Thursday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
[H]e chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved. Ephesians 1:4-6
[T]his generation might be charged with the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who died between the altar and the temple building. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood! Woe to you, scholars of the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter. Luke 11:50-52
Piety
Prayer of Pope Benedict XVI
O God of love, compassion, and healing, look on us who gather today, in a world of incredible violence and pain. We ask you, in your compassion to bring healing to those who suffer from injuries and illness. God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world: peace in the hearts of all men and women and peace among the nations of the earth. Turn to your way of love those whose hearts and minds are consumed with hatred.
God of understanding, overwhelmed by the magnitude of tragedy, we seek your light and guidance as we confront terrible events in our society. Comfort and console us, strengthen us in hope, and give us the wisdom and courage to work tirelessly for a world where true peace and love reign among nations and in the hearts of all.
Adapted from Pope Benedict’s prayer offered at Ground Zero, New York City, April 20, 2008.
Study
At first glance, these readings make me a little dizzy. Usually I have no trouble connecting the dots from the First Reading to the Good News. But today, we encounter two extremes – opposite messages – between the two readings.
The reading from St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians is a greeting that reminds us of everything that is good. Paul opens his letter offering grace and peace. On the other hand, in the Gospel, St. Luke recounts Jesus warning the Pharisees once again – “Woe to you, scholars of the law!” Ouch.
St. Paul tells us that we have been “chosen by God” to be “holy and without blemish.” Yet, Jesus tells us that “this generation might be charged with the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world.” I would say that is a pretty big blemish.
Reading on, St. Paul reminds us that we were chosen for adoption – “adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will.” Imagine God walking through the halls of an adoption agency looking over all children who are in need of loving care. He does not pick a single one. He picks every one to be a member of his family. You. Me. The driver who cut you off in traffic today. The cop who gave you a ticket for (speeding or whatever). Yes, Cubs fans, even Steve Bartman. Yes, Orioles fans, even Jeffrey Maier. Every One.
But, in a harsh dose of reality, Jesus lectures that this generation will not be picked up in an adoption agency. Rather we will be picked up in a dragnet and charged with the blood of every prophet slain from Abel to Zechariah! A to Z. From the first murder in the Hebrew Bible to the last one (Zechariah’s murder is recounted in 2 Chronicles 24:20-22.). Imagine an Old Testament God in the jury box.
What makes the difference between being “the beloved” (who Paul addresses) or the criminal or the condemned who Jesus charges with murder? What is “the key of knowledge” that Jesus accuses the scholars of removing?
The answer IMHO: As we follow St. Luke, the key throughout this chapter and throughout this Gospel is the victory of love over law. The psalmist today gives us the answer – suggesting that we need to sing to the Lord a new song. Love, not law, is the new song.
Are we willing to accept the love of God over the “old song” or the laws of the past? If we can become “scholars of loving in action,” then we can ascribe to the lofty image projected by St. Paul to his friends in Ephesus and elsewhere.
Do we sum up our whole being in Christ, and for Christ? If we adopt Christ, then “we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us.” Jesus is the key to the difference.
Action
There is a great moving movie which will be shown on PBS television tonight which illuminates the struggle between law and love in real terms: Soldiers of Conscience.
According to the film’s website, here is a description of what is in store if you tune in:
Soldiers of Conscience is a dramatic window on the dilemma of individual U.S. soldiers in the current Iraq War – when their finger is on the trigger and another human being is in their gun-sight. Made with cooperation from the U.S. Army and narrated by Peter Coyote, the film profiles eight American soldiers, including four who decide not to kill, and become conscientious objectors; and four who believe in their duty to kill if necessary. The film reveals all of them wrestling with the morality of killing in war, not as a philosophical problem, but as soldiers experience it - a split-second decision in combat that can never be forgotten or undone.
Soldiers of Conscience is not a film that tells an audience what to think, nor is it about the situation in Iraq today. Instead, it tells a bigger story about human nature and war. The film begins with a little-known fact – after World War II, the Army’s own studies revealed that as many as 75 percent of combat soldiers, given a chance to fire on the enemy, failed to do so. The studies showed that soldiers, despite training, propaganda and social sanction, retained a surprising inhibition when it came to taking human life. The statistics surprised and alarmed America’s generals, who developed training techniques to overcome the reluctance to kill. But if the military found a solution to its problem, the moral contradiction for the individual soldier remained. The mental and emotional burdens carried by soldiers who have killed ripple across America’s families and communities after each of its recent wars. As this film shows, every soldier is inescapably a “soldier of conscience.”
Check you local television listings for the time and channel in your area. (According to their web sites, this is set to air at 9 p.m. tonight on Maryland Public Television and at numerous times on WETA.
In addition, the web site provides a listing of resources for soldiers, service members and veterans.
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