Category: Ordinary Time Year C

Are you finding it awkward, perhaps even difficult to read the Bible these days?
Especially texts taken from the Old Testament as our First Readings.

Vivid images and accompanying stories from area called Gaza make for difficult reconciliation for me.

I need to admit that I am becoming increasingly despondent when I am invited to read and reflect on these texts.

Kieran O’Mahony OSA, is an Augustinian friar and biblical scholar, living in St John’s Priory, Dublin

Kieran offers us this reflection centred around our First Reading from the prophet Isaiah (66: 18 -21)

“It is hard not to overstate what is happening in Gaza: the destruction of the territory, the starvation and attempted genocide of the people. All this is done in the name of biblically inspired “nationalism”.

As such, it has made many people very, very uncomfortable with overt nationalist passages in the readings from the Bible. This causes the Bible to be frowned upon by those who fight for freedom, equality, and fraternity.

To people perhaps not so familiar with the Bible, today’s first reading from Isaiah must come as something of a surprise. It offers a vision of all nations coming to worship the one, true God.

The reading comes from the last part of Isaiah, usually called Third Isaiah, written after the return from the great Exile in Babylon. In spite of that setting, the reading breathes a broader, more universal air.

This slightly exotic text is a reminder that in the Bible there are not one but two narratives of salvation.

The first one, perhaps more familiar, is unapologetically nationalist, often harshly expressed. It is the story of the ancient Israelites, later the Jewish people. The second one, perhaps less apparent, offers a different story, the story of all the nations and their inclusion in God’s plan of salvation.”

Reading and reflecting on today’s text from Isaiah I was reminded of my visit to the United Nations building in New York City.

The building itself is substantial, rising some 39 floors into the Manhattan skyline; however, the image fixed in my memory is that of flags.

The United Nations Headquarters displays the flags of its member and observer states. These flags are arranged in English alphabetical order, representing the 193 member states and the two observer states (Holy See and the State of Palestine). 

The flags are raised in the morning and lowered in the afternoon on weekdays.

Fluttering in the afternoon breeze they shouted out, “Look at us! We dance together!”

No one flag dominates; they are raised to the same height; the same breeze energizes each flag simultaneously.

Together they flutter as a unified palette of colour.

Then I read with hope the words of the prophet Isaiah, “Knowing their works and thoughts, I have come to gather all nations and languages; they will come and see my glory.” (Is 66:1

What on earth might the image of a young boy jumping into some water have to do with this Sunday’s Gospel?

A personal story might help.

The year is 1984 and it is the month of August.

I was returning to New Zealand from the USA.

Fortunately, the airline ticket I had was known as a “round the world” ticket.

Aside from the one requirement – you must travel in one direction – and return to your point of origin, the options for where you can stopover, and how many continents you visit is completely up to you. You can have as many as 16 stops.

In August 1984 I was visiting what is known as The Hoy Land.

After a day of hot and dusty walking around various sites around the shores of the Sea of Galilee my travelling companion and I had paused for a cold drink sitting right on the shoreline of the lake.

From out of nowhere came this young voice calling out, over and over, “Abba, Abba, Abba!”

Did I hear right, “Abba, Abba, Abba!”

Looking out at the lake there was a young boy standing on a wooden dock moored on the lake and waving energetically towards where we were sitting.

From alongside us a gentlemen rose from his prone position. Looking out to where the eager voice came from. He stood and waved.

With that the young boy dived into the water. Plop!

Every time I now read and/or prayer the prayer known as The Lord’s Prayer like we did this Sunday morning my praying is followed by the word ‘plop’.

We read from Luke’s Gospel today, (Lk.11: 1-13) a much shorter version of the prayer we usually recite from St. Matthew’s Gospel.

In place of Matthew’s ‘Our Father in heaven,’ Luke says simply, ‘Father’.

And the Aramaic word for Father is “Abba”.

Before the prayer we call the ‘Our Father’ is a prayer of ritual, a prayer of
liturgy, a prayer of common worship, it is a prayer of intimacy, a prayer of
affection and a prayer of trust.

It is the prayer of a child waving to the shore seeking attention.

Ps. Don’t forget to plop! at the end of your prayer.

“Make yourself at home.”

How often have I said those words to another?

How often have I had those words said to me?

They are words of welcome.

They are words of hospitality.

They are words of openness.

They are words of generosity.

This Sunday’s Gospel (Lk. 10:38-42) recounts for us a visit of Jesus to the house of Martha and Mary.

Much is made of the interaction between the sisters and most homilists I have heard spend endless minutes siding with one or the other, or in an attempt at reconciling each to the other.

In doing so, the person of Jesus might well be overlooked!

The Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer has a painting of today’s Gospel scene.

The painting is titled, “Christ in the house of Martha and Mary.” (1655) and hangs in the Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh.

It is the largest and one of the earliest surviving paintings by Vermeer. It is also his only known work of a biblical subject.

I encourage you to spend some time with this work by Vermeer and notice the relaxed poise in which the artist has painted the figure of Jesus (Christ).

As you gaze at this figure, recite the mantra quietly and reflectively, “make yourself at home”