Thursday, XVII Week of Ordinary Time
(Matthew 13)
We might call the significance of the two parables in today’s gospel “a matter of emphasis.” Jesus emphasizes the bad fish and the new teaching. The good fish caught in the net of judgment will be put into buckets, and the bad ones thrown away; that is, and here is the emphasis, the bad will be thrown into a fiery furnace with wailing and gnashing of teeth. Jesus more subtly emphasizes the new teaching brought out from the storeroom of wisdom. Rather than give the expected order of old and new, he deliberately places “the new” before “the old.”
The new teaching is the kingdom of heaven which now has come through Jesus’ presence. It brings joy, peace, and happiness to those who repent of their sins and believe in its presence. The old teaching – the Law and its commandments – has not been suspended but our concern goes beyond keeping its statues. The bad fish are those who never repent, that is, never look at their faults, ask forgiveness, and struggle to live Jesus’ new righteousness of love of enemy.
Once again Jesus is challenging the sensibilities of modern humans. Today we like to think that we can do bad things and get away with it. Many have no problem with telling a lie or absenting themselves from Mass on Sundays as long as they in some way help the poor. Jesus is indicating that there is a problem. He would agree with the ancient Greek moralists who said, “First, do no evil.” Likewise, many today have trouble saying, “I’m sorry.” Jesus would want us to do so every time we err. It is part of what he intends when he tells us to repent.
Homilette for Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Wednesday, Memorial of St. Alphonsus Ligouri
(Exodus 34)
One of Michelangelo’s most famous sculptures shows Moses with horns coming out of his head! It was not that Michelangelo thought Moses some kind of devil but that he was faithfully depicting the figure described in the Latin Bible that was used at the time. In it Hebrew word for radiance was incorrectly translated as horn; hence Moses had horns protruding from his head. Moses is radiant, of course, from having spent time with God who imparts his wisdom in the Ten Commandments.
Putting the Commandments aside for a moment, today, as yesterday, the Church celebrates the founder of a great religious order. St. Alphonsus Ligouri started the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer or Redemptorists. St. Alphonsus achieved notoriety also for his brilliance as a moral theologian. It is said that he consistently gave opinions that steered a prudent path between rigorism and laxity, two dangerous currents that can throw the People of God off course. Many Redemptorists have followed their patron in writing excellent moral theology.
We too want to follow St. Alphonsus’ prudent course in obeying the Ten Commandments and in practicing virtue. Rigorism can make us neo-Pharisees joylessly looking for faults in others. Laxity, the greater challenge today, can lead us to idolatry as we worship creation and not the Creator.
(Exodus 34)
One of Michelangelo’s most famous sculptures shows Moses with horns coming out of his head! It was not that Michelangelo thought Moses some kind of devil but that he was faithfully depicting the figure described in the Latin Bible that was used at the time. In it Hebrew word for radiance was incorrectly translated as horn; hence Moses had horns protruding from his head. Moses is radiant, of course, from having spent time with God who imparts his wisdom in the Ten Commandments.
Putting the Commandments aside for a moment, today, as yesterday, the Church celebrates the founder of a great religious order. St. Alphonsus Ligouri started the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer or Redemptorists. St. Alphonsus achieved notoriety also for his brilliance as a moral theologian. It is said that he consistently gave opinions that steered a prudent path between rigorism and laxity, two dangerous currents that can throw the People of God off course. Many Redemptorists have followed their patron in writing excellent moral theology.
We too want to follow St. Alphonsus’ prudent course in obeying the Ten Commandments and in practicing virtue. Rigorism can make us neo-Pharisees joylessly looking for faults in others. Laxity, the greater challenge today, can lead us to idolatry as we worship creation and not the Creator.
Homilette for Tuesday, July 31, 2207
Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola
(Exodus 33-34)
What kind of person can maintain herself or himself forty days without food or drink? We would say a strong-willed man or woman, someone who is tough, probably a person who no longer lives for himself or herself but one given in love for another whom he or she wishes to please with fullness of heart. As the reading from Exodus indicates, such a person was Moses, a Jew by birth, a noble by adoption, God’s prophet by divine election. Such a one is also Ignatius of Loyola who died on this date 451 years ago.
Like Moses before the burning bush Ignatius had a vision of God when he was a young man. He never revealed exactly what took place but said that he learned more from the vision than he did the rest of his life! It evidently taught him “to see God in all things” which became the inspiration of the Society of Jesus (or Jesuits), the religious order he founded. Ignatius wanted to spend his life in the Holy Land following the paths of Moses and, of course, of Jesus. But his holy land became a small apartment in Rome from which he directed the development of the Society into the foremost defenders of the Catholic faith.
Few or possibly none of us have the tenacity and, indeed, the love of God that characterize Moses and Ignatius. Yet, our lot is not simply to stand in awe at their accomplishments. Rather, ours is to practice discipline like they did. Discipline is a fundamental part of our discipleship of Christ. There may be no need, desire, or use in fasting forty days. However, going without a meal on a regular basis and abstaining from alcohol and coffee at an appointed should result in a clearer vision of God in the things He has created.
