Thursday, May 14, 2026

 

Feast of Saint Matthias, apostle

(Acts 1:15-17.20-26; John 15:9-17)

Today’s reading from Acts gives us hope and a warning.  Peter proclaims, “’The Scripture had to be fulfilled.’”  He is referring to Psalm 41 which says: “Even the friend who had my trust, who shared my table, has scorned me.”  But his statement also rings true generally.  Scripture, the Word of God, will be fulfilled.  It includes the good news that God exonerates us from sin and alleviates the fear deep within that our sins and shortcomings will ruin us.

Peter’s message implies that those of us who betray Jesus will be punished.  Whether because they do not follow Jesus’ teachings or because they absolutely reject Jesus as Lord, betrayers will be ousted from the community of the saved.  This judgment may sound harsh until we realize all the ways Jesus has favored us.

Do you suppose Matthias was happy to be chosen to replace Judas?  Maybe not!  The apostles were told that they would suffer the fate of Jesus, which meant a violent death. Yet he promised as well that he would accompany them until the end.  This promise has become Scripture to be fulfilled.  With Jesus at our side the good news-bad news we hear from Peter become our assurance of overcoming the trials we face.

Friday, May 8, 2026

 

Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter

(Acts 15:22-31; John 15:12-17)

Sr. Marie Chin was a Sister of Mercy from Jamaica who became famous as a speaker on the spirituality of mercy.  She told the story of how she discovered mercy with the help of a leper.  When she was in secondary school she accompanied a woman religious to a leper colony.  Knocking on the door of one of the huts, they heard a voice from inside say, “Come in.” Entering, she saw something that repulsed her.  The leper, named Miss Lillian, had a completely deformed face.  When she stretched out her arm, which was little more than a stump without fingers, to the youth, Marie was taken aback again.  “Go on,” Miss Lillian prodded, “put your hand in mine.”  Marie responded, “I can’t; I’m afraid.”  The leper woman said, “Yes, you can.”  Marie said that she did not know where the grace came to touch the rotten flesh, but suddenly she was shaking hands with the leper. The story may help us to understand why Jesus has to command us to love one another.

As anyone over twenty should realize, love is often not easy.  Fyodor Dostoyevsky called love in action “a harsh and dreadful thing.”  Love, after all, requires commitment and often suffering as well.  We could never love everybody, and some of us might never love anybody without Jesus’ command.  We also need Jesus’ help to accomplish the seemingly impossible feat of loving as he loved. 

Let us not worry if we do not feel affection for others.  Affection is not of the essence of love.  We must, however, treat everyone with respect.  Those for whom we feel a particular repulsion we can, at least, pray for.  We pray that they receive God’s grace to become better people and to know His eternal love.

 

Thursday, May 7, 2026

 

Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter

(Acts 15:7-21; John 15:9-11)

The primitive Church community faces a monumental problem in today’s reading from Acts. Should it set aside the Jewish law that has given its members a sense of distinctiveness, rectitude, and stability to accept new members who for good reason cannot abide by the rule?  The Church here is not alone in confronting a dilemma imposed by the law.  In the play Billy Budd, the protagonist -- as innocent a soul as ever existed -- is tried for an infraction that carries a death sentence. Budd did what was prohibited by law, but the circumstances seem to excuse him.

Maliciously accused by an officer of mutiny, Budd’s speech impediment incapacitated him from defending himself verbally.  To protest the lie, Budd struck the officer who fell to the floor, hit his head, and died.  The jury must decide if Budd is guilty of striking an officer.  Similarly in the first reading, the governing body of apostles and presbyters must decide whether God permits willing but uncircumcised men into the community of disciples.  Peter provides the winning argument.  He tells the jury that circumcision, the traditional sign of faith, is not the only sign.  Rather evidence of being moved by the Holy Spirit provides even greater evidence of a person’s faith.  

After James, the leader of the community, indicates agreement with Peter, the leadership decides to allow admittance of uncircumcised men to the community.  In contrast, Billy Budd is hanged for his action.  We are chastened to be very discerning about how we judge.  Rules need not dictate every case.  Rather intent and other circumstances may affect culpability.

Wednesday, May 6, 2026

Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

(Acts 15:1-6; John 15:1-8)

“Mary’s Meals” sounds like a local church outreach to impoverished homebound people.  The reality, however, is that the organization feeds three million children a day at educational sites in seventeen underdeveloped countries.  The organization was founded by a Catholic Scotsman as the fruit of his devotion to the Blessed Mother.  It exemplifies the abundant fruit on the branches in today’s gospel parable.

Jesus uses the image of a vine and branches to indicate the potential of his love.  Staying connected to Jesus, disciples receive a copious supply of his love.  Nourished by that love, they will do much good.  Disciples are under the Father’s care.  He will prune them of defects that hinder fructification.  But disciples must stay connected to Jesus through Scripture and the sacraments.  If they wander from him, their fruit will taste like bitter grapes.

Sometimes our lives become very busy.  We have a dozen things to do and very little time.  We may have to limit our prayer, but we should never eliminate it.  Quite the contrary, we should pray as we begin to address the demands before us and periodically turn to Jesus in our activity.  Keeping Jesus in mind will make our work abundantly worthwhile.

Tuesday, May 5, 2026

 

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

(Acts 14:19-28; John 14:27-31a)

Most Americans are aware of Adolph Hitler’s false promise of peace to English Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain before World War II.  Far fewer realize that the United States government made a similar bogus promise to the Sioux Nation in 1868.  In the Treaty of Fort Laramie the U.S. government promised the Sioux a reservation that included the Black Hills.  Then, after gold was discovered in the Black Hills. Congress unilaterally abrogated that treaty.  The point here is not to condemn the United States, but to show how tenuous peace is among humans. 

For this reason Jesus tells his disciples in today’s gospel that the peace he gives is not like the world’s peace.  His peace is the shalom of closeness to God.  Its surety might be compared to the security a child feels sleeping between his parents.  Jesus can promise this peace because in dying to redeem the People, he carries out his Father’s will.

We should be wary of false promises of peace in our day.  A home in the country, a cruise in the Mediterranean, or a luxury SUV may turn into a nightmare.  But when we put our trust in God, we will not end disappointed.