Catholic Contemplative Affiliation

Sunday Readings

Twenty-third Sunday of the Year, Cycle C, September 5, 2010 Readings: Wisdom 9. 13-18; Philemon 9-10; 12-17; Luke 14. 25-33 The horror of slavery has existed in all civilizations. Even today, slave trafficking goes on in some Moslem countries in Africa. Slavery was built into the fabric of the economy as its principal labor force. Early Christianity as a minority community in a hostile environment could only accept the institution of slavery as part of the greater economic system while still heroically teaching the dignity of each person including slaves as children of God. In Christ, slaves were expected to respect their masters and masters were called upon to love their slaves. At that time in the life of the Church such social change was impossible. The Gospel proclaims the divine adoption of slaves as sons of God, and that Christ himself, the Son of God, became a slave for our salvation. Such a Gospel in itself was, and is, revolutionary. The Second Reading describes how St. Paul sends back a run-away slave, Onesimus, to his master, Philemon. Since both the master and the slave are in Christ in the grace of their common baptism and faith, St. Paul has confidence that they will see each other as brothers, not owner and property. That you might possess him forever, no longer as a slave but as more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially dear to me; and how much more than a brother to you, since now you will know him both as man and in the Lord (Second Reading). The Gospel reading deals with another slavery. We become slaves to possessions. Possessions can own us, can own our very selves. We displace into possessions our own inner search for peace and happiness that only God can communicate to us in the grace of Christ Jesus. We are driven in all different directions by an ever present longing for the acquisition of possessions. Possessions become our other self, as extensions of our self. Things, activities, titles, exquisite tastes, and achievements are all part of this dynamic quest for possessions. Even our spirituality can become a possession. We invest in possessions the spiritual energy that should be directed to the freedom of living in God. We cannot be in two different places at one time. We cannot give our hearts to God and the love of others in God if our hearts are given to the desire for possessions. To amass, to use, and to maintain possessions require so much energy and preoccupation. How can we find the energy for the work of the Kingdom if all our energy is directed into the accumulation of things? We have a tendency to amass a topography of possessions. We must make a choice. Either we sit clinging to our possessions or we sit with Christ in the glory of the Father in the nakedness of faith and hope and in the simplicity of love. Jesus speaks to us about our possessions. And he does not start with just the usual physical possessions: my new car or my house or my travel plans to Europe or my season ticket to NFL. He begins with the most personal. He looks at our most intimate relations. If anyone comes to me without turning his back on his father and mother, his wife and his children, his brothers and sisters, indeed his very self, he cannot be my follower (Gospel Reading). Scripture uses exaggeration to teach a lesson. Jesus is telling us that nothing is to be preferred to our belonging to Christ. The principle of living in Christ is the absolute of our interior life. Everything is relative to the absolute of our living in the Triune God. Even love between husband and wife, parents and children and even our very selves are relative. What is absolute is our being in Christ in grace and in the increasing possession of our being by the Holy Spirit. We have to be practical in living out our spiritual life in Christ. The fruit of silent prayer and of immersion in Sacred Scripture gives us an awareness of ourselves. We begin to see how our mind and our emotions work. We begin to see how we are led away from the peace of the Holy Spirit outward to the craving for possessions. In this gift of peace and vision we must begin to plan how to relativize everything to the absolute love of God in Christ. We must be practical. We must translate the love of God into our daily lives and personal relationships. Jesus tells us: Sit down like a person planning a war or planning to build a tower. (The cardinal moral virtue of prudence, strengthened by the gift of counsel, moves me to make the right choices.) If one of you decides to build a tower, will he not first sit down and calculate the outlay to see if he has enough money to complete the project? (Gospel Reading). Our Savior tells us we must be practical and realistic in our life. The consequences are greater than not being able to finish building a tower or losing a battle. The consequence is losing our life with Christ. Our salvation is at risk! Anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple…. In the same way, none of you can be my disciple if he does not renounce all his possessions (Gospel Reading). The highest wisdom is the loving knowledge of God’s embracing us in His Triune life. This is the work of God: To save us and to sanctify us. God saves us from losing our souls amid the allure and entrapment of possessions. God sanctifies us by sharing with us the divine life. Only God can do it for us and with us as we begin to experience the wisdom that is the highest gift of the Holy Spirit. As we move from fixation on possessions we begin to know our poverty. Then God can fill our poverty with Himself. Or who ever knew your counsel, except you had given wisdom and sent your Holy Spirit from on high? And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight (First Reading). Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart (Responsorial Psalm). In our Holy Communion in the Eucharist let us surrender to Jesus our Savior and Beloved. Let us ask for the grace to renounce our selves and our possessions so that we can receive them all back in the newness of vision and love, which is Holy Wisdom --William C. Fredrickson, Obl.OSB, D.Min.
For questions, comments or other communication, please contact: William Frederickson Fredrickson46@msn.com