(Exodus 33-34)
What kind of person can maintain herself or himself forty days without food or drink? We would say a strong-willed man or woman, someone who is tough, probably a person who no longer lives for himself or herself but one given in love for another whom he or she wishes to please with fullness of heart. As the reading from Exodus indicates, such a person was Moses, a Jew by birth, a noble by adoption, God’s prophet by divine election. Such a one is also Ignatius of Loyola who died on this date 451 years ago.
Like Moses before the burning bush Ignatius had a vision of God when he was a young man. He never revealed exactly what took place but said that he learned more from the vision than he did the rest of his life! It evidently taught him “to see God in all things” which became the inspiration of the Society of Jesus (or Jesuits), the religious order he founded. Ignatius wanted to spend his life in the Holy Land following the paths of Moses and, of course, of Jesus. But his holy land became a small apartment in Rome from which he directed the development of the Society into the foremost defenders of the Catholic faith.
Few or possibly none of us have the tenacity and, indeed, the love of God that characterize Moses and Ignatius. Yet, our lot is not simply to stand in awe at their accomplishments. Rather, ours is to practice discipline like they did. Discipline is a fundamental part of our discipleship of Christ. There may be no need, desire, or use in fasting forty days. However, going without a meal on a regular basis and abstaining from alcohol and coffee at an appointed should result in a clearer vision of God in the things He has created.
Homilette for Monday July 30, 2007
Monday, XVII week of Ordinary Time
(Exodus 32)
Upon seeing a picture of Lindsay Lohan for the first time, a sixty-seven year old friend remarked that movie stars don’t seem to last very long anymore. Their attraction may be more ephemeral than before, but still the public never exhausts its need for these idols. Both entertainment artists and sports figures seem to contend with God as the fulfillment of people’s hopes. John Lennon thought that his crew had the better of the match when he boasted that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus?
What could the people have possibly seen in the golden calf made with their own hands as worthy of worship? If it were displayed today, we might answer that it would be the first prize in a lottery. Forged from gold, that would make many mouths drool. But in the ancient world the calf was a symbol of God. Worshipping it was sinful because the first commandment of the Decalogue prohibited such images. The people probably did so anyway because Moses delayed so long in his conference with God that they wanted to conjure God’s presence.
Like the Israelites we often have a hard time waiting. Worshipping God seems to bring such a slow payback that we turn to idols for excitement. However, if the fulfillment we receive from attentiveness to God takes its time and arrives without sweeping emotion, it brings a joy that lasts forever. In the meantime we have the consolation of good company waiting on the Lord.
(Exodus 32)
Upon seeing a picture of Lindsay Lohan for the first time, a sixty-seven year old friend remarked that movie stars don’t seem to last very long anymore. Their attraction may be more ephemeral than before, but still the public never exhausts its need for these idols. Both entertainment artists and sports figures seem to contend with God as the fulfillment of people’s hopes. John Lennon thought that his crew had the better of the match when he boasted that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus?
What could the people have possibly seen in the golden calf made with their own hands as worthy of worship? If it were displayed today, we might answer that it would be the first prize in a lottery. Forged from gold, that would make many mouths drool. But in the ancient world the calf was a symbol of God. Worshipping it was sinful because the first commandment of the Decalogue prohibited such images. The people probably did so anyway because Moses delayed so long in his conference with God that they wanted to conjure God’s presence.
Like the Israelites we often have a hard time waiting. Worshipping God seems to bring such a slow payback that we turn to idols for excitement. However, if the fulfillment we receive from attentiveness to God takes its time and arrives without sweeping emotion, it brings a joy that lasts forever. In the meantime we have the consolation of good company waiting on the Lord.
Homilette for Friday, July 27, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
(Exodus 20)
Psychologists today speak often of boundaries. These are limits that allow relationships to develop without undo friction. People need to set boundaries which means to let others know how closely they intend to relate to another. In turn, the other person must respect those boundaries. For example, we may tell a friend from work that he should not call us after 10 p.m. Often boundaries are implied by the nature of a relationship. Teachers should not date their students even when they are both adults.
In the first reading today God sets his boundaries for humans. Not keeping the Sabbath or stealing injures our relationship with the Lord. We should note, however, that observing the Ten Commandments hardly fulfills our responsibilities as Christians. It is not enough that we refrain from worshipping idols; we must also love God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. It is not enough that we do not covet our neighbor’s wife; we must love our neighbor as ourselves. This is why when asked, Jesus did not name any of the Ten Commandments as the greatest.
