Daily Retreat 07/28/07
2007 Jul 28 Sat/ BVM
Ex 24:3-8/ Ps 49(50):1b-2. 5-6. 14-15/ Mt 13:24-30
From today’s readings:“This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words of His.... Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.... First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn....”
The Mosaic Covenant
“Covenant” is a word and notion frequently mentioned in Scripture, but unfortunately, the meaning of this crucial term is often misunderstood simply because the word is seldom used in everyday conversation. The most frequent mistake is to think of a covenant as basically a contract between two parties, but in fact, a covenant is much more than a contract.
A covenant is a sacred promise made between two people or two parties that is permanent. A contract, on the other hand, is a legal agreement with any time limits spelled out. A covenant involves the exchange of persons, whereas a contract involves the exchange of goods or services. A covenant establishes an irrevocable relationship of essence, while a contract creates a contingent relationship of convenience.
A few examples will illustrate the radical differences between a covenant and contract. A marriage, for instance, by definition is more than a contract - it is a covenant between two people. The husband and wife give each other to each other - it’s a mutual pledge of their total selves, it’s a gift that is permanent, and the covenant establishes the fundamental relationship of their lives and existence. Unfortunately, in today’s society, the notion of marriage is often reduced to a mere contract: if you give me this much, I’ll give you this much, and we can try it out, and if it works for this long, then we can renew it, and if it doesn’t work, we’ll put an end to our relationship. That’s what happens when a covenant relationship is downgraded to a contractual relationship!
In ancient times, there was also a very elaborate ritual for the covenant of adopting a child. For adoption is much more than just a contract - it’s a covenant that this child will be for me my son, and I will be for him his father, and this relationship would not be limited to a couple days or weeks or months or years, for by this covenant, I would be completely involved in his life as his father, and he would be completely involved in my life as my son. There is an implicit covenant in natural parenting as well, for even though it’s not something written in words, the father who begets and the mother who conceives a child establish a permanent relationship with that child, and the implicit covenant allows no room for loopholes and selfish contingencies. No, for parenting is a covenant, something that is forever, and a complete gift of self.
We also speak sometimes of a covenant between states or nations or tribes. If such a covenant is between equals, a covenant of alliance, then the agreement binds the nations to each other for mutual defense. If the covenant is between a greater state and lesser state, then the greater state would pledge protection of the lesser state, which would in turn pledge loyalty to the greater state.
God’s sacred covenant with His people is like the intimate covenant between husband and wife, it’s like the selfless covenant of adoption and parenthood, it’s like the history changing covenant of a greater nation extending it’s security to a vassal state. But it’s even more than all these - it’s the sacred promise sealed in blood, and because of it, the Lord is truly our God, and we are His people who pledge, “All that the LORD has said, we will heed and do!”
Ex 24:3-8/ Ps 49(50):1b-2. 5-6. 14-15/ Mt 13:24-30
From today’s readings:“This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words of His.... Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.... First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn....”
The Mosaic Covenant
“Covenant” is a word and notion frequently mentioned in Scripture, but unfortunately, the meaning of this crucial term is often misunderstood simply because the word is seldom used in everyday conversation. The most frequent mistake is to think of a covenant as basically a contract between two parties, but in fact, a covenant is much more than a contract.
A covenant is a sacred promise made between two people or two parties that is permanent. A contract, on the other hand, is a legal agreement with any time limits spelled out. A covenant involves the exchange of persons, whereas a contract involves the exchange of goods or services. A covenant establishes an irrevocable relationship of essence, while a contract creates a contingent relationship of convenience.
A few examples will illustrate the radical differences between a covenant and contract. A marriage, for instance, by definition is more than a contract - it is a covenant between two people. The husband and wife give each other to each other - it’s a mutual pledge of their total selves, it’s a gift that is permanent, and the covenant establishes the fundamental relationship of their lives and existence. Unfortunately, in today’s society, the notion of marriage is often reduced to a mere contract: if you give me this much, I’ll give you this much, and we can try it out, and if it works for this long, then we can renew it, and if it doesn’t work, we’ll put an end to our relationship. That’s what happens when a covenant relationship is downgraded to a contractual relationship!
In ancient times, there was also a very elaborate ritual for the covenant of adopting a child. For adoption is much more than just a contract - it’s a covenant that this child will be for me my son, and I will be for him his father, and this relationship would not be limited to a couple days or weeks or months or years, for by this covenant, I would be completely involved in his life as his father, and he would be completely involved in my life as my son. There is an implicit covenant in natural parenting as well, for even though it’s not something written in words, the father who begets and the mother who conceives a child establish a permanent relationship with that child, and the implicit covenant allows no room for loopholes and selfish contingencies. No, for parenting is a covenant, something that is forever, and a complete gift of self.
We also speak sometimes of a covenant between states or nations or tribes. If such a covenant is between equals, a covenant of alliance, then the agreement binds the nations to each other for mutual defense. If the covenant is between a greater state and lesser state, then the greater state would pledge protection of the lesser state, which would in turn pledge loyalty to the greater state.
God’s sacred covenant with His people is like the intimate covenant between husband and wife, it’s like the selfless covenant of adoption and parenthood, it’s like the history changing covenant of a greater nation extending it’s security to a vassal state. But it’s even more than all these - it’s the sacred promise sealed in blood, and because of it, the Lord is truly our God, and we are His people who pledge, “All that the LORD has said, we will heed and do!”
posted by FrPitstick | 7/27/2007
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