Reflection for the 22nd Ordinary Sunday 2024

“You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”

For seven Sundays we journeyed with Jesus and His apostles. Today, and for the rest of Ordinary Time, Jesus will discuss the practical application of being in Him. How do we do it?

In the context of the journey, we discussed the Law of God that Israel was commanded to follow, covering it especially during the past two weeks.

There is a lot to the Law. At a basic level, as we heard from Moses today, the Law set Israel apart from other nations, but it wasn’t quite that simple.

Israel’s Law of social and religious behavior was developed based on the Ten Commandments, spoken by God to Moses on Mount Sinai. The Ten express the essential religious and moral principles Israel was to follow and put in a nutshell what God revealed to the Israelites about Himself, as well as how they should live in community. From these Ten “Words,” as well as instruction through prophets and priests, Israel developed a detailed system of religious and social communal regulations.

Now, other nations (e.g., the Amorites of Babylon, Assyrians, and others) had codes of laws that predated Israel. In many ways they were similar, and each borrowed from the other.

The differences are in three essential elements. One is the grounding of the codes. Other kingdom’s codes were based on the authority and power of a ruler. Their laws protected the rights of the wealthy and powerful. For Israel, the Law is grounded on communal experience of God. So, although the Law deals with some economic matters, that does not dominate. Rather, at the center of Law is: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of slavery; you shall have no other gods besides me.”

Other differences are the way God is to be treated. The Law did not change with the whims of a king but was the baseline against which all were to behave under and toward God. Lastly, other codes had an imbalance. They treated rich and poor, slaves and free differently. They punished the poor severely for minor things.  In the Law, the most severe penalties were applied to offenses against other people, regardless of social rank, or actions which threaten the community and its values. It was Law for all.

The Law reflected Israel’s unique encounter with God. Hearing its corruption, it being reduced to a series of dos and don’ts without any relationship to God, Jesus speaks of the Law’s true nature. It is about a community in relationship with God and each other. Being in Jesus means that together we are to grow toward God, have our hearts close to God, and always keep our worship directed to God, living His way.

Reflection for the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time 2023

What do I do…?

The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen.

Thank you for joining as we testify, proclaim, and evangelize the great and Holy Name of Jesus.

Last week we spoke of our baptismal obligation to testify, give witness, and proclaim the truth of Jesus, His gospel message, and the promise of salvation that is in Him. This week we reflect on the light we have received and that light in relation to our obligation.

I don’t know how many of you took economics in college. I remember it well. I enjoyed macroeconomics, looking at the big picture of the economy and how things work.

Walter Heller, speaking of economists commented: “You know it’s said that an economist is a man who, when he finds something that works in practice, wonders if it works in theory.”

That makes sense for us doesn’t it. We who go shopping for food every week, who need a paycheck, and who put gas in the car know what works in practice, i.e., in reality.

One thing I remember quite well from economics was the idea of perfect competition. Perfect competition occurs when companies sell an identical product, market share does not influence price, companies are able to enter or exit without barriers, buyers have perfect or full information, and best of all – companies cannot determine prices. Everyone pays about the same price.

A loose example is old fashioned regular milk. Sealtest, Hood, Stewarts, Price Chopper, Hannaford, Crowley – well milk is milk. But… and we all know, companies have learned to change things up, differentiate, and offer unique milk products like goats’ milk, almond milk, oat milk, 2%, 1%, skim, chocolate, extra pasteurized, non-GMO. We are willing to pay more or less to substitute regular milk for what we want or prefer.

There is however one unique thing, one that cannot be substituted, one we cannot replace with something that might be similar or just as good and that is Jesus.

Jesus came as the promised light, and we who recognize His coming should be like the people of Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. We have a great, perfect light Who shows us the way we are to go.

The excerpt from Psalm 126 used for the alleluia verse tells of the reaction of those who recognize the Lord as their Light. The Lord had done great things for us; Oh, how happy we were! They perceive what the Lord has done for them, and they show forth their happiness because its light stands in dynamic contrast to the darkness they lived in.

If for us the Lord is indeed our light and salvation, without substitute or equivalent, the question comes down to what we do with Him.

The right choice and the only choice for us is to follow Him and declare Him. Like the called disciples we must get up and go with Jesus, learn from Jesus, and testify, give witness, and proclaim the truth of Jesus His gospel message, and the promise of salvation that is in Him alone.