In writing his moral theology St. Thomas Aquinas did not concentrate on the commandments. He realized that if we are to be happy or, better, if we are to know God, we have to do much more than follow ten rules. No, he said, we have to practice virtue. This is a huge task that might exhaust some of us from the get-go except for the Holy Spirit. God breathes his life into our bones, as it were, so that we might not just avoid evil, but also that might do lots of good
(Exodus 20)
Psychologists today speak often of boundaries. These are limits that allow relationships to develop without undo friction. People need to set boundaries which means to let others know how closely they intend to relate to another. In turn, the other person must respect those boundaries. For example, we may tell a friend from work that he should not call us after 10 p.m. Often boundaries are implied by the nature of a relationship. Teachers should not date their students even when they are both adults.
In the first reading today God sets his boundaries for humans. Not keeping the Sabbath or stealing injures our relationship with the Lord. We should note, however, that observing the Ten Commandments hardly fulfills our responsibilities as Christians. It is not enough that we refrain from worshipping idols; we must also love God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. It is not enough that we do not covet our neighbor’s wife; we must love our neighbor as ourselves. This is why when asked, Jesus did not name any of the Ten Commandments as the greatest.
In writing his moral theology St. Thomas Aquinas did not concentrate on the commandments. He realized that if we are to be happy or, better, if we are to know God, we have to do much more than follow ten rules. No, he said, we have to practice virtue. This is a huge task that might exhaust some of us from the get-go except for the Holy Spirit. God breathes his life into our bones, as it were, so that we might not just avoid evil, but also that might do lots of good
Homilette for Thursday, July 26, 2007
Thursday, XVI Week of Ordinary Time
(Matthew 13)
Flannery O’Connor has been called the greatest American Catholic novelist. Yet her novels are seldom about Catholics. Rather they concern the working of grace in often very peculiar, Southern country people. Once she was asked why she wrote about such strange characters. She answered that when people are near deaf, you have to shout at them.
Jesus responds similarly to the question, “Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?” We need such on-the-money stories to wake us up to God’s goodness. The parables tell us that God is so generous he will pay laborers who only work an hour a full day’s wage and that God’s kingdom is such a treasure that it is worth selling all we have to attain it. But in a world with so many diversions – from home entertainment systems to iPhones – Jesus’ message still does not always get through.
Some people see parables as make believe. Since they do not bring immediate gratification, they are not worth pondering, much less pursuing. These people might be right if the parables were not validated by Jesus’ life. He becomes the seed that dies in order to produce abundant life when he gives himself on the cross. He becomes the man who searches for the lost sheep when he spends his time with sinners and the poor. Because of Jesus’ testimony the parables not only entertain us, they move us to follow him.
(Matthew 13)
Flannery O’Connor has been called the greatest American Catholic novelist. Yet her novels are seldom about Catholics. Rather they concern the working of grace in often very peculiar, Southern country people. Once she was asked why she wrote about such strange characters. She answered that when people are near deaf, you have to shout at them.
Jesus responds similarly to the question, “Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?” We need such on-the-money stories to wake us up to God’s goodness. The parables tell us that God is so generous he will pay laborers who only work an hour a full day’s wage and that God’s kingdom is such a treasure that it is worth selling all we have to attain it. But in a world with so many diversions – from home entertainment systems to iPhones – Jesus’ message still does not always get through.
Some people see parables as make believe. Since they do not bring immediate gratification, they are not worth pondering, much less pursuing. These people might be right if the parables were not validated by Jesus’ life. He becomes the seed that dies in order to produce abundant life when he gives himself on the cross. He becomes the man who searches for the lost sheep when he spends his time with sinners and the poor. Because of Jesus’ testimony the parables not only entertain us, they move us to follow him.
Homilette for Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Wednesday, Feast of St. James, Apostle
(Matthew 20)
According to the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke, St. James is one of Jesus’ first and most intimate disciples. Along with Peter and John, James accompanies Jesus to the mountaintop of transfiguration and to his place of agony in Gethsemane. He is also featured with John as the one of the brothers who (or, as we have it today, whose mother) make the pretentious bid for the seats of highest honor in Jesus’ kingdom. The Acts of the Apostles names James as the first of the twelve to be martyred. But Europe may recognize St. James more as the object of a pilgrimage than as a biblical figure. Since the early Middle Ages pilgrims have traveled what is known as St. James Way to the saint’s supposed his tomb in Compostela, a city of northwestern Spain. Although Christianity is waning in Europe, the number of pilgrims to Compostela has evidently increased over the last century.
A pilgrimage symbolizes the Christian journey to God. The destination, of course, is the heavenly city, where we are rewarded for having lived our faith in love. Pilgrims seldom spend all their time in prayerful devotion. Rather they also experience many moments of companionship and introspection. If we have never made a pilgrimage, perhaps we have participated in a procession, which is a mini-pilgrimage. Processions, we remember, are filled with distractions – people greeting one another or complaining how their feet ache! -- even as they recite the rosary.
So we should not be too surprised at the shameless request of James and John’s mother as Jesus is finishing his journey to Jerusalem. What we must keep in mind is that she is part of a bigger movement. She walks with the Lord and his disciple where forgiveness of faults and healing of inordinate desires are graciously given. This same purification is accessible to us as we navigate life’s journey with the Church. Jesus has bestowed upon it the power to forgive our sins.
