by Erik Ritland
The Word and the Church Bible commentary following the Catholic Lectionary (which gives an overview of the entire Bible) by the Fully Alive staff Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Readings Click above to view Zep. 3: 14-18A Is. 12 Lk. 1: 39-56 The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth came alive for me when I began to do the Rosary. Until then it was simply a pious story, fine for what it was, but I never felt the full weight of its reality. Even today, whenever I meditate on the Visitation – or any mystery of the Rosary – each event comes alive, just as it does in the liturgies that celebrate them. I imagine the reality of it, pregnant Mary packing her things and beginning her journey, depending on blessed St. Joseph for care and compassion, finally seeing her house in sight and knocking on the door, weary from travel. Then, finally, that blessed moment when they walk in the door and John the Baptist leaps in Elizabeth’s womb. This coming Messiah, God as a real human being in the shelter of Mary’s womb, is a cause for the highest celebration, as the forerunner John the Baptist is the first to grasp. The first reading from the prophet Zephaniah emphasizes this: Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! Zeph. 3:14 What will this Messiah do? Zephaniah continues: The LORD has removed the judgment against you, he has turned away your enemies; The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear. Zeph. 3:15 The people of Israel had endured misfortune and fear throughout their history. With the coming savior, God removes his judgment and turns away the enemies of his people. The most important enemies are sin and death, which Jesus deals with definitively in the cross. Erik Ritland is a writer and musician. He is the lead staff writer and podcast host of Fully Alive Christian Media and Rambling On, which features commentary on music, sports, and an intellectual ragbag. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blogs Curious North and Hometown Hustle. Reach him via email.
0 Comments
by Erik Ritland
The Word and the Church Bible commentary following the Catholic Lectionary (which gives an overview of the entire Bible) by the Fully Alive staff Monday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Readings Click above to view 2 Pet. 1: 2-6 Psalm 91 Mk. 12: 1-12 In the beginning of his second letter St. Peter says “May grace and peace be yours in abundance through knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” (I Pet. 1:2). Grace and peace are difficult to find in the contemporary world. We want to feel forgiven, we want to feel okay, but grace has to come from someone, and so we “go it alone” and can never feel the grace that leads to true peace. Instead we look for acceptance from our peers and from the world, and look for moments of peace in our leisure activities. Yet this is always ultimately a dead end. We try desperately to be happy, running from one temporary pleasure to another. We try to fill ourselves up, and to find peace, but it always seems out of reach. We fill our free time with whatever temporarily makes us happy, whether it’s with sports, television, movies, video games, working out, sex, alcohol, or whatever else. We never feel satisfied, always having to move on to the next thing to keep feeling okay in a never-ending cycle. Worldly pleasures like those listed are absolutely fine when ordered well and not abused. Humans are made to work hard and then to enjoy their leisure time. The Incarnation – God caring enough about the world to become a member of the world, a human being – proved definitively that the physical world is good and that it is sanctified in him. However, nothing outside of a relationship with the God who created us will give us true peace. We know that we are forgiven, as a free gift of grace, when we have “knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” On our own we are left on an island, and anyone who is honest for a second knows that they aren’t big enough solely in themselves to find true peace, as though it is something that we have in our own little selves, something that we can tap into and know as easily as it is to turn on a lightbulb. This is unrealistic hubris of the highest regard. Only when we humble ourselves do we realize that we need something, someone, outside of ourselves to find and know true peace. The radical teaching of Christianity – that God himself is humble, humble enough to become one of us and face all of the evil in the world head on – is what separates it from every other religion. Christianity teaches us to be humble, not as a vague rule, but with God himself becoming humble as an example for us all. This humility leads to acceptance of something outside of ourselves, which opens us up to receive God’s grace and peace. Erik Ritland is a writer and musician. He is the lead staff writer and podcast host of Fully Alive Christian Media and Rambling On, which features commentary on music, sports, and an intellectual ragbag. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blogs Curious North and Hometown Hustle. Reach him via email. by Erik Ritland
