3. Wiki on the three scripture readings

Revelations 3:15-16: Halfhearted commitment to Faith is considered nauseating to Christ. This is in reference to Romans 12:11 which says "Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord." Reflection on this leads us to ask ourselves: how do I personally, and how does my fraternity, serve the Lord? There are many ways for us to use our time, talents and treasure. Being active in JPIC is one way, but a very important way and one that is supported by many Franciscans.

One might wonder about the plight of those who are "cold". However, often it is those who are farthest from God, almost lost in their despair, who are open to the experience of conversion. But complacency and self-satisfaction can lead to apathy and even to the sin of "accidie", a state like that of a stagnant pond, in which there is no movement at all. The Franciscan ideal of total surrender to and dependency on Christ and his Holy Spirit is the best way to revive our flagging fervency when having a "desert" experience.

Anyone who reads the tabloids at the supermarket can form a good idea that the rich and affluent are often wretched and poor (as well as naked!) In our own experience, wealth may come to us unexpectedly, or through our own hard work, but always from the hand of God. It can as easily be taken away again. The Scriptures confirm that we are soon bereft of security and stability if we trust in our riches.

St. Thomas More wrote a famous prayer against being lukewarm in faith that likely refers to these passages.

<a class=St_Thomas_More.jpg" alt="St Thomas More" title="St Thomas More" /> “ Take from me, good Lord, this lukewarm fashion, or rather key-cold manner, of meditation, and this dullness in praying unto Thee. And give me warmth, delight, and quickness in thinking upon Thee, and give me Thy grace to long for Thine holy sacraments, and specially to rejoice in the presence of Thy very blessed body, sweet Savior Christ, in the holy sacrament of the altar. Make us all, good Lord, virtually participant of the holy sacrament this day, and every day make us all lively members, sweet Savior Christ, of Thine holy mystical body, Thy Catholic Church."

Jeremiah 22:16

Reflection on this raises the question: how can I, and how can my fraternity, actually be lively members of the mystical body, the church? Again the scriptures, Catholic Social teaching and the Franciscan tradition call us to be active in the field of politics, economics, society and culture. To Secular Franciscans the world is both the Lord's vineyard and our cloister.

This fragment from Jeremiah tells of the vassal king Jehoiakim. He was enthroned by the Egyptians to which he paid a heavy tribute (see 2 Kings 23:24). Jeremiah accuses him of engaging in vast building projects and refusing to pay his laborers (see vv 13-15). Jeremiah compares him to his more pious father, King Josiah (vv 15 - 17). So it is was King Josiah who justly 'dispensed justice to the weak and the poor'. Jeremiah tells us that this is true knowledge of the Lord. It was social injustice perpetrated by the kings that is the cause of much of Jeremiah's condemnation. It is both interesting and sad that we still have problems similar to Jeremiah's. It is also interesting to note that the Jeremiah teaches of the New Covenant to come, a covenant we believe is fulfilled in Jesus.

Over and over in Scripture we learn that justice for the poor is a top priority with God. His perfect moral character, which we are meant to experience in our lives through Christ, insists upon this option for the poor. To really grow in our knowledge of Him, we must make his priority ours as well.

Social Justice:

The term "social justice" was first used in the 1840's by Luigi Taparelli, SJ. Interestingly, it was in 1839 that Pope Gregory XVI condemned the slave trade and it has been said that this was the beginning of modern Papal moral persuasion in the field of social justice. Again, we come back to reflect on how can we be "fervent in spirit and serve the Lord". Pope Benedict XVI said to the Pontifical Council for the Laity on 15 November 2008: "I confirm the necessity and urgency ..... of a new generation of Catholics working in politics, that they be coherent with the professed faith, that they have moral firmness, the capacity of educated judgement, professional competence and passion for service to the common good." That cannot be accomplished by lukewarm Catholics, only by ones fervent in their desire to serve the Lord.

Revelations 3:15 - 17: This passage refers to the city of Laodicea, a city with a Christian church reported by Paul ini Col 4:13. The imagery of 'lukewarmness' is likely derived from it's hot water spring supply. Water reaching the city was still lukewarm in temperature. The city was prosperous with a clothing industry, banks, and medical school which specialized in eye diseases. They incur the prophet's wrath, not out of affliction or suffering, but due to their poor spiritual wealth in the presence of substantial material wealth. The imagery is quite stark in which we imagine, the spiritual equivalent of drinking the lukewarm water and finding it distasteful, spitting it out upon the ground. It is interesting the imagery evoked by the juxtaposition of these three scriptures.

Psalm 113:7-9

In our world, it is a shocking thing to imagine the needy being lifted up to sit with princes. Most "princes" keep the needy at a safe distance, and do all in their power to prevent having to experience poverty themselves. The true expression of the Franciscan way of life is also shocking, because Francis does not encourage the poor to scramble and gouge to become rich or to gain the favour of the "princes". He encourages us all to live simply and to give of our own resources to lift up the needy. He asks us to cast aside artificial class barriers and to live in equality and solidarity. Shocking, indeed!

Please feel free to add some peresonal reflection to the Wiki and any comments on the Social Doctrine readings as well.