Sunday 12th November 2023 (’02) : 32ndSUNinORDINARY : A
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE WEEK (PRISONERS)
1. WISD6:12-16
* Read 6:1 – 8:21! Solomon’s description-of&desire-for Wisdom!
* What is comparable to this ‘Wisdom’ in my adult christian experience?
* How desirable or accessible is ‘Wisdom’?
* To what extent does She possess HerOwnReality&Realm&Rituals?
* What of the claim that She’s a divinity, of similar importance, say, as ‘Yahweh’?
* Why is Mary called ‘Seat-of-Wisdom’?
* Why was Adam denied access to ‘TheTreeOfKnowledge’,
whose fruit, in the perception of TheWoman, ‘was to be desired to make one wise’?
2. THE PSALM : 62:1-8
* Read 62(63):1-11! Song of desire&satisfaction to TheTempleDivinity, Elohîm!
* Do I recognise in myself any such longing for Elohîm, or Yahweh, or Wisdom?
* Can I name 10Men or Women who yearned insatiably for ‘God’?
* What indications in the psalm, why this poet ‘desires God’ so palpably?
* To what extent is ‘Thirst-for-God’ being inculcated in contemporary disciples?
* ‘GazeOnYou!’: Did some worshippers have ‘visions’ in TheTemple?
* Was nightly ‘RememberingOfGod’ a healing-of, or cause-of, ‘insomnia’?
3. 1THESS4:13-18
* Read 4:1 – 5:26! Paul’s exhortations&advices to one of his early ‘churches’!
* But what if ‘TheComingOfTheLord’ is not in the ‘future’, but continually-in-the-now?
* &If many of the other ‘events’ that Christians imagine as being in ‘the future’,
or ‘after death’, like JudgmentHellPurgatoryHeaven, are arguably in-the-now?
* RisingAgain! God’s awakening of Adults out of Torpor&Prejudice&Ignorance!
* In TheBehaviour-of-MyChurch, which is superior, life before, or life after, ‘death’?
4. MT25:1-13
* What’s TheKingdom-of-Heaven? ‘TheComingOfTheLord’? TheDayToDayEffort-
ToEmbodyTheStruggleOfJesus? TheCatholicChurch? TheRealm&StateOfHeaven?
* What about each of the main characters of this JesusStory?
Some of the women failed to provide for all eventualities!
Some of the women were ungenerous to other women, out of self-interest!
The bridegroom, arriving late, treated those-there-for-him with disdain!
Would any of them be dependable in a situation demanding love?
5. The presence&action of the BlessedOne, is it like this?
Mam left her youngest daughter Effie at Gran’s cottage earlier than usual, this particular Thursday! ‘A’m gettin’ a make-over, Gran! T’rrah!’ Effie ran in, sat neatly in her favourite highbacked chair, fresh as cornflowers in her nice blue dress, ‘Gran!’ ‘Welcome from my heart, asthore! What pearl has the ocean offered us today?’ It seems that Samantha&Boysie had another blow-up! he said she was puttin’ him down about his mother’s accent (‘Or may be it was her accident, Gran!’), she then poked his eye with her mobile, &Boysie ran off on his tractor, grogglin’ about a solicitor’s letter! ‘Then Gran, Sam came in all streamy to Mam, “Madge! somethin’ somethin’! tell us, is this somethin’ girl a wise or foolish virgin?”… Gran, I can’t say the somethins, but what’s a wise or foolish virgin?’ Gran dried her hands as she prepared for making wheaten bread, ‘Now that’s a deep question indeed! You can learn a lot listenin’ to Sam…’ ‘An’ us two then talkin’ about th’ pearls!’ ‘True enuff, we’re a great pair of pearl-polishers!’ ‘Gran, wise or foolish virgins!’ ‘Yes, luveen! Now, virgins, what do you think of?’ ‘Th’ Blessed Virgin Mary, Jesus’ mammy! Tho’ she wasn’t foolish, was she?’ ‘Effie, she was very very wise…’ ‘Oh wasn’t it great for Jesus to have such a wise mammy! But Sam’s not a mammy, so why’d she ask Mam that question?’ ‘I think she had an old story in her head! Jesus told it, about bridesmaids goin’ to a weddin’!’ ‘Yes, Sam was a bridesmaid for Boysie’s uncle Henny…’ An’ sometimes they were called virgins as a nickname…’ ‘Oh…’ ‘An’ the wise ones brought all they needed…’ ‘Like make-up…’ ‘Yes, this an’ that…’ ‘ Oh, Gran! I’m outa breath with bridesmaids an’ virgins! Let’s start th’ bread!’ ‘An’ take it up some other time!’ ‘Great! great…!!’
6. RIDDLE Which headline do I embrace?
WatchForWisdom! ThirstForGod!
AwaitTheLordJesus! GoToMeetTheBridegroom!
Refections and comments can be emailed to adbi@chokmah.ie