The Word and the Church Bible commentary following the Catholic Lectionary (which gives an overview of the entire Bible) by the Fully Alive staff The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ Readings Click above to view Gn. 14: 8-20 Psalm 110 I Cor. 11: 23-26 Lk 9:11b-17 Melchizedec is one of the most mysterious figures of the Old Testament. He is the king of peace and righteousness, has no mother or father, and offers the great patriarch Abraham a meal of bread and wine. Sound familiar? The priest Melchizedec, without beginning of life or end of days, is what scholars call a “type” of Christ – that is, someone who prefigures him. Today as we celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi, remembering the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, we marvel that his sacrifice was clearly foreshadowed in the earliest writings of scripture. God works. The three main pillars of the earliest Christian faith were the crucifixion of Christ, his resurrection, and the Eucharist. This is laid out plainly in the letters of Paul, the earliest writings of the New Testament. He doesn’t talk much about Jesus’ teaching or preaching. Instead he emphasizes God’s great work of salvation, the cross and the resurrection, and the new reality that ratifies God’s new covenant: the Eucharist. This emphasis on the Eucharist is shared by the authors of the Gospels, the New Testament, and Christians writing in the decades immediately following. Deep study of these writings is essential to understand what early Christians thought and how they acted. De-emphasizing the importance of the Eucharist – or worse yet, eliminating it – is taking away the very foundation of Christianity, a foundation as basic as the cross and resurrection. Nothing earthly can compare with the heavenly food of receiving and being filled by the author of life. Erik Ritland is a writer and musician. He is the lead staff writer and podcast host of Fully Alive Christian Media and Rambling On, which features commentary on music, sports, and an intellectual ragbag. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blogs Curious North and Hometown Hustle. Reach him via email. by John Morton
The Word and the Church Bible commentary following the Catholic Lectionary (which gives an overview of the entire Bible) by the Fully Alive staff Saturday of the Eight Week in Ordinary Time Readings Click above to view Jude 17, 20B-25 Psalm 63 Mark 11:27-33 We can find Truth only in God. But do we really “thirst” for God? Do we really hunger for that Truth? Today’s readings remind us of our need to thirst for God. They encourage us to place Truth ahead of ourselves and ahead of victory. We are also asked to be merciful to those who teach error, but to guide them whenever possible. Catholics in America are asked to abstain from food and drink (with the exception of water) at least an hour prior to partaking in the Eucharist. This proscription has been relaxed in recent years, as the faithful used to be asked to abstain the entire morning before receiving, not just an hour prior. While both practices are acceptable, if you are able I would recommend practicing the older tradition. The feeling of hunger and desire to eat that grows deep in the pit of your stomach will be all the more noticeable, and therefore all the more beneficial. The practice of abstaining from food prior to the Eucharist gives us the opportunity to feel a real hunger, a necessary hunger. The desire for food becomes tangible and immediate. This reminds us that our own hunger for Truth, and our own thirst for God, should be as real and immediate. I don’t often feel that desire, I don’t always seek the Truth in the same fashion I seek nutrition when famished, and that’s all the more reason to keep up the practice. In the Gospel the Pharisees and Scribes question the authority of Christ. But when questioned in return by our Lord they do not seek the Truth, a Truth which was evident from the miracles he performed. Instead they seek victory. They are so blinded by their goal that they ignore that truth which would seem so obvious. No one could have performed such miracles except by God, but following the evidence was not their concern. We ought to always be concerned with seeking the Truth, for it is in the Truth that we find the glory of God (by his grace). The epistle of Jude tells us to “build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God…” This is something we must do, something we must work at constantly. Everyone struggles to do so, which is why the Holy Spirit has guided the Church in prescribing traditions to remind of us the very real and immediate importance of this desire. John Morton is a writer and amateur historian from the Twin Cities. An avowed atheist for 15 years, he converted to Catholicism in 2015 after a long discernment process. He continues to study and write on early Christian history, theistic apologetics, and his own personal conversion experience. by Erik Ritland
The Word and the Church Bible commentary following the Catholic Lectionary (which gives an overview of the entire Bible) by the Fully Alive staff Friday of the Eight Week in Ordinary Time Readings Click above to view I Pet. 4: 7-13 Ps. 96 Mk. 11: 11-26 The end of all things is at hand. Therefore be serious and sober-minded so that you will be able to pray. Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins. I Pet 4:7-8 The first words of Jesus’ ministry are telling: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mk. 1:15). The kingdom of God is at hand – it is here! The ministry of Jesus – which drives out demons, gives the blind their sight, and teaches the ways of God – shows us that he inaugurates the kingdom of God. The ultimate sign, of course, is his crucifixion and resurrection. When St. Peter says “The end of all things is at hand” he is saying that we are living in this kingdom moment, a completely new era brought to fruition by Jesus through his life, death, and resurrection. This kingdom, as Peter reminds us, is deeply rooted in prayer and especially in an "intense" love. The long Gospel reading tells us of the gathering storm around Jesus before his arrest. The curse of the fig tree represents the coming destruction of Jerusalem. The current system of the Temple wasn’t bearing good enough fruit – as indicated by Jesus’ need to cleanse it – and because of that it would face the same fate as the fig tree. Note: the kingdom perspective in my commentary on Peter is largely indebted to the writings of N.T. Wright, especially his books Jesus and the Victory of God and Simply Jesus. Erik Ritland is a writer and musician. He is the lead staff writer and podcast host of Fully Alive Christian Media and Rambling On, which features commentary on music, sports, and an intellectual ragbag. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blogs Curious North and Hometown Hustle. Reach him via email. by Erik Ritland
