A PONDERING
The prime object of intimacy is fruitfulness There is the term “Defensive time structures” which describes what happens in elevators among strangers. One looks at her watch, one reads the operating license, while a younger fellow checks his I-Phone, Smart Phone or fingernails. There are some variations of spending time making sure there is no “real” personal contact. We can ask others how they are while passing them as soon as possible and knowing that they are not really interested in how we are either, but we got through the unstructured and perhaps uncomfortable time. The object is to not really meet. Intimacy is the opposite of course. To meet rather than bounce off allows for the freedom from structure. Intimacy, of any kind, moves toward some kind of positive results or fruitfulness. We might not know at the exact moment of a deep encounter what that growing might be. Physical pregnancy is discovered long after the act of sexual intimacy. A deep conversation might be an immediate experience of deepening on all involved, but often it does take more time to realize what really was exchanged. Prayer is such a meeting, such a conversation, even if wordless. The fruitfulness of God’s being intimate with each of us personally is unique and not always good feelings or profound ideas. I offer that the object of God’s prayer over and within us is a living more prayerfully. Not that we say more prayers or even more thinking of God, but living, existing, being present more in the moments after prayer. Perhaps we would be more reflective, receptive, relational and not know it ourselves. Intimacy in prayer will result in our being more intimate with life and perhaps even freer from “Defensive Time Structures”. REFLECTION The final four verses of this chapter, (which are not presented in today’s reading) indicts the reasoning of the foreigners or outsiders. They do not have faith and hope in God’s promises and protection which support the faithful Jew “at all times and in all circumstances.” They do not know the hidden things of God, they have no hope that holiness will be rewarded, “they see no reward for blameless souls.” This reading is from the Book of Wisdom which has various literary forms within it. What we have here is a boast of sarcasm. Through out the book God is pictured as faithful during Israel’s history and especially during the hard times. The Jewish people are presented as called, challenged, cared-for and always God’s people. The virtuous Jew will be seen as poor and out-of-it as he trusts God. He will be tested and remain faithful. Last Sunday’s Gospel recorded the “First Prediction of the Passion” in Mark’s narrative. Today we hear the second. Last week we heard Jesus’ rebuke of Peter who attempted to prevent Jesus from even thinking of it. Today the post-prediction story is quite different and yet a contrast for sure. In last week’s Gospel, Peter had understood well what Jesus was talking about. Here the disciples fail to get it. They continue walking and instead of questioning the meaning of what Jesus had spoken, they begin arguing about who would be the leader if Jesus were to actually be killed. Jesus has just revealed an intuition about His future death and the disciples are planning on their future rankings. Then Jesus does something a bit strange. After reminding them about the role of a true follower by being servant, Jesus embraces a child as a visual aid. This has to be somehow united with the theme of His death and how a virtuous follower is to live. This past summer I spent a few days with my extended biological family, with young nieces and nephews! It was a joy to be with them and, after awhile, also to leave them with their parents. Here’s one story which I enjoyed. My three-year-old grand-nephew ran to his father and complained that his little cousin wanted to take and play with his toy. His father told him that he himself had to “work it out” with his little cousin Lily. My nephew considered this “working out” for about three seconds, turned to Lily and said, “This is mine and you can’t have it!” His mother turned to me and said, “That’s how men work things out I guess.” I wonder how old the child was whom Jesus took into His arms. The disciples and my niece’s son have a little in common, actually quite a bit. We also have a little in common with them as well. That ego-driven sense of self-priority is what Jesus is challenging. Where did my little Jakey obtain the sense that having things was making him better than Lily, who did not. Lily had the same sense, but just then did not have the important toy. Blame it on Adam, parents, even perhaps grand-uncles? Jesus did not upbraid His followers. He knew what Jake’s parents knew that one's self is an energy as well as an identity. Jesus has been telling His disciples that He was being called to un-self, or surrender that self-energy even to the point of letting go of His life. Jesus welcomed the little-child within each of the disciples with all its self-centered preoccupations and tells the disciples that they have to do the same. If they are to be followers of Jesus they will have to face the constancy and hunger of the self. They then will be freer to follow Him through His Passion and Resurrection to their becoming servants. Ultimately, Jesus is chiefly speaking of Himself through out this passage. He is serving the disciples and the world by not allowing His self-energy to move Him to be first. He is guided to deny Himself, take up His cross and not say, “This is mine and you can’t have it.” He declares “My life is mine and you can have it to the full.” “You have laid down your precepts to be carefully kept. May my ways be firm in keeping your statutes.” |