israel? That is, Israel’s first monarch did not feel deeply in relationship with God’s people whom he led. Saul focused on a ritual more than on his relationships with God and people—as though enacting a ritual command would make him right with God. Hence Samuel’s words at the end of the passage about heartfelt listening and attention: they counteract idolatry.

When relationships cease to enjoy central place we readily become preoccupied with things and activities—even holy ones—some-times rigidly: we are victimized by what we think we control. That is full blown Saul-syndrome.

We do have parts to play in Christian ritual activities. They help deepen our relationship with our Eternal God. Yet rituals can become our idols. How can we know they are turning that way? We lack joy—not happiness but joy. That was Jesus’ diagnosis when people inquired why he and his disciples did not fast. John and his disciples fasted to prepare for God’s reign. With Jesus it had begun.

God was working something marvellously new, and the religious elite prevented themselves from noticing because they fasted: more often than God had required;¹ and they fasted to be noticed rather than deepen their relationship with God. They did not rejoice at God’s action but rejoiced when others noticed them fasting.²

Yet others noticed God’s new creation. Restoring one who was paralyzed to physical health and interior wholeness—healing forgiveness—and reaching out to those on the margins was revolutionary.³ In doing that restoring Jesus was not patching people, society or creation. Jesus was the finger of God⁴ touching, transforming, creatively caressing and restoring everything.

The original word in Jesus’ first brief parable answering those who questioned him is fullness not patch. Here’s why: we’ve purchased preshrunk fabric or clothing. Both were unavailable in 1^st-C Palestine. New cloth has yet to shrink. Using it “to patch” would defeat one’s mending exercise. Similarly, misusing fasting, abusing fasting starved one from joy at what God was doing. It tore away one’s free welcome of God to be refashioned.

The First Week of the Spiritual Exercises allows us to notice God’s fullness; to feel God’s fullness acting for us and to welcome it wholeheartedly. As we do we reengage with joy; our esteem blossoms; and so does the presence of God where we are.

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1. Leviticus 16.29note 
2. Matthew 6.16-18.
3. The previous two daily Gospels.
4. Luke 11.20.

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Wiki-images: Bridegroom’s arrival No restrictions. By sannse Cloth. CC BY-SA 3.0

Daily word, 17 Jan 20

Memorial, St Anthony of Egypt (17 Jan 2020)

1Sm 8. 4-7, 10-22a; Ps 89; Mk 2. 1-12

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

“God’s Inworking” for Us

St. Anthony of Egypt figured at the start of monastic life. He was one of many who withdrew to the desert to enjoy solitary lives. The gospel words, Go, sell and give to the poor, Anthony took literally, as though he were to do nothing else. Even hermits are not antisocial. Others hermits prevailed on Anthony to create a network of their scattered cells. Like Francis of Assisi Anthony was wary at first; he did it and monastic life began to emerge.

He also drew many to him—like Francis of Assisi, and 20^th-Century Thomas Merton. Anthony’s vocation touched others. When persecution of Christians re-emerged, Anthony supported prisoners and risked his life. Nearly 30 years later Anthony opposed the heresy of Arius. His contemporary, Athanasius, recalled Anthony had a vision that the Arians kicked  “like a herd kicks when it leaps in confusion.”¹ Antony could not stand by idly.

Others recalled that “certain philosophers asked [Antony] how he could spend his time in solitude without the pleasure of reading books, he replied that nature was his great book, and amply supplied the want of others.”² That caused me to think about and pray for you. Why? Because we invited you to begin with God’s creation. The Catechism reminds us: “Scripture and Tradition never cease to teach and celebrate this fundamental truth: ‘The world was made for the glory of God.’ St. Bonaventure explains that God created all things ‘not to increase his glory, but to show it forth and to communicate it.’”³

We can say our triune God loves us so much that God gives us all created things personally to communicate to us, to welcome our personal relationship with God. To crown our relationship God became human for us in Jesus. Relationship with God returns us to St. Anthony. 

Practical moral thinkers visited Anthony to mock him and his faith. They preferred logic and “demonstrative arguments.”  He asked them, “which is better, faith which comes through the inworking (of God) or demonstration by arguments?’ …they answered that faith which comes through the inworking was better and was accurate knowledge…Antony said, ‘You have answered well, for faith arises from disposition of soul. …[God’s] inworking through faith is better and stronger than your professional arguments.’”⁴    

St. Ignatius of Loyola urged people to let God work personally, intimately, directly with them. Ask St. Anthony to intercede for you and to help you to trust him, St. Ignatius, your patron saints and reveal how abundantly and lovingly the Trinity creates and sustains you. 

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1. Life of Antony, 82.
2. Butler’s Lives, online excerpt.
3. Catechism of the Catholic Church 293.
4. Life of Antony, 77. 

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Wiki-images by: Dosseman St. Antony of Egypt CC BY-SA 4.0; Jesus healing paralyzed man PD-US