Breaking Open the Word - 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B
25th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B — September 19th, 2021
Last Sunday’s readings lent themselves to a discussion of how we as Christians should see the world and judge the situations that face us each day. A Sister opened our Scripture sharing by exploring an insight of Dr. Brant Pitre on the Responsorial Psalm. Ps. 54 is a song of lament, but all of a sudden we see David breaking forth into thanksgiving and praise. He is so confident in the Lord’s deliverance that he begins his thanksgiving while still undergoing trial! This pattern of trust and gratitude in the very heart of suffering runs throughout the Psalms, and Our Lord Himself takes up the same theme during His Passion. He is firmly rooted in the Father’s love and trusts that He will be vindicated in the Resurrection. In the Gospel for this Sunday, as in all of His Passion predictions, Jesus never mentions His suffering without confidently stating that “the Son of Man will be raised on the third day.” On Holy Thursday, He establishes the Eucharist (Greek “thanksgiving”) before going to the Garden to begin His suffering for us. From the Cross, He prays Psalm 22 and Psalm 31, echoing their cries of trusting surrender.
We are called to imitate such confidence in the midst of suffering, being ready to “thank God in advance,” as Bl. Solanus Casey would say! In order to persevere in this attitude, we must remember that our ultimate deliverance will only take place in Heaven. At times, it is tempting to consider this eternal recompense as a “last resort,” to prefer to see earthly vindication within our own lifetimes – Heaven, in other words, becomes a sort of “backup plan.” But Our Lord challenges us to maintain a more supernatural perspective, realizing that eternal life is, in fact, our primary recompense, infinitely more important than any measure of worldly justification. If we remember this fact, then we will not become discouraged when our confidence in God does not seem to have a visible “payoff” in this life; we will be strengthened to persevere in the midst of difficulties, realizing that “this momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal wight of glory beyond all comparison.” (2 Cor. 4:17) This perspective is what enabled (and still enables) the martyrs to raise to such heights of heroism – they, like all the Saints, are so totally fixed on Heaven that they will endure any suffering in order to reach that goal. May each one of us receive a similar zeal from the Holy Spirit!
We also discussed the Second Reading from the letter of St. James. According to Dr. Brant Pitre, the “wisdom” described in the letter could be stated in modern terms as “worldview.” Do we have the wisdom (worldview) that is based on God’s truth, or that which is based on the values of this world? The contrast between the two is particularly evident in modern Western society, where the dominant worldview of relativism (denial of absolute truth) frequently clashes with the Christian worldview based on belief in unchanging truths. This explains why those attempting to live and promote the latter are often accused of “imposing their opinion on others.” Seen from a relativistic standpoint, such statements are understandable; if truth is a subjective reality, then it is the height of arrogance and intolerance to claim that one’s own views are absolute! But St. James saw very clearly that wisdom which is not rooted in the revelation of Christ will only lead to conflict and destruction, as is evident in our current inability to hold constructive dialogue in society as a whole. Only the wisdom “which comes from above” brings the peace and unity for which we long so desperately. If we truly believe in the teachings of Jesus, then we will see that, far from being an “imposition,” it is a gift to share the truth of the Gospel!
Finally, we spoke about a curious phrase in the Second Reading: “The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace.” Why, one Sister wondered, does St. James speak about sowing fruit? Normally we would use the term “fruit” to refer to the end result, but he seems to be describing it as the beginning. Perhaps this turn of phrase can call to mind the mutual relationship between virtue and peace. We are virtuous so that we can achieve peace – we are at peace, and so we can become more virtuous – and the cycle goes on and on, virtue and peace constantly building on one another. The fruit matures, but it is sown once again to bring forth even more fruit. By the grace of God, may all of us experience this reality!