(Matthew 20)
According to the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke, St. James is one of Jesus’ first and most intimate disciples. Along with Peter and John, James accompanies Jesus to the mountaintop of transfiguration and to his place of agony in Gethsemane. He is also featured with John as the one of the brothers who (or, as we have it today, whose mother) make the pretentious bid for the seats of highest honor in Jesus’ kingdom. The Acts of the Apostles names James as the first of the twelve to be martyred. But Europe may recognize St. James more as the object of a pilgrimage than as a biblical figure. Since the early Middle Ages pilgrims have traveled what is known as St. James Way to the saint’s supposed his tomb in Compostela, a city of northwestern Spain. Although Christianity is waning in Europe, the number of pilgrims to Compostela has evidently increased over the last century.
A pilgrimage symbolizes the Christian journey to God. The destination, of course, is the heavenly city, where we are rewarded for having lived our faith in love. Pilgrims seldom spend all their time in prayerful devotion. Rather they also experience many moments of companionship and introspection. If we have never made a pilgrimage, perhaps we have participated in a procession, which is a mini-pilgrimage. Processions, we remember, are filled with distractions – people greeting one another or complaining how their feet ache! -- even as they recite the rosary.
So we should not be too surprised at the shameless request of James and John’s mother as Jesus is finishing his journey to Jerusalem. What we must keep in mind is that she is part of a bigger movement. She walks with the Lord and his disciple where forgiveness of faults and healing of inordinate desires are graciously given. This same purification is accessible to us as we navigate life’s journey with the Church. Jesus has bestowed upon it the power to forgive our sins.
Homilette for Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Tuesday, XVI Week of Ordinary Time
(Exodus 14-15)
Nothing like an army gives the illusion of absolute power. To see brigade after brigade of men armed to the teeth, to feel the rumble of tanks in procession as far as the eye can see, to hear the roar of jets screeching overhead – one has the sense of human invincibility. Yet as war after war testifies armies are defeated; sometimes as much by circumstances as by opposing legions. One example is Napoleon’s campaign against Russia which wiped out the Grande Armée of well over half a million soldiers.
The first reading provides another demonstration. The mighty Egyptian force composed of chariots is first stymied by mud and then devastated by the waves of the Red Sea. The author assures us that God not Pharaoh owns absolute power. God alone is worthy of ultimate trust. No, God does not usually defeat hostile armies with a breath of wind. Most times, in fact, trust in God means to judiciously defend ourselves. However, we do so with respect toward His commands. “With firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right,” Abraham Lincoln said it he was ending the Civil War.
Certainly at times in our lives we feel our situation hopeless as if we were facing an army. Perhaps our spouse has died leaving us with three young children. Perhaps we have had an accident resulting in permanent incapacity – we who have cherished fitness all of our lives. Scripture reminds us today as most days that we are not to give up. We put our trust in God. He has the power to deliver us.
(Exodus 14-15)
Nothing like an army gives the illusion of absolute power. To see brigade after brigade of men armed to the teeth, to feel the rumble of tanks in procession as far as the eye can see, to hear the roar of jets screeching overhead – one has the sense of human invincibility. Yet as war after war testifies armies are defeated; sometimes as much by circumstances as by opposing legions. One example is Napoleon’s campaign against Russia which wiped out the Grande Armée of well over half a million soldiers.
The first reading provides another demonstration. The mighty Egyptian force composed of chariots is first stymied by mud and then devastated by the waves of the Red Sea. The author assures us that God not Pharaoh owns absolute power. God alone is worthy of ultimate trust. No, God does not usually defeat hostile armies with a breath of wind. Most times, in fact, trust in God means to judiciously defend ourselves. However, we do so with respect toward His commands. “With firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right,” Abraham Lincoln said it he was ending the Civil War.
Certainly at times in our lives we feel our situation hopeless as if we were facing an army. Perhaps our spouse has died leaving us with three young children. Perhaps we have had an accident resulting in permanent incapacity – we who have cherished fitness all of our lives. Scripture reminds us today as most days that we are not to give up. We put our trust in God. He has the power to deliver us.
Homilettefor Monday, July 23, 2007
Monday, XVI Week of Ordinary Time
(Matthew 12)
Remember the best-seller, When Bad Things Happen to Good People? Recently two authors wrote a kind of sequel called, Why Good Things Happen to Good People. The new book, in the words of one of its authors, bioethicist Stephen Post, shows, “When we give of ourselves, especially if we start young, everything from life satisfaction to self-realization and physical health is significantly improved.”
That God helps those who love Him is a message that is slow to sink in. We tend to moan about the heat rather than shows thanks for the air-conditioning. But if good people are blessed, it is true also that God is not indifferent to, much less spiteful of, those who do not show Him much care. As Jesus says, “(God) makes his sun to rise on the bad and the good” (Matthew 5:45). Still, all of us -- bad and good -- continually seek additional proof, like the scribes and Pharisees in today’s gospel, of God’s love for us.