The Word and the Church Bible commentary following the Catholic Lectionary (which gives an overview of the entire Bible) by the Fully Alive staff Thursday of the Eight Week in Ordinary Time Readings Click above to view I Pet. 2: 2-5, 9-12 Ps. 100 Mk. 10: 46-52 A serious look at the Gospels – or a cursory one, even – disproves the contemporary myth that Jesus was just a nice guy who wanted everyone to be happy. Reflecting on the Gospel of Mark in the last couple of weeks has driven that point home for me. Jesus calls us to live a radical life of obedience to God that is impossible to sugar coat. We learn this from his teachings on divorce, his desire for the rich young man to give away all his possessions, his call for each of us to be a childlike servant of all, and his declarations on the seriousness of sin (“if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off” and the like). What is more, Jesus promises us that we will also be persecuted for our faith. And this is all only in chapters 9 and 10 of the Gospel of Mark. Yet we also know that we have great joy and consolation in Christ. No matter how often we fall he will always be there to pick us up, promising to always welcome back the repentant sinner and give us peace. As he does to the blind man Bartimaeus, he gives us vision in a world so often clouded by darkness. Jesus was not just a nice guy who wanted everyone to be happy. Jesus is God, and as God he shows us how to live in true joy and true peace, forgiven sinners called to live a life of obedience. Erik Ritland is a writer and musician. He is the lead staff writer and podcast host of Fully Alive Christian Media and Rambling On, which features commentary on music, sports, and an intellectual ragbag. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blogs Curious North and Hometown Hustle. Reach him via email. by Erik Ritland
The Word and the Church Bible commentary following the Catholic Lectionary (which gives an overview of the entire Bible) by the Fully Alive staff Wednesday of the Eight Week in Ordinary Time Readings Click above to view I Pet. 1: 18-25 Ps. 147 Mk. 10: 32-45 Although the arguments aren’t nearly as air tight as they’d like to admit, many scholars feel like the letters of St. Peter were not writing by him, but one of his disciples piously using his name. If true this is not a problem for Christians. The Bible is God’s message because it is inspired by the Holy Spirit, not because of the people who specifically wrote each book. Yet the two books of St. Peter are so full of vivid, profound truths that it’s hard for me to believe that it wasn’t written by someone as close to the heart of the Lord as the apostle. For example, from today’s reading we find these inspiring words: Since you have purified yourselves by obedience to the truth for sincere brotherly love, love one another intensely from a pure heart. You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and abiding word of God I Pet. 1:22-3 These words, like many in the epistles of Peter, have a rough edged common sense that feel like they come from a simple fisherman, albeit one filled with God. We are purified in Christ, and from that purification we know how to love “intensely from a pure heart.” We are “born anew…through the living and abiding word of God.” Similarly, St. Paul says that in Christ we are a new creation (II Cor. 5:17). We are privileged with the gift of intimacy with God, and from that intimacy we are completely new people in him. Erik Ritland is a writer and musician. He is the lead staff writer and podcast host of Fully Alive Christian Media and Rambling On, which features commentary on music, sports, and an intellectual ragbag. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blogs Curious North and Hometown Hustle. Reach him via email. by Erik Ritland
The Word and the Church Bible commentary following the Catholic Lectionary (which gives an overview of the entire Bible) by the Fully Alive staff Tuesday of the Eight Week in Ordinary Time Readings Click above to view I Pet. 1: 10-16 Ps. 98 Mk. 10: 28-31 Gird up the loins of your mind, live soberly, and set your hopes completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. I Pet. 1:13 This is one of the many gems from the first letter of St. Peter. “Gird up the loins of your mind” – what poetic, practical, ageless advice! Christians are called to be filled with joy and hope regarding the world around them, yet they must also keep a practical, common sense guard over their minds and hearts. Life in Christ is even-tempered and filled with hope, a life that moves the world instead of being moved by it. Like obedient children, do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance but, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct, for it is written, “Be holy because I [am] holy. I Pet. 1:14-16 In last weeks readings Jesus taught us the importance of children and being childlike. Here Peter again touches on that idea, reminding us that we are to love and trust God as a child loves and trusts a parent. God is the ultimately good parent, desiring us to be the best version of ourselves through relationship with him. The closer we get to him, and the more obedient we are, the better off we’ll be, because only God knows what is best for us. Erik Ritland is a writer and musician. He is the lead staff writer and podcast host of Fully Alive Christian Media and Rambling On, which features commentary on music, sports, and an intellectual ragbag. