2022-Sep-11: Twenty-fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time

 2022-Sep-11: Twenty-fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time

 


Opening prayer

Heavenly Father, send forth your Spirit to enlighten our minds
and dispose our hearts to accept your truth.
Help us to listen to one another with openness and honesty,
eager to learn from the talents and intuitions that you have given each of us. Never let differences of opinion diminish our mutual esteem and love.
May we leave this meeting with more knowledge and love for you and your Son.
In the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The theme of the liturgy 

The theme is the forgiveness and exuberance of God when sinners return to the fold. We will do well to pray, “Create in us clean hearts, O God, and put a new and right spirit within us” (Psalm 51:10).


Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14

In moments of triumph, the people clearly point to God and God’s saving action (think Miriam and all of the women in Exodus 15). When fear overwhelms them, their senses get muddled and they can no longer sense their Savior, remember what their Savior has done, nor experience what their Savior is calling them to do. 

Moses is a prophet. And what does a prophet do? A prophet speaks for God to the people and speaks for the people to God. Moses stands as an ambassador before God wanting to turn away God’s wrath from the people. And he does so by reminding God of God’s promises to this people. God is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Ex 34:6). 
Note: The internal chronology of Exodus, is confusing. The story of Exodus 32 seems to assume that Moses has not yet come down from Mt. Sinai with the stone tablets on which the commandments are written (see Exodus 31:18-20).


1 Timothy 1:12-17


1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus are one unit written and circulated around the same post-Pauline time period, probably in 98-117 A.D. in response to false prophets and dissenting views on Christian doctrines, (especially from the gnostic perspective) such as resurrection, marriage, the role of women, and the church order.

These verses tell a story of conversion and of transformation, of a life renewed by the inexhaustible love and grace of God like that of St Paul himself. Originally from Tarsus in Asia Minor (Acts 21:39), Paul received some of his education “at the feet of Gamaliel” (Acts 22:3), a highly respected rabbi in Jerusalem (Acts 5:34). Joining the Pharisaic movement, Paul vigorously set out to defend his ancestral traditions, thus persecuting the early church (Galatians 1:13, 23; Philippians 3:6). On the way to Damascus where he wanted to arrest those “who belonged to the Way” (Acts 9:2), he had a vision of Jesus Christ that changed his life. The salvific grace (Greek charis) of God turned him into the apostle to the gentiles (Romans 1:5; 1 Corinthians 9:1). This life-changing experience is interpreted in 1 Timothy 1:12-14 as an act of God’s saving mercy.

1 Timothy reminds us what Scripture is and what Scripture isn’t. Scripture is not just a list of easily apprehended propositions with which we can always agree. Scripture is not just a collection of sayings that might guide our daily walk. Scripture is not just a perfect text free of discomfiting content. Scripture is as mysterious as humans. But we also trust that God speaks through scripture, whether these texts resonate with our hopes or create a dissonant sound in our midst.

Luke 15:1-10


The passage includes a setting (15:1-2) followed by the parables of the Lost Sheep (15:3-7) and the Lost Coin (15:8-10). It sets the table for the grand third parable concerning things lost, the parable of the Lost Son (15:11-32). 

All three parables culminate in joy at finding the lost. The repetition is important, emphasizing joy as an integral part of finding what is lost. The theological implication of connecting God with the shepherd and the woman means that God is 1) a seeker who 2) is not fatigued and 3) experiences joy and fosters celebration when the lost is found. 
The feast refers to the extravagant joy God present in Christ welcoming sinners.

Luke alone provides the story of the sinful woman who anoints Jesus’ feet with her tears (7:36-50), the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (18:9-14), and the account of Zacchaeus, the tax collector whose company Jesus requires (19:1-10). Also, Jesus’ behavior on the cross, praying for forgiveness for his executioners (23:34) and blessing the neighboring thief (23:43).

Jesus seeks to bring sinners to repentance (5:32), but not once does Jesus actually comment on the sinner's behavior, scold or correct a sinner.

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