Despite signs a-plenty showing God’s love brought to us in Jesus Christ, there are additional reasons to accept him. Jesus himself indicates what one of these is when he mentions the Queen of the South. She came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, but as Jesus indicates, his wisdom is greater than Solomon’s. Many have testified to the integrity and clarity of Christian thought which always finds its basis in and its inspiration from the teachings of Jesus. In recent memory Mortimer Adler, a Jew of the highest intellectual caliber, converted to Catholicism after almost a lifetime of admiring Christian thought. Like Mr. Adler we too are wise to stop sitting on the fence and submit mind and heart to Jesus’ authority.
(Matthew 12)
Remember the best-seller, When Bad Things Happen to Good People? Recently two authors wrote a kind of sequel called, Why Good Things Happen to Good People. The new book, in the words of one of its authors, bioethicist Stephen Post, shows, “When we give of ourselves, especially if we start young, everything from life satisfaction to self-realization and physical health is significantly improved.”
That God helps those who love Him is a message that is slow to sink in. We tend to moan about the heat rather than shows thanks for the air-conditioning. But if good people are blessed, it is true also that God is not indifferent to, much less spiteful of, those who do not show Him much care. As Jesus says, “(God) makes his sun to rise on the bad and the good” (Matthew 5:45). Still, all of us -- bad and good -- continually seek additional proof, like the scribes and Pharisees in today’s gospel, of God’s love for us.
Despite signs a-plenty showing God’s love brought to us in Jesus Christ, there are additional reasons to accept him. Jesus himself indicates what one of these is when he mentions the Queen of the South. She came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, but as Jesus indicates, his wisdom is greater than Solomon’s. Many have testified to the integrity and clarity of Christian thought which always finds its basis in and its inspiration from the teachings of Jesus. In recent memory Mortimer Adler, a Jew of the highest intellectual caliber, converted to Catholicism after almost a lifetime of admiring Christian thought. Like Mr. Adler we too are wise to stop sitting on the fence and submit mind and heart to Jesus’ authority.
Homilette for Friday, July 20, 2007
Friday, XV Week of Ordinary Time
(Matthew 12)
Nine years ago Pope John Paul II wrote an apostolic letter entitled, “The Lord’s Day.” In it the pope tried to awaken Catholics to the glory of reserving one day a week for prayer, family, and renewal. He also challenged the secularizing idea of “weekend” which stretches a day for giving thanks in beloved company into two days or more of fulfilling personal ambitions. The letter is vintage John Paul: intensely human, reflective, and holy.
In the Gospel reading today Jesus provides us with his own reflection on the Sabbath. Of course, for him it is the very end of the week, not its beginning. As in Orthodox Jewish communities today, the Sabbath in Jesus’ time is rigorously regulated: no cooking, no walking beyond what amounts to a kilometer, no jumping or handclapping. Historians tell us that in Israel before the Babylonian Exile the Sabbath observance was more relaxed and enjoyable. This is Jesus’ take as he responds to the complaints of the Pharisees that his disciples are not Sabbath observant.
Do we feel a twinge of guilt when we stop at Wal-Mart or go to the office for a few hours on Sunday evening? It would not necessarily be unhealthy if we did. It is not that such actions are sinful in themselves. Jesus argues for the necessity of similar deeds by his disciples. But still we should not let Sunday go by without giving primary consideration to Jesus. He is, after all, the “Lord of the Sabbath.”
(Matthew 12)
Nine years ago Pope John Paul II wrote an apostolic letter entitled, “The Lord’s Day.” In it the pope tried to awaken Catholics to the glory of reserving one day a week for prayer, family, and renewal. He also challenged the secularizing idea of “weekend” which stretches a day for giving thanks in beloved company into two days or more of fulfilling personal ambitions. The letter is vintage John Paul: intensely human, reflective, and holy.
In the Gospel reading today Jesus provides us with his own reflection on the Sabbath. Of course, for him it is the very end of the week, not its beginning. As in Orthodox Jewish communities today, the Sabbath in Jesus’ time is rigorously regulated: no cooking, no walking beyond what amounts to a kilometer, no jumping or handclapping. Historians tell us that in Israel before the Babylonian Exile the Sabbath observance was more relaxed and enjoyable. This is Jesus’ take as he responds to the complaints of the Pharisees that his disciples are not Sabbath observant.
Do we feel a twinge of guilt when we stop at Wal-Mart or go to the office for a few hours on Sunday evening? It would not necessarily be unhealthy if we did. It is not that such actions are sinful in themselves. Jesus argues for the necessity of similar deeds by his disciples. But still we should not let Sunday go by without giving primary consideration to Jesus. He is, after all, the “Lord of the Sabbath.”
Homilette for Thursday, July 19, 2007
Thursday, XV of Ordinary Time
(Genesis 3)
Most people these days seem to be on a “first-name basis.” Perhaps some seniors are jarred when telephone sales reps use their first names as if they were card-playing buddies. But the younger generation generally finds such familiarity unremarkable. So some of us at least may have a hard time understanding what a concession God is granting to Moses when He reveals His name “I am who am.” However, let us think of it as God’s revealing His cellular number. Now Moses and the Israelites can reach God for assistance at any time.
