04 Oct 2023 – Wednesday of Week 26
04 Oct 2023 – Wednesday of Week 26
SYNOD LAUNCHES IN ROME TODAY…
Memorial: St Francis 1181-1226, founded the Friars Minor, and with St Clare, The Poor Clares. Patron of ecologists.
1st Reading: Nehemiah 2:1-8
King Artaxerxes sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem, to restore its walls and graves
In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was served him, I carried the wine and gave it to the king. Now, I had never been sad in his presence before. So the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This can only be sadness of the heart.” Then I was very much afraid. I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my ancestors’ graves, lies waste, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” Then the king said to me, “What do you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. Then I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favour with you, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors’ graves, so that I may rebuild it.” The king said to me (the queen also was sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I set him a date. Then I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may grant me passage until I arrive in Judah; and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, directing him to give me timber to make beams for the gates of the temple fortress, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, for the gracious hand of my God was upon me.
Responsorial: Psalm 136:1-6
R./: Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you!
By the rivers of Babylon there we sat and wept,
remembering Zion;
on the poplars that grew there
we hung up our harps. (R./)
For it was there that they asked us,
our captors, for songs,
our oppressors, for joy.
‘Sing to us,’ they said, ‘one of Zion’s songs.’ (R./)
O how could we sing the song of the Lord
on alien soil?
If I forget you, Jerusalem,
let my right hand wither! (R./)
O let my tongue cleave to my mouth
if I remember you not,
if I prize not Jerusalem
above all my joys! (R./)
Gospel: Luke 9:57-62
Jesus responds to prospective followers by a series of stern statements
As they were going along the road, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Getting things going again
In career terms, Nehemiah reached his pinnacle as valet to the Persian king, Artaxerxes I (464-423 B.C.). An incidental detail suggests that he was the one who first tasted the king’s food and drink, to guard against poisoning. He was with the king every day, and so in a position to make requests on behalf of others. As a Jew he was sad to see the famous city of his Jewish ancestors so run-down. Even the half-rebuilt temple was clearly open to hostile invaders. The great prophecies of Ezekiel and Second Isaiah, spoken during the Babylonian exile, seemed to Nehemiah like visions without substance, mere whistling in the dark.
His gloomy mood at his people’s prospects was so dark that the king enquired what ailed him. He first prayed for guidance and then asked King Artaxerxes for permission to travel to Israel and speed up the rebuilding and fortification of the Temple. Nehemiah was practical enough to get letters of introduction to local governors along his journey, and to have Asaph, the royal park-keeper, provide wood for the city gates, the temple-citadel and his own residence in Jerusalem. Nehemiah’s account ends with a reference to the favour God had shown him.
Few would face risking their lives for a cause, nor should life be planned that way. But risky moments of initiative moments can challenge us all at times, and then we need to remember some of Jesus’ warnings, such as, “Take up your cross and follow me,” “nowhere to lay his head” or “Whoever puts his hand to the plough but keeps looking back is unfit for the reign of God.” Today’s gospel also sets a pattern for being prepared for risking change and facing adversity. For this day’s challenge to us, we need to discern which of these readings best applies to our present circumstances.
No easy option
Three people show interest in becoming followers of Jesus, but they don’t know what in involved and lack any sense of urgency. Two of them claim they have important duties to attend to first. One would think that burying one’s father and saying goodbye to people at home were indeed important. But Jesus insists that following him straight away is the more urgent duty. This is one of several very uncomfortable gospel sayings. Jesus seems to be so demanding and following him, and remaining his disciple, is a tough challenge. It is never going to be a soft option.
Yes, Jesus asks for a greater level of allegiance to himself than even our loyalty to family, even though it is not incompatible with our family ties. It is possible that following the values of the gospel could put us at odds with those closest to us. Today’s gospel shows that walking in the way of the Lord is a serious business, calling for everything we’ve got!