Missing the Point
Today’s Readings
Psalm 140, 142;
Isa. 24:14-23; 1 Pet. 3:13-4:6; Matt. 20:17-28
Today’s Reflection
One of my favorite commentaries on the Gospel of Matthew is written by a Trappist monk living at St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, MA, Brother Simeon, also known as Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis. Brother Simeon has penned a scholarly, mystically-inspired, thousands of pages long, three-volume set on the Gospel of Matthew. What a life of meaning! What a life of service to those of us who need wise scripture guides!
Truth is, most of us will never accomplish anything as monumental as Brother Simeon's tremendous fete; and yet, each of us is invited to notice how Christ is among us, beckoning us to prioritize how we "spend" our lives and how we might serve the common good.
As I read today's Gospel, I'm almost embarrassed for the mother of James and John--asking for her sons to be treated like royalty, immediately after Jesus has predicted that he would be handed over to be condemned to death, mocked, scourged, crucified, and raised from the dead. Talk about tone deaf. Talk about selfish. Talk about a desire to seek power.
When the other ten disciples learn of the "sons of Zebbedee's" mother's request, they pitch a fit. Brother Simeon points out that all twelve of the disciples are missing the point, not just James and John. They all wanted the coveted seat of royalty.
Brother Simeon writes that we should not imagine Jesus has "risen above" the fray, but the he has "descended among us..." and "...can infuse our human condition ...with the divine peace that is his by rights....Thus, we are to lose no time in running to him, so that he may communicate to us the all-pacifying, all-beautifying, all-transforming energies of the Godhead, which he alone of all men possesses."(Fire of Mercy: Heart of the Word, Volume III, 284)
How might this reading inform our living as we make our way toward Advent? Perhaps we are being invited to "run toward Jesus" with a counter-cultural devotion to take extra time reflecting on how we might be off track in our own lives. Let's face it, we all have a bit of those missing-the-point disciples in us. Taking time to reflect on our lives helps us to get back on the path.
This Sunday at 4pm we will have our monthly First Sunday Labyrinth Walk. Anne Markham Bailey will be our guide and cellist Patty Pilon will accompany us as we walk our prayers. The Celtic Service is at 5pm. Please join us for one or both of these contemplative offerings as an invitation to welcome the "Light of Light" into our hearts. And if you're hungry for great food and company, stay for a simple supper after the service.
Yours in Christ,
Mary Bea+
Questions for Reflection:
Where in your own life are you seeking power, perhaps even at the expense of others? Acknowledging the cultural challenges of the day, how can you carve-out some Advent space in the coming weeks?