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blogs Curious North and Hometown Hustle. Reach him via email. ![]() by Erik Ritland The Word and the Church Bible commentary following the Catholic Lectionary (which gives an overview of the entire Bible) by the Fully Alive staff Monday of the Eight Week in Ordinary Time Readings Click above to view I Pet. 1: 3-9 Ps. 111 Mk. 10: 17-27 The book of Peter is filled with concise, meaningful spiritual phrases. From today’s first reading: Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet you believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, as you attain the goal of faith, the salvation of your souls. I Pet. 1:8-9 What beautiful, comforting words! “Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet you believe in him.” It is reminiscent of the Lord’s words to St. Thomas after he doubted: “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed” (Jn 20:29). This is the faith of all Christians, a faith that, as Peter says, leads to “indescribably and glorious joy.” Pope Francis is filled with this joy of a relationship with God through Christ. I keep a poignant, adorable prayer card of Pope Francis in my pocket. On one side he is giving a joyous smile and a thumbs up, and on the other is this prayer: The first word that I wish to say to you: joy! Do not be men and women of sadness: a Christian can never be sad! Never give way to discouragement! Ours is not a joy born of having many possessions, but of having encountered a person: Jesus, in our midst. Christianity is not a philosophy, a set of moral codes, or just one religion among many. It is an actual encounter with Jesus Christ, God, who is truly and presently in our midst. This relationship gives us joy, even amid sorrow. This intimacy is strengthened by prayer, reading the Bible, the sacraments, and participation in the Church. Erik Ritland is a writer and musician. He is the lead staff writer and podcast host of Fully Alive Christian Media and Rambling On, which features commentary on music, sports, and an intellectual ragbag. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blogs Curious North and Hometown Hustle. Reach him via email. ![]() by Erik Ritland The Word and the Church Bible commentary following the Catholic Lectionary (which gives an overview of the entire Bible) by the Fully Alive staff Eight Sunday in Ordinary Time Readings Click above to view Prv 8: 22-31 Ps. 8 Rom. 5: 1-5 Jn. 16: 12-15 The Holy Trinity is as essential to Christianity as it is often misunderstood. The importance of the Trinity, at its basic level, is that God is love. A God that is only one cannot be love, for love is only shared between a communion. A love of one is self-directed, disordered. The truth of the Trinity, of God as three but also one, transcends reason, but it is also inherently logical, for love in a strict communion of one is not possible. The Trinity is not three separate gods, obviously, but the one God in three persons. Years of devotion, prayer, and study can help us understand the idea better, and get closer to the God who is three in one, but the ultimate reality of God as Trinity is impossible for anyone to completely understand. It’s a mystery. To me, this is solid intellectual evidence that Christianity wasn’t made up by human beings. Why would a group of people who were creating something have an idea so mysterious, so difficult, so easy to scoff at or say is unreasonable? The Trinity, as a transcendent truth, is logical, for God always make sense and is never contrary to reason (even when he transcends it). More importantly, though, God is mystery, and there are few other truths as mysterious as that of the Holy Trinity. The awe and mystery of God in three persons is presented well in today’s readings. The selection from Proverbs poetically reminds us of the creative power of God, a power that was ultimately and completely manifested in the humanity of Jesus. The saving power of the Trinity is Paul’s focus in the reading from Romans: “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Rom. 5: 1,5bc). Finally, in the Gospel Jesus plainly lays out the concept of the Trinity, declaring that the Holy Spirit will glorify him in the Father, and treating each as exalted and connected: “Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he (the Holy Spirit) will take from what is mine and declare it to you” (Jn. 16:15). God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, exists in communion and love. Through the saving power of the Trinity we can also live with him, and with each other, in that same communion and love. It can seem difficult to understand, but this simple truth is a foundation of the essential Christian doctrine of the Trinity. Erik Ritland is a writer and musician. He is the lead staff writer and podcast host of Fully Alive Christian Media and Rambling On, which features commentary on music, sports, and an intellectual ragbag. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blogs Curious North and Hometown Hustle. Reach him via email. |
Authors
Erik Ritland received his MA in Theology in 2017. He's the founder and content manager of Fully Alive Christian Media and Rambling On, copy editor and writer for Music in Minnesota, and an acclaimed songwriter. Archives
April 2019
Categories |