Wednesday of the First Week of Lent
191. THE MOST PRECIOUS SECRET (LK 11:27-36)
“Man has a noble task: that of prayer and love. To pray and to love, that is the happiness of man on earth.”
- St John Vianney
Luke 11:27-36
Now as he was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, ‘Happy the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked!’ But he replied, ‘Still happier those who hear the word of God and keep it!’ The crowds got even bigger and he addressed them, ‘This is a wicked generation; it is asking for a sign. The only sign it will be given is the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. On Judgement Day the Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here. On Judgement Day the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation and condemn it, because when Jonah preached they repented; and there is something greater than Jonah here. No one lights a lamp and puts it in some hidden place or under a tub, but on the lamp-stand so that people may see the light when they come in. The lamp of your body is your eye. When your eye is sound, your whole body too is filled with light; but when it is diseased your body too will be all darkness. See to it then that the light inside you is not darkness. If, therefore, your whole body is filled with light, and no trace of darkness, it will be light entirely, as when the lamp shines on you with its rays.’
CHRIST THE LORD Jonah’s preaching to the Gentile Ninevites led to their repentance and salvation. Solomon’s wisdom attracted the Gentile Queen of Sheba and made her into a believer in the one true God. Jesus’ preaching and wisdom is far superior to either of theirs, and yet many (and many of the most influential) of his contemporary Jews simply refused to accept him.
The particular greatness of these two Old Testament prophets was that they both brought God’s salvation even to non-Jews. In declaring his superiority to both of them, Jesus makes it clear that in him the Messianic era has come; in him the Kingdom of God will be established in such a way so as to fulfill the promise to Abraham that all peoples would be blessed through his descendents. It is possible to become so used to Jesus Christ, that we forget the utter extravagance of his claim. He is the King of all times and places. If we let that truth sink in a bit more thoroughly every day, our lives as his followers and friends will take on a whole new perspective.
CHRIST THE TEACHER Jesus uses an image he has already used – that of the lamp. But he expands on its meaning. Lamps are not meant to be hidden away; they ought to spread light. Just so, each person’s life should be full of goodness and generosity, shining with the light of virtue. This is what we were created for – to be full of light ourselves and spread that light around us. But our lives, unlike physical lamps, can fail to achieve their purpose. Instead of being full to overflowing with selfless virtue, we can become full to overflowing with selfish vice. How? What makes the difference?
Jesus makes the answer clear. It depends on our eye. The eye is the organ by which we see. As such, it is a metaphor for our desires, for what we seek – we can only desire what we see. If we desire to love God and love our neighbors, then our eye is bright; if we desire or seek our own self-indulgence and exaltation, then our eye is dark. Our hearts, the seat of our desires and decisions, determine the state of our souls and the fruitfulness of our lives on earth. Jesus is trying to convince us to desire to give, to be like the sun, instead of desiring only to receive, which makes us like a black hole.
CHRIST THE FRIEND It must have warmed Christ’s heart to hear the cheer this woman let loose in the middle of his homily. She had detected his goodness and his beauty and couldn’t hold back her praise. What a contrast with the many self-righteous intellectuals who sneered at the humble rabbi from Nazareth! But Jesus doesn’t luxuriate in the compliment. He seizes the opportunity to reveal the secret that mankind had been seeking since before history began: what makes for a happy life.
The human heart was made to find its true, lasting satisfaction only by living in communion with God, by knowing God and loving God – hearing and heeding God’s word. The blessedness that comes from that outstrips even the most profound and worthy natural delights, like that of being parent to a great and wise rabbi. Jesus came to once again make that kind of happiness possible. Whoever trusts in him, follows his teachings, and stays close to him will experience it, just as the example of his closest friend of all time – his mother Mary, whose moral and spiritual beauty he subtly complements in his response to the cheer – eloquently attests to.
CHRIST IN MY LIFE When I take time to think about who you really are, Creator and Redeemer of all things, the infinite One, the all-powerful and all-loving and all-knowing God, I am filled with wonder. And to think that you want to walk with me, to guide my life. You suffered every kind of sorrow and humiliation in order to be able to prepare me a place in your Kingdom. Blessed be your name…
The pace of life often carries me away, and I forget to keep you in my sights. I have to admit, the seductions of pleasure, wealth, popularity, power – they still attract me. Part of me still reaches out to those things. But my eye, the eye of my soul, recognizes that only you and your will can give lasting meaning and fruitfulness. I want you, Lord. Teach me to do your will…
Mary, you treasured in your heart every word of God that came into your life. You sought only to discern and fulfill his will. You are the Queen of all saints and the Seat of Wisdom. Pray for me, and pray for all those people who have been entrusted to my care, in however small a way. Thank you for being our mother and nursing us into the image of Christ. Queen of peace, pray for us…
QUESTIONS FOR SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION
1. What struck you most in this passage? What did you notice that you hadn’t noticed before?
2. Where does popular culture indicate happiness can be found? How does that square with what Christ says?
3. If a non-believing but sincerely open friend asked you how he could discover what God was saying to him, how would you respond?
4. Where can we hear God’s word, and how can we prepare ourselves better to heed it once we do hear it?
Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1697, 1718, 2546 on the path to happiness; on the human desire for happiness; 27, 30, 384, 1028, 1035, 1723 on happiness coming from God
“Man has a noble task: that of prayer and love. To pray and to love, that is the happiness of man on earth.”
