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 Saturday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Readings Click above to view Jas 5:13-20 Ps. 141 Mk. 10: 13-16 Two sacraments are mentioned in today’s first reading from St. James: anointing of the sick (“Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters (ed.: priests) of the Church, and they should pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord” (5:14-15)) and confession (“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed” (5:16ab)). Jesus promised that he would not leave the Church as orphans but would send them the Holy Spirit to guide them (see John 14:15ff), a promise he fulfilled on Pentecost. This same Holy Spirit guided the Church as the sacraments continued to evolve into the form we have today, but the foundation of each is clearly referenced in the scriptures, as they are here. Children are precious in the eyes of God. Only shortly after Jesus put a child in the disciples' midst as an example of servanthood and leadership (9:33ff) he makes another startling claim: “whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” This does not mean blind faith or lack of knowledge but innocence, trust, and love. We are to love God as a child loves a parent, with great joy and without reserve. 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.
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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 Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Readings Click above to view Jas 5:9-12 Ps. 103 Mk. 10: 1-12 Sandwiched between two difficult teachings – St. James on judging and swearing and Jesus about divorce – is one of the most beautiful, assuring Psalms that speaks of God’s personality: Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all my being, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. He pardons all your iniquities, he heals all your ills. He redeems your life from destruction, he crowns you with kindness and compassion. Merciful and gracious is the LORD, slow to anger and abounding in kindness. He will not always chide, nor does he keep his wrath forever. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he put our transgressions from us. PS 103:1-2, 3-4, 8-9, 11-12 Each of these stanzas are worth concentrated meditation. Each poetically tells of an important aspect of God that we need to let sink in as we get closer to him. He radically forgives and heals us, regardless of the severity of the wrongs we’ve done. He saves us from destruction, which is so often our own doing. He is kind and compassionate, always wanting his children to return to his limitless love. Yet since we belong to God we are also held to a higher standard. As Jesus says in Luke 12:48, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more." St. James teaches us that we are not to judge others or make unnecessary oaths (or break them, for that matter). Far from a contemporary issue, Jesus’ harsh condemnation of divorce has always been seen as very difficult. We are held to a higher standard that we should attempt to achieve with the entirety of who we are, yet we can always be assured that, in the words of today’s Psalm antiphon, “the Lord is kind and merciful.” 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 Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Readings Click above to view Jas 5:1-6 Ps. 49 Mk. 9: 41-50 If I was a rich person who loved God I would probably despair at lines in the New Testament like “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven" (Mt. 19:24), “Love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” (I Tim. 6:10), and, from today’s reading: Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries. Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like a fire. (Jas. 5:1-2) Yikes! Like with any teaching from the Bible, close reading and context provide illumination. After Jesus’ teaching about how hard it is for a rich person to enter the kingdom, he reminds us that all things are possible with God. St. Paul says that the “love” of money is the roots of “all kinds of evil” – money itself isn’t the evil, it just so often and easily leads to it. And in today’s reading, St. James admonishes those who are wealthy because they horde their money, treat workers poorly, and live luxuriously due to exploitation. The lesson isn’t that you’re damned if you’re rich. If you keep your priorities straight, remember who your wealth actually belongs to, and draw closer to God in your thoughts and actions, it’s quite possible to be rich and still be a beloved servant of God. In today’s Gospel Jesus has far harsher words for each of us: If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. (Mk. 9:43-48) Jesus’ poetic, exaggerated language delivers a startlingly concrete lesson: that sin is real, pervasive, and we each need to look at ourselves often to be sure that we are living a life that is in line with the faith that we profess. 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 Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Readings Click above to view Jas 4:13-17 Ps. 49 Mk. 9: 38-40 The letter of St. James is filled with difficult teachings. It’s easy to understand why Martin Luther saw it as lesser than the letters of St. Paul, even if those charges have been unfairly trumped up by some Catholics. Although difficult, and sometimes not as basic to the faith as the teachings of St. Paul, the letter of James is filled with timeless truth. Each line is as relevant today as when it was written in the first century. At only five chapters it is worth sitting down and reading in one sitting. In today’s reading James reminds us that our lives are in God’s hands. Although harsh, it’s true that “you have no idea what your life will be like tomorrow/you are a puff of smoke that appears briefly and then disappears” (4:14). This warning against presumption is also often found in the Psalms: LORD, let me know my end, the number of my days, that I may learn how frail I am. To be sure, you establish the expanse of my days; indeed, my life is as nothing before you. Every man is but a breath. Ps. 39:5-6 Far from negative or drab, this is a solemn reminder that the loving God is in control of our lives. As James reminds us earlier in this same chapter, as we draw closer to God, God draws closer to us. This intimacy gives us a proper perspective of ourselves that helps us trust God. The Gospel reading for today is an excellent lesson in ecumenism: John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.” Instead of condemning those who weren’t “part of the group” Jesus declares that “whoever is not against us is for us.” Similarly, each Christian dispensation – Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopal, and so on – is doing God’s work in their own way. That’s not to say that their individual beliefs aren’t important; each hold their beliefs, presumably, because they think that they are true, and this is at the foundation of true faith in many ways. But in a world that is as disordered as ours is, it is now more important than ever to focus less on in-fighting and more on filling the world with the light of Christ. 