Breaking Open the Word - 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B
22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B — August 29th, 2021
After a long break, our weekly Scripture Sharing series is back! It is a privilege for us to share with you the fruits of our prayer on the Sunday readings, as we journey with the Church through the Word of God, which is ever providing new riches to the attentive heart. This week, as the Lectionary returns to the Gospel of Mark (after a multi-week “interlude” exploring John ch. 6), the themes of law and freedom are at the forefront.
Moses with the Ten Commandments, by Philippe de Champaigne
To begin, a Sister shared how she was struck by a particular line in the First Reading from Deuteronomy: “Observe [the commandments] carefully, for thus will you give evidence of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations.” Very often in our day, obedience to God’s law is portrayed as blind, unthinking anti-intellectualism. However, Moses here insists that the opposite is true! Secular society may paint religion as childish, but the example of saints throughout history proves that mature obedience to God and His commandments is ultimately the path of “wisdom and intelligence” – in contrast to the self-destructive folly of sin. The goal is not so much to rise in the estimation of the world, but rather to come, with God’s grace, into full possession of oneself – to “enter in and take possession of the land.” Such inner integrity brings with it authentic freedom and a deeper ability to give oneself in love to God and to neighbor.
Another Sister described a connection that she saw between all of this Sunday’s readings. In the Second Reading, St. James describes God the Father as the source of “all good giving and every perfect gift,” while Jesus in the Gospel asserts that the fallen human heart is the source of a whole host of evils and defilements. However, the First Reading shows what the Lord has been doing from the beginning of time to remedy this disconnect: teaching us to allow Him to bring forth good in us. The Old Testament Law began this process, and it was definitively accomplished in the New Covenant of Christ. Yet, God does not force us to accept this gift. Our hearts can bring forth very different fruits, depending on whom we enthrone as king of our lives. May we all choose for Christ, “humbly welcom[ing] the word that has been planted” in us, so that His grace may work in us and be “able to save [our] souls”!
Finally, we discussed Our Lord’s words: “You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” One Sister noted that, while the First Reading speaks of “commandments” in the plural, Jesus simply says “commandment,” singular. At the root of God’s entire law is the supreme commandment: charity. The Church, following her Lord and Savior, teaches that all other laws must spring from and be guided by love. At times, the demands of charity may even supersede other commandments – for instance, a parent missing Sunday Mass to care for a sick child.
Holy Spirit window in St. Peter’s Basilica
It takes a great deal of discernment at times to know how the principles of charity apply in concrete situations. On the one hand, it is far easier to “cling to human tradition” and follow a law rigidly than to integrate the “spirit” with the “letter.” On the other hand, it is equally easy to confuse the freedom of charity with mere laxity (“the rules don’t matter, just love!”). Left to ourselves, human beings will inevitably fall into one extreme or the other; it is only through radical docility and surrender to the guidance of the Spirit that we can keep to the middle course of virtue. This can be a frighteningly vulnerable space for us to enter, since it requires reliance on God rather than ourselves. However, the supernatural prudence of the Saints shows that such a life is not only possible, but deeply fruitful and joyful. Let us all pray that our daily decisions may be more fully guided by the Holy Spirit, Who is the Law of the New Covenant!