Dianne Bergant, C.S.A.

Jan 30 2025

Continuing Ed

The disciples may have been a bit slow to understand how Jesus was redefining the Messiah he was going to be, but they were not stupid on all accounts. They picked up on the reaction Peter got when he rebuked Jesus for talking about suffering rejection and death. So, when Jesus brought up the subject for a second time in today’s Gospel, they just listened politely, then dropped back out of earshot and changed the subject to a more pleasant one: themselves— and who was the greatest.

Things must have gotten quite animated because when they got home, Jesus asked about it. Their silence surely disappointed him, since he could surmise what had engaged them. But like a good teacher, he tries another way to make his point. There must have been a child nearby, because he calls her over and places his arms protectively around her, and says to them, “If you want to be first, then be last. If you want to be in charge, then serve. When you take in the least, you take in not only me but my Father.” Class dismissed.

It has proven a hard lesson to learn. Or maybe few of us really want to learn it. When you look out at the world, most seem to want to be first, the greatest, the one with the most and best toys, a wielder of power and influence and authority. Choosing to serve the least doesn’t make the top ten on most people’s “to do” list.

Consider/Discuss

What area(s) of your life does this Gospel direct you to consider?
What do you find most difficult about Jesus’ call to be “the last of all and the servant of all”?

Responding to the Word

Lord, help us to follow your call by serving the “little ones,” especially those more likely to be subject to the cruelty and indifference of the world. Sustain us in this work with the assurance that when we receive them, we receive not only you but the One who sent you.

Jan 30 2025

Scripture Study for

The ungodly speak in this passage from Wisdom. They conspire to assault the righteous one who has become a living reproach to them. Three matters in particular plague them. This honorable person stands in opposition to the wrong doings of the wicked; he denounces them for their sin; and he accuses them of not being faithful to their upbringing. The mistreatment that is being planned is extreme, even fatal. The righteous one, described as gentle and patient, is now an innocent victim of the evildoers’ resentment. The reading ends on a note of apprehension. Will the righteous one succumb to the persecution of the wicked? Or will God intervene on behalf of this just person?

Two styles of behavior are described in the Letter of James. Foolishness shows itself in various forms of social unrest—jealousy, selfish ambition, etc. A life motivated by wisdom generates harmony and peace, which give birth to all of the manifestations of love. While wisdom is generally thought to proceed from reflection on experience, it is also believed to be a gift from God. It is this latter dimension of wisdom that James addresses. The wisdom of which he speaks is pure, totally committed to what pertains to God; it is peaceable, drawing the members of the community together in unity; it is fruitful, producing good works in abundance.

Identifying himself as the mysterious Son of Man who comes on the clouds to announce the end of one age and the beginning of the other, Jesus tells his closest associates that he will be handed over and killed, but that he will rise from the dead after three days. It is not surprising that the disciples do not understand. What is surprising is their competitiveness. Without reprimanding them, Jesus seizes the moment to teach an important lesson. He insists that, following his example, those who hold the highest positions within the community must be willing to take the lowest place.

Jan 30 2025

Scripture Study for

The opening verse of the passage from Isaiah sets the stage for what follows: “My ears are open!” Hearing is an ability that is most intimate. The ear catches the sound and carries it into the very core of the person. Because of its importance, openness to sound carries the symbolic meaning of openness before God. At the outset, the speaker acknowledges that his ears are open to hear, but it is God who opened them. In other words, though he stands ready to accept God’s will in his life, the readiness itself comes from God. The speaker takes credit for nothing; he is totally dependent on God.

The Letter of James addresses a misunderstanding that has arisen in the church regarding the nature of true faith. Some were satisfied with correct belief expressed in orthodox doctrine. James insists that genuine faith must be practical, expressed in action. Furthermore, it must manifest itself in more than acts of authentic worship. While the issue here is certainly ethical, it pertains to our salvation as well: What kind of faith will save? James’ opponents, whether real or imaginary, wanted to separate faith and good works. James insists that such a separation is impossible.

Jesus asks the disciples what people are saying about him. The question is not self-serving. It seeks to discover how Jesus’ words and actions are under stood, and it prepares the disciples for their own assessment of him. The people believe that Jesus is a prophetic figure who has come back from the dead. Peter speaks in the name of the others when he proclaims that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the anointed one of God. Hearing this, Jesus states that he will be a messiah in the tradition of the Son of Man, the enigmatic figure who will come on the clouds at the end of this age. Jesus then bluntly announces that he will be rejected, will suffer and die, but will rise again.

Jan 30 2025

Scripture Study for

Isaiah depicts two ways in which the renewal promised by God is manifested: those who suffer physical maladies will be healed of their infirmities, and the barren wilderness will be filled with the promise of new life. Just as deprivation and infirmity were considered signs of evil in the world, so this restoration was perceived as a sign of the transformation that only God can effect. It was a testimony to God’s presence in the world and to God’s victory over evil. Once again God reestablished the original order of creation, and all life began again to flourish.

In broad and clear strokes, the author of the Letter of James paints a picture of unacceptable discrimination. He condemns the preference for the man dressed in fine clothing and the contemptuous way the poor man is treated, thus exposing the community’s bias. Such discrimination is not only an example of social snobbery, but it is also in direct opposition to the basis upon which the church was founded, namely, the gathering of all into the reign of God. Such behavior is condemned for two reasons. First, the people are reestablishing distinctions where God has eliminated them. Second, their partiality jeopardizes the justice that they are called to administer.

Jesus is in Gentile territory. There he heals a deaf man. In an oral culture such as his, those who cannot hear are at a great disadvantage. They are marginalized in ways that others are not. Furthermore, hearing symbolizes openness to God. Jesus unstops the ears of a man who was unable to hear his words, so that now the man can hear them and can be open to their message. Those who witnessed this miracle relate the wonders that Jesus can perform to the prophetic promise of regeneration that will take place during the new age of the reign of God. They proclaim that Jesus has accomplished here exactly what was to be accomplished in that time of fulfillment.

Jan 30 2025

Scripture Study for

Moses calls the people to hear (shema). It is a solemn summons used to assemble the people of God for consultation, worship, or war. It is used here to stress the significance of the proclamation of the law that is to follow. Obedience to the law is not for Israel’s sake alone. Israel’s compliance will serve to witness to the other nations the extraordinary character of these statutes and decrees. Such obedience is, then, a sign of Israel’s wisdom. The nations will recognize the wisdom contained in this law, and conclude that only a great people would merit so great a God.

Three characteristics of God are praised in the Letter of James. God is first described as the fountain of giving and the source of all the gifts themselves. Furthermore, God’s goodness is constant, not intermittent. God is the source of both our birth and our re-birth or salvation. Finally, the Christians are admonished to avoid those practices of the world that challenge Christian values. They are also to intervene on behalf of the community’s most vulnerable, the widows and orphans who have no legal status in the patriarchal society. When they do this, the word of truth will take concrete form in their lives.

The conflict between Jesus and some of his opponents concerns ritual cleansing. The custom of hand washing originated as a regulation observed by priests when offering sacrifice, and over time developed into an obligation for everyone. Jesus’ disciples were not observing this custom. Jesus’ response to criticism is swift and incisive. He explicitly draws a comparison between those whom the prophet condemns and the scribes and Pharisees who condemn the disciples. The very ones who demand strict observance of their law fail to observe God’s law. Jesus uses this encounter to teach a deeper lesson. He insists that defilement originates from the innermost recesses of the heart, not from some external behavior.