Readings: Wisdom 12, 13-19; Psalm 86, Lord, You are good and forgiving; Romans 8, 26-27; Matthew 13, 24-43
Wisdom:
- Author: not Solomon, but an unknown Jew from Alexandria
- Original Language: Greek
- Time: 1-2 centuries B.C.
- Message: Yahweh rewards those faithful to him.
- Means: Greek Philosophy common in Alexandria (Platonism & Stoicism) and Jewish traditional teachings (wisdom of Solomon).
- Uniqueness: one of the ca. 11 deutero-canonical books (not originally part of the Jewish bible).
- Today's reading from chapter 12 emphasizes a God who cares for all, is merciful, and kind, perhaps as a balance to the parable of the wheat & weeds in Matthew
How We Help Each Other Along the Way
Last Friday morning Rosemary & I, Gilberto & Bernadette were riding around White Rock Lake. It was about 7:00. We had started at Royal Lane and had passed through the marvelously dense forest along the White Rock Creek Trail. We had crossed Mockingbird & Northwest Hwy, and were going around the stunningly beautiful lake in a clockwise direction. We had split up, each going at their comfortable speed until we meet up at the boat house on the south end of the lake near the dam, the half way point.
I’m ahead and see a lady on the left side of the road with her bike down. I ask if she needs help, hoping, I confess, that she will say no. She says yes. Ugh, oh. So I slow down, turn around, and get off next to her. Shortly after that Gilberto rides up.
She says her rear tire is real low, she has an air pump, but she has never used it, and cannot get it to work. The problem was she had her pump set for one type of inner tube valve and she had the other. For bikers, she had a schraeder valve, and her pump was set for presta, the skinny tire..
So we showed her the problem, helped her pump up her tire, and she took off with a hundred thank you’s.
Meanwhile, my phone is ringing non-stop. I usually do not answer when riding. An 18 year old riding with us once fell down when he answered a call from his mom.
On the phone is Rosemary. You guessed it, she has a front flat. She is behind us at the Bath House. So I return and we start a pump and run strategy to help her get back to a good pick up point, which turned out to be the Dart station on Northwest. Hwy.
Twice as we return we encounter the lady. The first time she even says to Rosemary, “You are a lucky lady!” Yahoo! The second time she is taking a break at the same place Rosemary has stopped to pump up her tire again.
After Rosemary departed on her run, she says again how grateful she is and she adds, “I really learned something special about myself this morning. I normally hate to ask for help and when I did it today it was okay. From now on I will always ask others on the side of the road if they need help. But I will also let myself ask for help.”
We have here a metaphor for community, folks. We are not alone. We help and accept help. It is how I would like to handle the three parables, one of which could scare you. Actually, it was intended by Matthew to scare his young Christian community, because he thought some members were not always doing good.
I see two community symbols in what happened on the shore of White Rock Lake. First, what we did. Secondly, what took place in the lady.
The first thing, normal for community, we stopped to help someone. Simple. What about people who are unemployed or sick? We help them, too. What about fear? You hear the parable of the wheat & weeds and immediately see yourself heading for the furnace.
Naturally, we all see the weeds in ourselves. Everybody does because we all see our weeds. In a caring community we hear that we are both, not either/or, wheat or weeds. You might even hear that one old priest doubts that there is a furnace. After all, it has been admitted that limbo was imaginary. What about purgatory? Enough with fear of me going to hell.
Secondly, what happened inside the lady is symbolic. One little community event has touched her into new sensitivity and acceptance. Even deeper peace. Can you see the mustard seed growing, the yeast expanding in her spirit?
Can you give me one way you are richer because of community and one way you make community richer for another?
Picture 1: Mass
Picture 2: Georgie with Buddy & her dad, Randolph
Picture 3: Zoe with her mom, Michelle
Picture 4: Hugh & Sydney Bivona
Picture 5: The Girls, Gayle, Jackie, & Mary Ellen
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