Perhaps more important than the name, therefore, is what God’s granting His name indicates -- God cares about His people intensely. In the Old Testament He focuses attention on Israel, the Chosen People. He will use them to bring the whole human race together. But time after time Israel fails to respond to God’s directives. Eventually, however, a descendant of Israel will obediently carry out God’s purpose. This, of course, is Jesus, the son of Mary.
It is said that “I am who am” reveals the essence of God, i.e., the source of all being. Jesus will show beyond any doubt that being is not a passive or indifferent at its source but both passionate and compassionate. Through Jesus God will break down the stubbornness and hatred that keep humans from Him and from one another. In Jesus God will reach out to all – especially the lowliest of people -- to make them one with Him.
(Genesis 3)
Most people these days seem to be on a “first-name basis.” Perhaps some seniors are jarred when telephone sales reps use their first names as if they were card-playing buddies. But the younger generation generally finds such familiarity unremarkable. So some of us at least may have a hard time understanding what a concession God is granting to Moses when He reveals His name “I am who am.” However, let us think of it as God’s revealing His cellular number. Now Moses and the Israelites can reach God for assistance at any time.
Perhaps more important than the name, therefore, is what God’s granting His name indicates -- God cares about His people intensely. In the Old Testament He focuses attention on Israel, the Chosen People. He will use them to bring the whole human race together. But time after time Israel fails to respond to God’s directives. Eventually, however, a descendant of Israel will obediently carry out God’s purpose. This, of course, is Jesus, the son of Mary.
It is said that “I am who am” reveals the essence of God, i.e., the source of all being. Jesus will show beyond any doubt that being is not a passive or indifferent at its source but both passionate and compassionate. Through Jesus God will break down the stubbornness and hatred that keep humans from Him and from one another. In Jesus God will reach out to all – especially the lowliest of people -- to make them one with Him.
Homilette for Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Wednesday, XV Week of Ordinary Time
(Exodus 3)
Most Americans are horrified by the war in Iraq. We increasingly think that it is high time the United States extract itself from the deadly situation. We are so sickened by the inter-tribal murdering that we put at the back of our minds the larger question: why is there such mammoth evil in the world? As terrible as the Iraqi situation is, there certainly have been and probably are still other wars wrecking more casualties. And war is only the bloodiest of evil. Why, as well, do poverty, disease, and natural calamity take such grand tolls of life?
Why, indeed? We believers put the question this way: Why does God permit so much evil? If God is good and all-powerful as we claim, why does He not halt the violence, end the disease, and stem the disaster? These are philosophical questions that resist answering in any definitive way. But we have multiple attestations in Scripture that God takes note of human precariousness and acts to relieve the conditions. In today’s reading from Exodus we hear of God coming to the rescue of Israel trapped in an intolerable situation.
God not only will deliver the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt; He will also form them into a people that know His mind and heart. Looking back on the history of Israel, we Christians will say that the Israelites’ unique relationship with God will not be enough to stem the tide of evil. A more powerful solution will be required. This will be God’s sending His son, the Christ, to save humanity. But the salvation will not be the end of suffering on this earth, at least. Evil is no simple weed to be readily uprooted. Still victory belongs to those who conform themselves to Christ. He will secure them on a new earth where war, disease, and disaster are void.
(Exodus 3)
Most Americans are horrified by the war in Iraq. We increasingly think that it is high time the United States extract itself from the deadly situation. We are so sickened by the inter-tribal murdering that we put at the back of our minds the larger question: why is there such mammoth evil in the world? As terrible as the Iraqi situation is, there certainly have been and probably are still other wars wrecking more casualties. And war is only the bloodiest of evil. Why, as well, do poverty, disease, and natural calamity take such grand tolls of life?
Why, indeed? We believers put the question this way: Why does God permit so much evil? If God is good and all-powerful as we claim, why does He not halt the violence, end the disease, and stem the disaster? These are philosophical questions that resist answering in any definitive way. But we have multiple attestations in Scripture that God takes note of human precariousness and acts to relieve the conditions. In today’s reading from Exodus we hear of God coming to the rescue of Israel trapped in an intolerable situation.
God not only will deliver the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt; He will also form them into a people that know His mind and heart. Looking back on the history of Israel, we Christians will say that the Israelites’ unique relationship with God will not be enough to stem the tide of evil. A more powerful solution will be required. This will be God’s sending His son, the Christ, to save humanity. But the salvation will not be the end of suffering on this earth, at least. Evil is no simple weed to be readily uprooted. Still victory belongs to those who conform themselves to Christ. He will secure them on a new earth where war, disease, and disaster are void.
