August 19, 2012
Reflection
on Lectoring
On the surface, it didn’t appear to be anything special, just another new religion - this one founded by an executed criminal. Its adherents were common people with a message that lacked common sense. They wanted other people to believe that a crucified Jesus was still very much alive, and continued to energize the faithful through the Holy Spirit.
Rather than feeling insecure about their social status or the apparent foolishness of their message, these followers of Jesus seemed supremely confident. You can see some of that confidence expressed in 1 John 5:4-5: “This is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” Wow!
In his book, The Writings of the New Testament, Luke Timothy Johnson compares the improbable claims of the first Christians to someone in 1690 predicting that the North American colonies would become a world power. However, no matter how improbable their claims may have seemed, it took only 30 years after the death of Jesus for the new faith to spread throughout Palestine, Asia Minor, Macedonia, the Mediterranean and all the way to Rome. It wasn’t easy, but the early Christians certainly had confidence and enthusiasm.
Even when there was persecution, the early Christians felt a sense of peace, joy and freedom, as well as a burning desire to make a personal response to the prompting of the Spirit.
They were witnesses to the truth. The same truth to which lectors witness at every Mass with every Scripture proclamation.
On the surface, it didn’t appear to be anything special, just another new religion - this one founded by an executed criminal. Its adherents were common people with a message that lacked common sense. They wanted other people to believe that a crucified Jesus was still very much alive, and continued to energize the faithful through the Holy Spirit.
Rather than feeling insecure about their social status or the apparent foolishness of their message, these followers of Jesus seemed supremely confident. You can see some of that confidence expressed in 1 John 5:4-5: “This is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” Wow!
In his book, The Writings of the New Testament, Luke Timothy Johnson compares the improbable claims of the first Christians to someone in 1690 predicting that the North American colonies would become a world power. However, no matter how improbable their claims may have seemed, it took only 30 years after the death of Jesus for the new faith to spread throughout Palestine, Asia Minor, Macedonia, the Mediterranean and all the way to Rome. It wasn’t easy, but the early Christians certainly had confidence and enthusiasm.
Even when there was persecution, the early Christians felt a sense of peace, joy and freedom, as well as a burning desire to make a personal response to the prompting of the Spirit.
They were witnesses to the truth. The same truth to which lectors witness at every Mass with every Scripture proclamation.
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"The kingdom of this world now belongs to our Lord and to his Anointed, and he will reign forever and ever."
- Revelation 11:15
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First Reading - Proverbs 9: 1-6
Food for the Soul
For many centuries, the Roman Missal referred to Proverbs as a Book of Wisdom. Regardless of its name, however, Proverbs is all about advice in living well, offering instruction in virtues such as discipline, prudence, and even political expertise.
Proverbs also anchors its wisdom in obedience to God, as shown in the often-quoted seventh verse of Chapter One, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.”
In today’s snippet of instruction, Lady Wisdom offers a banquet to anyone in the city who appreciates the value of a nutritious meal. This compares to Lady Folly who offers passers-by a meal of high calorie junk food in the verses following today’s reading.
Certainly, maintaining a healthy diet is good advice at any time, but why proclaim Wisdom’s words, “Come eat of my food and drink of the wine I have mixed,” at today’s Mass?
Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel may provide the answer, “For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.” As Proverbs says, everyone, even the “simple,” are invited. Jesus completes the picture when he says, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him."
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Second reading - Ephesians 5:15-20
Room for the Spirit
Paul knew his biblical wisdom literature. He also knew the results of choosing between Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly. In today’s second reading, he is clearly on the side of wisdom and against foolishness for both practical and spiritual reasons.
On a practical level, Paul recognized that debauchery caused scandal and did little to foster a sense of unity in the Christian community. On a spiritual level, he makes clear that when people are filled with wine, they leave little room to “be filled with the Spirit.”
Paul knew that the Holy Spirit empowered individual believers and sustained the entire assembly with inspired preaching and prophecy. He also knew that the members of the assembly needed each other. Their communal worship helped to strengthen their sense of identity and their feeling of belonging.
Lectors know today what Paul knew then. They know that the Holy Spirit guides authentic Scripture proclamation. They also know that when the assembly is “filled with the Spirit,” it is also filled with thanksgiving for the opportunity to belong to a worshiping family.
© 2012 George Fournier
- Revelation 11:15
___________________________
First Reading - Proverbs 9: 1-6
Food for the Soul
For many centuries, the Roman Missal referred to Proverbs as a Book of Wisdom. Regardless of its name, however, Proverbs is all about advice in living well, offering instruction in virtues such as discipline, prudence, and even political expertise.
Proverbs also anchors its wisdom in obedience to God, as shown in the often-quoted seventh verse of Chapter One, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.”
In today’s snippet of instruction, Lady Wisdom offers a banquet to anyone in the city who appreciates the value of a nutritious meal. This compares to Lady Folly who offers passers-by a meal of high calorie junk food in the verses following today’s reading.
Certainly, maintaining a healthy diet is good advice at any time, but why proclaim Wisdom’s words, “Come eat of my food and drink of the wine I have mixed,” at today’s Mass?
Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel may provide the answer, “For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.” As Proverbs says, everyone, even the “simple,” are invited. Jesus completes the picture when he says, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him."
___________________________
Second reading - Ephesians 5:15-20
Room for the Spirit
Paul knew his biblical wisdom literature. He also knew the results of choosing between Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly. In today’s second reading, he is clearly on the side of wisdom and against foolishness for both practical and spiritual reasons.
On a practical level, Paul recognized that debauchery caused scandal and did little to foster a sense of unity in the Christian community. On a spiritual level, he makes clear that when people are filled with wine, they leave little room to “be filled with the Spirit.”
Paul knew that the Holy Spirit empowered individual believers and sustained the entire assembly with inspired preaching and prophecy. He also knew that the members of the assembly needed each other. Their communal worship helped to strengthen their sense of identity and their feeling of belonging.
Lectors know today what Paul knew then. They know that the Holy Spirit guides authentic Scripture proclamation. They also know that when the assembly is “filled with the Spirit,” it is also filled with thanksgiving for the opportunity to belong to a worshiping family.
© 2012 George Fournier