Twenty-third Sunday of the Year, Cycle C, September 5, 2010

Readings: Wisdom 9. 13-18; Philemon 9-10; 12-17; Luke 14. 25-33

The horror of slavery has existed in all civilizations. Even today, slave trafficking goes on in some Moslem countries in Africa. Slavery was built into the fabric of the economy as its principal labor force. Early Christianity as a minority community in a hostile environment could only accept the institution of slavery as part of the greater economic system while still heroically teaching the dignity of each person including slaves as children of God. In Christ, slaves were expected to respect their masters and masters were called upon to love their slaves. At that time in the life of the Church such social change was impossible. The Gospel proclaims the divine adoption of slaves as sons of God, and that Christ himself, the Son of God, became a slave for our salvation. Such a Gospel in itself was, and is, revolutionary.

The Second Reading describes how St. Paul sends back a run-away slave, Onesimus, to his master, Philemon. Since both the master and the slave are in Christ in the grace of their common baptism and faith, St. Paul has confidence that they will see each other as brothers, not owner and property. That you might possess him forever, no longer as a slave but as more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially dear to me; and how much more than a brother to you, since now you will know him both as man and in the Lord (Second Reading).

The Gospel reading deals with another slavery. We become slaves to possessions. Possessions can own us, can own our very selves. We displace into possessions our own inner search for peace and happiness that only God can communicate to us in the grace of Christ Jesus. We are driven in all different directions by an ever present longing for the acquisition of possessions. Possessions become our other self, as extensions of our self.

Things, activities, titles, exquisite tastes, and achievements are all part of this dynamic quest for possessions. Even our spirituality can become a possession. We invest in possessions the spiritual energy that should be directed to the freedom of living in God. We cannot be in two different places at one time. We cannot give our hearts to God and the love of others in God if our hearts are given to the desire for possessions. To amass, to use, and to maintain possessions require so much energy and preoccupation. How can we find the energy for the work of the Kingdom if all our energy is directed into the accumulation of things? We have a tendency to amass a topography of possessions. We must make a choice. Either we sit clinging to our possessions or we sit with Christ in the glory of the Father in the nakedness of faith and hope and in the simplicity of love.

Jesus speaks to us about our possessions. And he does not start with just the usual physical possessions: my new car or my house or my travel plans to Europe or my season ticket to NFL. He begins with the most personal. He looks at our most intimate relations. If anyone comes to me without turning his back on his father and mother, his wife and his children, his brothers and sisters, indeed his very self, he cannot be my follower (Gospel Reading).

Scripture uses exaggeration to teach a lesson. Jesus is telling us that nothing is to be preferred to our belonging to Christ. The principle of living in Christ is the absolute of our interior life. Everything is relative to the absolute of our living in the Triune God. Even love between husband and wife, parents and children and even our very selves are relative. What is absolute is our being in Christ in grace and in the increasing possession of our being by the Holy Spirit.

We have to be practical in living out our spiritual life in Christ. The fruit of silent prayer and of immersion in Sacred Scripture gives us an awareness of ourselves. We begin to see how our mind and our emotions work. We begin to see how we are led away from the peace of the Holy Spirit outward to the craving for possessions. In this gift of peace and vision we must begin to plan how to relativize everything to the absolute love of God in Christ.

We must be practical. We must translate the love of God into our daily lives and personal relationships. Jesus tells us: Sit down like a person planning a war or planning to build a tower. (The cardinal moral virtue of prudence, strengthened by the gift of counsel, moves me to make the right choices.) If one of you decides to build a tower, will he not first sit down and calculate the outlay to see if he has enough money to complete the project? (Gospel Reading).

Our Savior tells us we must be practical and realistic in our life. The consequences are greater than not being able to finish building a tower or losing a battle. The consequence is losing our life with Christ. Our salvation is at risk! Anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple…. In the same way, none of you can be my disciple if he does not renounce all his possessions (Gospel Reading).

The highest wisdom is the loving knowledge of God’s embracing us in His Triune life. This is the work of God: To save us and to sanctify us. God saves us from losing our souls amid the allure and entrapment of possessions. God sanctifies us by sharing with us the divine life. Only God can do it for us and with us as we begin to experience the wisdom that is the highest gift of the Holy Spirit.

As we move from fixation on possessions we begin to know our poverty. Then God can fill our poverty with Himself. Or who ever knew your counsel, except you had given wisdom and sent your Holy Spirit from on high? And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight (First Reading).

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart (Responsorial Psalm). In our Holy Communion in the Eucharist let us surrender to Jesus our Savior and Beloved. Let us ask for the grace to renounce our selves and our possessions so that we can receive them all back in the newness of vision and love, which is Holy Wisdom

--William C. Fredrickson, Obl.OSB, D.Min.