EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
Readings:
Key Verses (using the World English Bible):
1 Cor. 1:4-5a: “I always thank my God concerning you, for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus; that in everything you were enriched in him.”
Matt. 22:41b-43, 45: “Jesus asked [the Pharisees] a question, saying, ‘What do you think of the Christ? Whose son is he?’ They said to him, ‘Of David.’ He said to them, ‘How then does David in the Spirit call him Lord…? If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?’”
Reflection
Pope Francis has captured the interest of non-Catholics, non-Christians, and even quite a bit of non-believers. We New Yorkers saw this ourselves during the papal visit last weekend. The Central Park event alone counted 300,000 people to see him, all stuffed into 1⅓ square miles of space—not to mention all those waiting on his travel route. And many of them were probably not even Catholic! I know of at least one: a priest in my Episcopal church who was lucky enough to win a ticket.
I think all the buzz surrounding Pope Francis comes from the fact that we see him practice what he preaches. Of course, he’s not perfect. But ever since he assumed the Chair of St. Peter, he’s lived up to his namesake, St. Francis of Assisi—whose feast day we celebrate today—refusing papal luxuries, and advocating for the poor and marginalized of society. In his visit to the U.S., he declined a meal with politicians, choosing instead to lunch with the homeless. He’s been described as “a walking, talking parable”, who preaches the two commandments, which Jesus singles out in today’s Gospel as the greatest: love of God, and love of neighbor.
On this Sunday, we return to the passion of vainglory in an attempt to bring it, along with ourselves, into union with God. Looking at today’s Gospel through this lens helps us gain a different understanding of it. Now we’ve all heard Jesus’ summary of the Law (or Torah) so many times before—especially during Lent—that we think there’s probably not much more we can learn from it. But what of the following exchange, in which Jesus and the Pharisees discuss the Messiah’s sonship? Its semi-confrontational, riddle-like flow bears the hallmark of Jesus’ unique way of teaching. On the surface, the point of the question was to get the Pharisees to really consider who Jesus is, his origin and identity.
But what did the Church think he was trying to say? By placing this reading here, the Church is trying to connect it with the passion of vainglory, which, as we've learned, whispers something like “I know that I’m better than my neighbor!” Jesus knew who he was and where he came from, and yet, in the earliest stories we have of him, he didn’t lord that knowledge, nor his power, over others. Time and again, Jesus tried to downplay—even hide— his identity so that, like Pope Francis, people would focus less on who he was, and more on what he said and did.
As with pride, we cannot defeat vainglory. All we can do is love and embrace it, inviting it to let down its guard and become one with us, so that together, we may enter into union with God. And when this happens, vainglory is transformed. We recognize finally who we are: beloved children of the living God. But we don’t use that knowledge to pretend we’re better than our neighbor. Rather, we use it to help others realize where they come from, and to whom they belong. We use it to love our neighbors as ourselves—that is, not as our old flawed selves, which we’ve left behind. No, now we love our neighbors as the new and true selves, which God has revealed to us that we are—the same way God loves all of us.
Prayer of the Day
Almighty and everlasting God,
show your pity upon us, your humble servants,
that we who trust not in our merits
may know, not your judgment, but your mercy;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God forever and ever.
Amen.
—Original Collect for Trinity 18 from the 6th-century Gregorian Sacramentary.
Lord, make us instruments of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let us sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is discord, union;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
—“A Prayer attributed to St. Francis”, as translated in the Book of Common Prayer, p. 833
(Words: St. Francis of Assisi, 1182-1226; translated by William H. Draper, 1855-1933; adapted by Joseph A. Soltero, 2013
Tune: ‘Lasst uns erfreuen’, from Auserlesene Catholische Geistliche Kirchengeseng, 1623; arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1872-1958)
All creatures of our God and King,
Lift up your voices, let us sing:
“Alleluia! Alleluia!”
Bright, burning sun with golden beams;
Pale, silver moon that gently gleams,
O praise him! O praise him!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Great, rushing winds and breezes soft,
You clouds that ride the heav’ns aloft,
O praise him! Alleluia!
Fair, rising morn, with praise rejoice.
Stars nightly shining, find a voice,
O praise him! O praise him!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Swift, flowing water, pure and clear,
Make music for your Lord to hear.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Fire, so intense and fiercely bright,
You give to us both warmth and light.
O praise him! O praise him!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Dear mother earth, you day by day
Unfold your blessings on our way,
O praise him! Alleluia!
All flowers and fruits that in you grow,
God’s glory let them also show.
O praise him! O praise him!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
All you with mercy in your heart,
Forgiving others, take your part,
O sing now: “Alleluia!”
All you that pain and sorrow bear,
Praise God, and cast on him your care.
O praise him! O praise him!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
And even you, most gentle death,
Waiting to hush our final breath,
O praise him! Alleluia!
You lead back home the child of God,
For Christ our Lord that way has trod.
O praise him! O praise him!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship him in humbleness.
O praise him! Alleluia!
Praise God the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One!
O praise him! O praise him!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
No comments:
Post a Comment