Homilette for Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Tuesday, XV Week of Ordinary Time
(Matthew 11)
When Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn returned to Russia after his long exile in the United States, he warmly greeted everyone he met. Some people were scandalized that he could treat as friends former members of the Communist Party which was responsible for the gulags. But the ever wise author corrected his critics. “The line between good and evil,” he said, “is not drawn between nations or parties, but through every human heart.”
As this anecdote about Solzhenitsyn indicates, no group is so completely good that it is not tainted with bias. Furthermore, no individual is so guiltless that she may think herself without need to reform. In the gospel Jesus condemns self-satisfied people who think of themselves as good enough so that they need not bother changing their ways. Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum are Jewish towns where Jesus has preached repentance as preparation for the Kingdom of God. He has even worked signs in these places demonstrating that indeed the Kingdom is at hand. But the people have not changed their ways. Instead, they likely think keeping a kosher kitchen is enough to assure God’s favor. They may also see their seeming not so as bad as their neighbors as sufficient grounds for receiving God.
We Catholic Christians must not make the same mistakes. We must not fall back on our baptisms or even that we come to daily Mass to resist Jesus’ call to conversion. Yes, grace has put us on our way to God. But there are still obstacles in our way. We must recognize our will to have things our own way, our snubbing our noses as others, and the rest of our failings. Then, we need to ask God’s mercy and accept His grace to change.
(Matthew 11)
When Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn returned to Russia after his long exile in the United States, he warmly greeted everyone he met. Some people were scandalized that he could treat as friends former members of the Communist Party which was responsible for the gulags. But the ever wise author corrected his critics. “The line between good and evil,” he said, “is not drawn between nations or parties, but through every human heart.”
As this anecdote about Solzhenitsyn indicates, no group is so completely good that it is not tainted with bias. Furthermore, no individual is so guiltless that she may think herself without need to reform. In the gospel Jesus condemns self-satisfied people who think of themselves as good enough so that they need not bother changing their ways. Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum are Jewish towns where Jesus has preached repentance as preparation for the Kingdom of God. He has even worked signs in these places demonstrating that indeed the Kingdom is at hand. But the people have not changed their ways. Instead, they likely think keeping a kosher kitchen is enough to assure God’s favor. They may also see their seeming not so as bad as their neighbors as sufficient grounds for receiving God.
We Catholic Christians must not make the same mistakes. We must not fall back on our baptisms or even that we come to daily Mass to resist Jesus’ call to conversion. Yes, grace has put us on our way to God. But there are still obstacles in our way. We must recognize our will to have things our own way, our snubbing our noses as others, and the rest of our failings. Then, we need to ask God’s mercy and accept His grace to change.
Homilette for Monday, July 16, 2007
Monday, XV Week of Ordinary Time
(Matthew 10-11)
Saturday morning a Spanish radio program broadcasted an essay by a fifteen year-old girl. The girl told how she was in a controversy with her mother because she no longer wanted to be a Catholic. She said that she would like to become a Buddhist because Buddhism is a religion of peace and contemplation. She also commented that she her mother does not practice the Catholicism she preaches. She said that her mother does not go to church but only sets up little altars to saints about the house. The essay concluded with the teen saying that she will remain a Catholic for three more years to keep peace in her house. When she becomes eighteen, however, she promised to join the religion of her choice.
Of course, the saga of the youngster saddens us. Christianity does not have any vitality for the young girl. She is not moved by the story of Jesus whose compassion, joy, and story-telling will draw the heart of anyone who objectively hears about him. But her mother does not show her Christ by making him a priority of her life through attending Mass and, it is possible to infer, by imitating his virtue. However, the blame cannot rest solely with this woman. Surely others – perhaps a crabby priest or maybe some sanctimonious relatives – kept her from interiorizing the story of Jesus.
Today’s gospel both predicts such conflicts between children and their parents and indicates how the children may be influenced to follow Jesus. When youth hear about Jesus’ love, be it through preachers or apostles or through righteous men and women, they cannot but rebel against their parents when those parents lead selfish, spiteful lives. On the other hand, when parents practice the Christianity they preach, their children come to know Jesus in all his wonder and become grateful to their parents with all their hearts.
(Matthew 10-11)
Saturday morning a Spanish radio program broadcasted an essay by a fifteen year-old girl. The girl told how she was in a controversy with her mother because she no longer wanted to be a Catholic. She said that she would like to become a Buddhist because Buddhism is a religion of peace and contemplation. She also commented that she her mother does not practice the Catholicism she preaches. She said that her mother does not go to church but only sets up little altars to saints about the house. The essay concluded with the teen saying that she will remain a Catholic for three more years to keep peace in her house. When she becomes eighteen, however, she promised to join the religion of her choice.
Of course, the saga of the youngster saddens us. Christianity does not have any vitality for the young girl. She is not moved by the story of Jesus whose compassion, joy, and story-telling will draw the heart of anyone who objectively hears about him. But her mother does not show her Christ by making him a priority of her life through attending Mass and, it is possible to infer, by imitating his virtue. However, the blame cannot rest solely with this woman. Surely others – perhaps a crabby priest or maybe some sanctimonious relatives – kept her from interiorizing the story of Jesus.