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 Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Readings Click above to view Jas 4:1-10 Ps. 55 Mk. 9: 30-37 One gets the impression that St. James wasn’t too thrilled with the actions of the Christian community he was addressing in his letter. After a series of harsh admonitions he gives some practical advice that is still relevant: “So submit yourselves to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (4:7-8). Both submitting and resisting are actions that we each need to take to get closer to God – and further away from the Devil. Submitting to God is laying down our will to conform ourselves to him. We are called to do this even if it means saying no to things we might desire, such as disordered physical pleasures like casual sex, or saying yes to things we might not find appealing, like volunteering overnight at a homeless shelter. Our choices, whether we’re abstaining or acting, bring us closer to God or take us further away from him. An attitude of humility is essential for us to become closer to God. The disciples learned this the hard way in today’s Gospel reading, as Jesus counters their argument about who among them is the greatest with these startling words: “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” Don’t let the radical quality of these words be dulled or lost. Jesus, who is God, shows us what God’s nature is by emptying himself and being a servant. Let that sink in, as this is as shocking of an idea today as it was 2,000 years ago. 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 Monday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Readings Click above to view Jas 3:13-18 Ps. 19 Mk. 9: 14-29 In Mark’s gospel we get a more detailed story of Christ healing a demon-possessed child the morning after the Transfiguration (Mt 17:14-23; Lu 9:37-45). Christ comes down the mountain with Peter, James, and John to find the rest of his disciples debating with Pharisees and scribes, likely related to their inability to heal the child. The father reveals his lack of faith, and then risks what little faith he has, when he confronts his insufficiency and recognizes his need for Christ. After Jesus performs the healing he reveals to the disciples that they weren’t able to do it because of their lack of preparation, their lack of prayer. It is appropriate that I am writing my first ever scriptural commentary on this text because it deals with two struggles I commonly face: an insufficiency of faith and an insufficiency of prayer. As a recent convert from atheism to Catholicism I deal continually with doubt, an acknowledged lack of faith, and the deep sadness that each brings. Some assume that after a conversion no lingering doubts or questions arise. It might be assumed that I have ‘made my bed’ and would lie contently there, having closed my mind to other possibilities. In reality it is quite the opposite. As an atheist I did not doubt my atheism. I had a strong faith in it, a blind faith. Sometimes when under duress I retreated to an agnostic position – if only to save my crumbling arguments – but acquiescing to the “unknowable” was simply a cop out for lacking a well-founded and logical position. From my personal experience I learned that conversion is not something that happens once, or even for a short period of time. It is a process and it takes a lifetime. And though today I do have faith, the strength of that faith sometimes varies, and it is a constant struggle to foster it. The father acknowledges his lack of faith: “but if you can do anything…” If. He is not yet confident in Christ. But then in a humble, small way – as small as a mustard seed – he moves one little step closer to God, opening his heart: “I believe; help my unbelief!” True faith is faith aware of itself, aware of its own failings and insufficiency. Like the father I too must cry out for faith, and must do so often. Though there are times when I am disappointed in the fruits of my labor, the way the disciples were when they failed to heal, I see that Christ does not abandon me. Instead he lifts me up as he did the possessed child, inviting me (and all of us) to pray with expectant faith. God’s graces are not given in quantity according to your firmness in faith, they are given completely to those who are open to it. Whether you have the doors swung wide open, or you are cautiously opening to peak in, the grace of God will pour through whatever opening we give it. Prepare and pray for God to break through any opening you give him. As St. Augustine of Hippo said about this passage: “Where faith fails, prayer perishes. For who prays for that in which he does not believe?... So then in order that we may pray, let us believe, and let us pray that this same faith by which we pray may not falter.” 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 Pentecost Sunday Readings Click above to view Acts 2:1-11 Ps. 124 I Cor. 12: 3b-7, 12-13 Jn. 20: 19-23 The Holy Spirit can seem elusive. Some Christians, like Pentecostals and Baptists, have a commendably strong connection to the Holy Spirit, harnessing his power concretely and positively. For many Christians of the West, however, he can be difficult to comprehend. Our first reading gives us a glimpse into his mysterious power. Luke, the author of Acts, describes the first Pentecost: And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. Acts 2:2-3 (NAB) Meditate on some key phrases: “and suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind”; “then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them.” Luke uses elevated language to help us understand, to the best of our ability, the power and mystery of the Holy Spirit. He also evokes the two most common ways that the Holy Spirit reveals himself in the Old Testament: by wind and by fire. Most importantly, the message is that the Holy Spirit works and has the true power of the living God. This exact same Spirit is alive today, assisting and comforting us throughout our lives. Eagerly call on him to actually descend on you, just as he actually descended upon the disciples at Pentecost. Note: I use the pronoun “he” to describe the Holy Spirit in a general way, obviously not saying that the Holy Spirit is somehow a human male. For over 1900 years people intuitively understood that “he” denoted relationship in a general, not a masculine, way, and it is my hope that people eventually realize that once again. 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. |
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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
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