RENEWsletter for July 18, 2010 - 16th Ordinary

Hi, all--
"Preparation" seems to be one of the threads of a theme that stitches these passages together. In each case there is a result that brings the one being prepared closer to God. The Navajos have a concept called hozhoh: beauty, harmony, and the interconnectedness of the natural world. A person who experiences hozhoh walks in beauty with nature, their fellowman, and reality in general. Christians sometimes describe this state as the "peace that passes understanding".

This is the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time and the readings can be found on the web at: http://www.usccb.org/nab/071810.shtml, and in your Bible in:

Genesis 18.1-10a
Psalm 15.2-3, 3-4, 5
Colossians 1.24-28
Luke 10.38-42

In the First Reading, we find Abraham hurrying to prepare a meal for some visiting angels. These guys appeared as the day was beginning to get hot. That's why Abraham was sitting outside his tent under the terebinth tree. He was trying to keep cool (Gen 18.1). What's a terebinth tree? Maybe it was like an oak, because Mamre, where this story takes place, was famous for its oaks. Anyway, Abraham somehow knew that these three were sent from God, and so he went out of his way to feed them. And kept Sarah in the hot tent baking bread for them, too! But for their trouble they got the incredible news that elderly Sarah would get pregnant and bear a son (v. 10). More than anything, Abraham and Sarah wanted this. Peace descended on them and they experienced hozhoh.

The psalmist speaks of another kind of preparation in the Responsorial Psalm. If we do justice (Ps. 15.1) we will live in the presence of the Lord. Read the list of things the person needs to do to feel comfortable in the presence of the Living God (vs. 2-5). Some of the items on the list are easy, like not accepting bribes. Some might be a little harder, like thinking truth in one’s heart. But for your trouble you'll get to be comfortable hanging out with the Lord, and experience hozhoh.

In the Second Reading, we find Paul diligently preparing the body of Christ (the church... us!) to be wise and perfect in Christ (Col. 1.28). Perfect? Us? Yes! It is truly a mystery, but through Christ's work, we have hope of glory (v. 27) and all the rich spiritual benefits that go with that. Paul was a diligent steward, ministering to Jew and Gentile alike, striving to bring to fruition the mystery of God's love for his church. For his trouble he gets all the persecution, suffering, and affliction that there wasn't time to inflict on Christ himself. And he rejoices in it (v. 24) because it brings hozhoh!

In the Gospel Reading we find Martha in a flurry of activity trying to prepare and serve a meal to her guests all by herself. Can't you just see her, getting more and more exasperated as pots start to boil over, things fall to the floor, the table remains unset, and Mary, bless her thoughtless heart, just sits there at Jesus's feet (Luke 10.39), totally oblivious of what needs to be done. Martha finally can't stand it anymore and goes straight to Jesus. "Mary has left me to do all this work by myself," she expostulates (v. 40). "Can you please tell her to help? She won't listen to me!" For her trouble she gets a mild, loving rebuke from the Lord (vs. 41-42). Sometimes it's better to just sit and listen than to get all the trappings right and on time. Mary had found hozhoh.

Let’s try to keep in mind this week to daily prepare ourselves to live in the presence of the Lord, to hear him when he speaks to us through his Word, through the natural world, and through the Holy Spirit communing directly with our hearts. May we all live in harmony, walk in beauty, and know hozhoh.

Randy Jones
"Those who are unprepared say there is no harmony!"