- St John Vianney
Luke 11:27-36
Now as he was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, ‘Happy the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked!’ But he replied, ‘Still happier those who hear the word of God and keep it!’ The crowds got even bigger and he addressed them, ‘This is a wicked generation; it is asking for a sign. The only sign it will be given is the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. On Judgement Day the Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here. On Judgement Day the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation and condemn it, because when Jonah preached they repented; and there is something greater than Jonah here. No one lights a lamp and puts it in some hidden place or under a tub, but on the lamp-stand so that people may see the light when they come in. The lamp of your body is your eye. When your eye is sound, your whole body too is filled with light; but when it is diseased your body too will be all darkness. See to it then that the light inside you is not darkness. If, therefore, your whole body is filled with light, and no trace of darkness, it will be light entirely, as when the lamp shines on you with its rays.’
CHRIST THE LORD Jonah’s preaching to the Gentile Ninevites led to their repentance and salvation. Solomon’s wisdom attracted the Gentile Queen of Sheba and made her into a believer in the one true God. Jesus’ preaching and wisdom is far superior to either of theirs, and yet many (and many of the most influential) of his contemporary Jews simply refused to accept him.
The particular greatness of these two Old Testament prophets was that they both brought God’s salvation even to non-Jews. In declaring his superiority to both of them, Jesus makes it clear that in him the Messianic era has come; in him the Kingdom of God will be established in such a way so as to fulfill the promise to Abraham that all peoples would be blessed through his descendents. It is possible to become so used to Jesus Christ, that we forget the utter extravagance of his claim. He is the King of all times and places. If we let that truth sink in a bit more thoroughly every day, our lives as his followers and friends will take on a whole new perspective.
CHRIST THE TEACHER Jesus uses an image he has already used – that of the lamp. But he expands on its meaning. Lamps are not meant to be hidden away; they ought to spread light. Just so, each person’s life should be full of goodness and generosity, shining with the light of virtue. This is what we were created for – to be full of light ourselves and spread that light around us. But our lives, unlike physical lamps, can fail to achieve their purpose. Instead of being full to overflowing with selfless virtue, we can become full to overflowing with selfish vice. How? What makes the difference?
Jesus makes the answer clear. It depends on our eye. The eye is the organ by which we see. As such, it is a metaphor for our desires, for what we seek – we can only desire what we see. If we desire to love God and love our neighbors, then our eye is bright; if we desire or seek our own self-indulgence and exaltation, then our eye is dark. Our hearts, the seat of our desires and decisions, determine the state of our souls and the fruitfulness of our lives on earth. Jesus is trying to convince us to desire to give, to be like the sun, instead of desiring only to receive, which makes us like a black hole.
CHRIST THE FRIEND It must have warmed Christ’s heart to hear the cheer this woman let loose in the middle of his homily. She had detected his goodness and his beauty and couldn’t hold back her praise. What a contrast with the many self-righteous intellectuals who sneered at the humble rabbi from Nazareth! But Jesus doesn’t luxuriate in the compliment. He seizes the opportunity to reveal the secret that mankind had been seeking since before history began: what makes for a happy life.
The human heart was made to find its true, lasting satisfaction only by living in communion with God, by knowing God and loving God – hearing and heeding God’s word. The blessedness that comes from that outstrips even the most profound and worthy natural delights, like that of being parent to a great and wise rabbi. Jesus came to once again make that kind of happiness possible. Whoever trusts in him, follows his teachings, and stays close to him will experience it, just as the example of his closest friend of all time – his mother Mary, whose moral and spiritual beauty he subtly complements in his response to the cheer – eloquently attests to.
CHRIST IN MY LIFE When I take time to think about who you really are, Creator and Redeemer of all things, the infinite One, the all-powerful and all-loving and all-knowing God, I am filled with wonder. And to think that you want to walk with me, to guide my life. You suffered every kind of sorrow and humiliation in order to be able to prepare me a place in your Kingdom. Blessed be your name…
The pace of life often carries me away, and I forget to keep you in my sights. I have to admit, the seductions of pleasure, wealth, popularity, power – they still attract me. Part of me still reaches out to those things. But my eye, the eye of my soul, recognizes that only you and your will can give lasting meaning and fruitfulness. I want you, Lord. Teach me to do your will…
Mary, you treasured in your heart every word of God that came into your life. You sought only to discern and fulfill his will. You are the Queen of all saints and the Seat of Wisdom. Pray for me, and pray for all those people who have been entrusted to my care, in however small a way. Thank you for being our mother and nursing us into the image of Christ. Queen of peace, pray for us…
QUESTIONS FOR SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION
1. What struck you most in this passage? What did you notice that you hadn’t noticed before?
2. Where does popular culture indicate happiness can be found? How does that square with what Christ says?
3. If a non-believing but sincerely open friend asked you how he could discover what God was saying to him, how would you respond?
4. Where can we hear God’s word, and how can we prepare ourselves better to heed it once we do hear it?
Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1697, 1718, 2546 on the path to happiness; on the human desire for happiness; 27, 30, 384, 1028, 1035, 1723 on happiness coming from God