Sunday Reflection with Fr Robin Gibbons: 23 January 2022

Jesus teaching

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

One thing strikes me as I ponder on our first reading from Nehemiah, following what happens when the priest and scribe, Ezra, reads the Law to the gathered community. I can imagine him standing in front of the assembly reading and explaining the Law whilst the people listen attentively and respond to what they hear and accept; first of all in humility-by prostrating themselves before the 'Holy One' in profound worship, then by obeying the Lord's command to rejoice and celebrate this time as a holy day before the 'Most High'. There is a sense in which we too can grasp the power of God's Word amongst them and catch some of that wonder ourselves, for some of us have had the experience of that deep attentive listening to a particular passage of scripture, which is then followed by our own sense of contrition before God, often exemplified in inner or outer weeping ( the gift of tears), then is finally transformed into rejoicing! This is one of the ways in which scripture works, how the Divine Spirit reaches into our lives and transforms us.

There are also other ways of experiencing scripture, I suspect all of us can dig into our own faith life and find those quieter, more individual moments of realisation, like that described by the psalmist in our responsorial psalm:

'The precepts of the LORD are right,

rejoicing the heart.

The command of the LORD is clear,

enlightening the eye'.(Ps 19.9)

These are some of the ways Scripture works its way into our lives and hearts, in the experience of Liturgy, in communal acts, through preaching, maybe in Lectio Divina, or rhythmically letting scripture soak into us through the regular daily hours of prayer which we call the Office, Opus Dei or the Liturgy of the `Hours.

It's not for nothing that many monastics find the long structure of the Night Office or Vigils to be one of their favourite ways of experiencing that daily connection with scripture through the psalms and prophets, for gathered there, stripped of the energy of the later day, half asleep perhaps, that rhythm of psalm and reading enters into their inner consciousness. If ever I wake in the early hours (and I am a bad sleeper so that's quite frequent) I try to remind myself of those gathered to pray whilst the world sleeps, keeping watch with the Christ who is our Watcher, and I try to at least say the opening versicle of Vigils; 'Lord open my lips/ and my mouth shall declare your praise,' with at least some bits of the two Invitatory Psalms 3 and 94 as a link with these communities and my own prayer in the night. It shows that my monastic training still matters to me, but it also tells me how much scripture means and how I still love that outflowing in the practice of Lectio Divina, careful meditation on the Word of God!

There is more, the individualism of so much of our society has crept into our religious lives, too many of us (I include myself) have so many opinions on what we do or don't like in Liturgy, what kind of religion we feel is best for others, what is and isn't relevant! Whilst we can have preferences in some respects, following a spiritual tradition for instance, musical choices another, we need to remind ourselves that we cannot be 'sui genris', 'Café Catholics', picking and choosing what we like! Though we are very much loved individuals, we were baptised and confirmed (chrismated) into a real family, more than that we are now part of the one 'Body of Christ', what we believe and celebrate is intimately connected to others. Just listen to our second reading written by Paul to the Corinthians, but try to make it something we each need to own as essential for understanding who we are a Catholic Christians. This passage shows us part of who and what we are, it is basic ecclesiology at work amongst us!

'Brothers and Sisters : As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

Now the body is not a single part, but many.'(I Cor 12:12-14)

By accepting this, we also become part of a community shaped by Christ the Word, a people who have a role in this world to make known the Kingdom by proclaiming the Good News, as and when we can! For this reason our scriptures are as essential to us as the air we breathe and the food we eat and drink. But do now be afraid, this is not an impossible commitment; Jesus himself shows us the way as we now see.

Luke's Gospel of this Sunday takes up this theme of hearing and response we discovered with Ezra, for the words of Jesus beginning his own ministry by reading the prophet Isaiah and then preaching on the text to those who were captivated by what he said; we too find ourselves impelled to take his words to heart and are called join him on his way forward in our age. Perhaps it is best to let those words of his dig into our lives now, for they are some of the most powerful we know:

'He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to bring glad tidings to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to let the oppressed go free,

and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.'(Lk I:!7-19)

The Spirit is upon us also, and hearing these words, Christ asks us yet again to follow him in making real not only by word but by loving action, those words. We do this, not because we feel compelled to act in such ways, but because of a deeper more prescient reason which we are given in these final words, for he also says this to us now :" He said to them, "Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."(Lk 1:21) Amen Lord Jesus: Come!

Lectio Divina

Extract: Vatican II and The Bible ( Comment on Dei Verbum)

By Robert Murray SJ

…The opening sentence pictures the Church, 'never ceasing-especially in the sacred liturgy-to receive the bread of life from the one table of God's word and Christ's body', and the same eucharistic comparison closes the chapter. This imagery is rooted in St John's Gospel, chapter 6; it was developed by St Augustine and finds a place in The Imitation of Christ. The idea that God's word, as it is met through reading the Bible, works as a kind of sacrament, was dear to Newman, though he never developed it beyond a few pregnant phrases, yet perhaps enough to release its force. Newman is never referred to in any document of Vatican II, yet many commentators have discerned his presence behind its teachings. This is especially true of Dei Verbum, from its first emphasis on revelation in personal rather than propositional terms, and the explanation of inspiration and inerrancy, to this last powerful image. It is strange that the conservative opposition steadily at work throughout the debates on Dei Verbum expressed the fear that the comparison would undermine faith in the real presence of Christ in the eucharist. The Constitution on the Liturgy sets the statement 'He is present in his word, since it is he himself who speaks when the holy Scriptures are read in the Church', parallel to Christ's presence in the sacrifice of the Mass and in the eucharistic elements, in the sacraments, and finally, in the Church gathered for worship.

1. Invitatory Psalm

Psalm 95(94) Venite, exultemus

1 Come, ring out our joy to the Lord;

hail the rock who saves us.

2 Let us come before him, giving thanks,

with songs let us hail the Lord.

3 A mighty God is the Lord,

a great king above all gods.

4 In his hands are the depths of the earth;

the heights of the mountains are his.

5 To him belongs the sea, for he made it

and the dry land shaped by his hands.

6 Come in; let us bow and bend low;

let us kneel before the God who made us

7 for he is our God and we

the people who belong to his pasture,

the flock that is led by his hand.

O that today you would listen to his voice!

8 "Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,

as on that day at Massah in the desert

9 when your fathers put me to the test;

when they tried me, though they saw my work.

10 For forty years I was wearied of these people

and I said: 'Their hearts are astray,

these people do not know my ways.

11 Then I took an oath in my anger:

2. From the Rule of Saint Benedict:

Chapter 9: The Number of Psalms at the Night Office

During the winter season, Vigils begin with the verse: Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall proclaim your praise (Ps 50[51]:17). After this has been said three times, the following order is observed: Psalm 3 with "Glory be to the Father"; 3 Psalm 94 with a refrain, or at least chanted; an Ambrosian hymn; then six psalms with refrain. After the psalmody, a versicle is said and the abbot gives a blessing.

When all are seated on the benches, the brothers in turn read three selections from the book on the lectern. After each reading a responsory is sung. "Glory be to the Father" is not sung after the first two responsories, but only after the third reading. As soon as the cantor begins to sing "Glory be to the Father," let all the monks rise from their seats in honor and reverence for the Holy Trinity.

Besides the inspired books of the Old and New Testaments, the works read at Vigils should include explanations of Scripture by reputable and orthodox catholic Fathers. When these three readings and their responsories have been finished, the remaining six psalms are sung with an "alleluia" refrain. This ended, there follow a reading from the Apostle recited by heart, a versicle and the litany, that is, "Lord, have mercy." And so Vigils are concluded.