The first reading and the Psalm both focus on Israel’s experience following their Babylonian captivity. In the passage from the Book of Ezra, King Cyrus plays a key role in facilitating the construction of a new temple in Jerusalem for the Jewish people who had returned from exile. The Psalm expresses joy and gratitude for this liberation, as well as hope for the future blessings that will come.
It is remarkable that Cyrus, a non-Jew, is hailed as a hero by the Jewish people. What I find particularly interesting is that God’s call to Cyrus is not about embracing the Jewish faith. History shows that Cyrus, in his role as emperor, allowed the conquered peoples to continue practicing their religions. He seems to have been a pioneer of religious tolerance. His actions remind me that God can work through all people, regardless of their beliefs, to fulfill divine purposes.
The Gospel’s opening verse leaves me with the thought that we are not meant to hoard grace for ourselves. We are called to be bearers of light in our families, communities, and society at large. Too often, however, I find myself hiding the “lamp” when I fail to act with compassion, remain silent in the face of injustice, or neglect to defend the vulnerable. The challenge in the second verse of today’s Gospel is clear: I cannot pretend before God, nor can I ignore the suffering around me. I will ultimately be called to account not only for my sins but also for my failure to act when others were in need. The third verse calls me to recognize that true discipleship involves listening. This week, I noticed how much of my time at Mass was spent passively hearing the words, rather than actively listening to them. If I approach the liturgy in this way, I wonder how much of my interactions outside of church are similarly shallow. I am reminded that I am called to a deeper kind of listening, one that engages both my heart and mind.
When I think about the history of the “Chosen People”, I tend to forget about their periods of captivity in the Egyptian, Assyrian, and Babylonian empires. I often confuse being “chosen” with being “entitled.” Today’s readings remind me that being chosen by God is not a privilege one has earned, but a gift that one is called to share. My prayer today focuses on grace.
Dear Lord,
Open my ears and my heart to Your grace.
Help me to remember that it is unearned, and unmerited.
Grant me the humility to both accept it and share it.
Allow the Holy Spirit to guide me as I discern my response.
Mike Cherney
I grew up in Milwaukee and have lived in Madison, St. Paul, Hamburg, Geneva, Omaha and Boston. I taught for 27 years in the Creighton Physics Department. Now I am mostly retired and have returned to the Milwaukee area where my wife recently became President of Mount Mary University. I continue to work with Creighton students on projects in high energy nuclear physics at Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island and at CERN just outside Geneva, Switzerland. We have two sons and three grandchildren who all live in the northern suburbs of Chicago.
I am a person who asks questions. This often leads me down a challenging path.
