Thursday Feb 17/22

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Two themes stood out for me in today's readings – poverty and anointing. In the first reading (Jas 2:1-9), the Apostle James is writing to an early Christian community that would have gathered to worship in a local home. James rebukes them for giving the best seats to wealthy members, and seating the poor on the floor when the Eucharist is celebrated. James points out that by doing so, they have made “distinctions among [them]selves and become judges with evil designs;” they have dishonoured the poor whom God chose “to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom to those who love Him.” James reminds them that it is the rich who oppress, take them to court and even “blaspheme the noble name that was invoked over [them].” The poor do not have this kind of influence. James tells them that they “are doing well” if they “fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Otherwise, they are committing sin by their partiality to the rich.
Today's psalm (Ps 34) shows us David's poverty of spirit before God: “When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, and from all his distress He saved him.” David – God's anointed king – endured bitter persecution by Saul for perhaps seven years. Hiding in the wilderness with his men, David learned to rely not on his own strength, but on the hand of God to save him, sustain him and fulfill His designs for David's life. Even while treated as an outlaw, David learns to praise God as his Deliverer who hears his prayers, and then calls others to do the same: “I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD; the lowly will hear me and be glad.
Glorify the LORD with me, let us together extol His name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame.” In the Gospel, Peter proclaims before the other disciples that Jesus is “the Christ”, the Messiah, the Anointed One of God. Jesus then tells them He must suffer, be rejected by their religious leaders, killed and raised on the third day. Peter objects, and Jesus rebukes him, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” Our walk with Jesus as anointed members of His body has its seasons of humiliation and bitter suffering. This is the way of our Messiah that leads to everlasting life. There are times when worldly powers – even in the believing community – will regard us as outcasts for standing in the truth. Can we allow the hardship and poverty we experience to soften our hearts to love our neighbour as ourselves? James tells us this is what it means to be a eucharistic people. Such people recognize Christ in one another; they accept that Christ died for each one of us, even the ones who treat us poorly. We know that a place is reserved for each one of us at the heavenly eucharistic banquet. Perhaps there are places of honour reserved for Jesus and the greatest saints; perhaps many of these will be the poor, overlooked and pitied among us who learned to rely on Him for everything, and were not ashamed to admit it. The rest of us will probably be at the regular tables. But we will all share the same meal. Jesus, meek and mild of heart, make my heart like unto Thine. Link to Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021722.cfm

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