Today’s gospel both predicts such conflicts between children and their parents and indicates how the children may be influenced to follow Jesus. When youth hear about Jesus’ love, be it through preachers or apostles or through righteous men and women, they cannot but rebel against their parents when those parents lead selfish, spiteful lives. On the other hand, when parents practice the Christianity they preach, their children come to know Jesus in all his wonder and become grateful to their parents with all their hearts.
Homilette for Friday, July 13, 2007
Friday, XIV Week of Ordinary time
(Matthew 10)
Everyday after school the boys bicycled to the park for football practice. They left their bicycles around the water fountain to scrimmage on the open field a hundred yards away. One day they returned to the fountain to find a number of their bicycles missing. “How could someone steal my bicycle?” a naïve victim asked. He was learning the hard way how the world works.
In the gospel Jesus tells his apostles to look out for how the world works. He says that he is sending them as sheep among wolves. People will try to take advantage of them because they preach goodness and forgiveness. But he assures them that they are not defenseless. As a shield against swindlers they have shrewdness. As an ally against liars they have the Holy Spirit. But it is also critical that the apostles do not become like their adversaries. Jesus insists that they remain as “simple as doves.” They are not to use force, treachery, or bribes to spread the Gospel.
Perhaps we don’t see ourselves as apostles. Still, in our homes we have the obligation to teach our children the faith. How do we respond, then, when they say, “I don’t want to go to church because mass is boring”? What do we do when they tell us, “It’s o.k. to have sex with your girlfriend as long as you do it ‘responsibly’”? Like Jesus says, we must be shrewd and simple. William O'Malley, a Jesuit high school teacher, advises parents to inform their teenagers that Sunday Mass is part of the price they pay for living at home. Similarly, they might say that sex before marriage is always irresponsible because it pretends to show a profound, permanent affection that just isn’t there.
(Matthew 10)
Everyday after school the boys bicycled to the park for football practice. They left their bicycles around the water fountain to scrimmage on the open field a hundred yards away. One day they returned to the fountain to find a number of their bicycles missing. “How could someone steal my bicycle?” a naïve victim asked. He was learning the hard way how the world works.
In the gospel Jesus tells his apostles to look out for how the world works. He says that he is sending them as sheep among wolves. People will try to take advantage of them because they preach goodness and forgiveness. But he assures them that they are not defenseless. As a shield against swindlers they have shrewdness. As an ally against liars they have the Holy Spirit. But it is also critical that the apostles do not become like their adversaries. Jesus insists that they remain as “simple as doves.” They are not to use force, treachery, or bribes to spread the Gospel.
Perhaps we don’t see ourselves as apostles. Still, in our homes we have the obligation to teach our children the faith. How do we respond, then, when they say, “I don’t want to go to church because mass is boring”? What do we do when they tell us, “It’s o.k. to have sex with your girlfriend as long as you do it ‘responsibly’”? Like Jesus says, we must be shrewd and simple. William O'Malley, a Jesuit high school teacher, advises parents to inform their teenagers that Sunday Mass is part of the price they pay for living at home. Similarly, they might say that sex before marriage is always irresponsible because it pretends to show a profound, permanent affection that just isn’t there.
Homilette for Thursday, July 12, 2007
Thursday, XIV Week of Ordinary Time
(Genesis 44-45)
The appeal of Joseph’s lies in its parallel to the gospel and also its mirror image of a perennial human situation. Joseph is Jacob’s favorite son. Out of jealousy his brothers try to kill him. But God spares him so that he might grant them sustenance in Egypt. The Christ story follows the same course. Jesus, God’s only begotten son, is crucified because of our sins. God, however, intervenes; He raises Jesus from the dead to bring us salvation.
Many years ago a popular song sounded a similar note of betrayal between loved ones. “You always hurt the one you love,” the lyrics read, “the one you should not hurt at all.” In a world marked by human failure our first and often most grieved victims are the very people we share bread with. Perhaps we utter harsh words or belittle a significant effort of a loved one. Our misdeed results in the fracture of a relationship which we need for stability like a sailing ship needs ballast.
But the song ends on a happy note. The narrator can tell her loved one that she loves him most of all. Just so, Joseph is reconciled to his brothers and God adopts us into His family with the forgiveness of our sins. The result is not “natural.” It requires God’s grace and our acceptance of the divine initiative. But the result does manifest the glory of being human.
(Genesis 44-45)
The appeal of Joseph’s lies in its parallel to the gospel and also its mirror image of a perennial human situation. Joseph is Jacob’s favorite son. Out of jealousy his brothers try to kill him. But God spares him so that he might grant them sustenance in Egypt. The Christ story follows the same course. Jesus, God’s only begotten son, is crucified because of our sins. God, however, intervenes; He raises Jesus from the dead to bring us salvation.
Many years ago a popular song sounded a similar note of betrayal between loved ones. “You always hurt the one you love,” the lyrics read, “the one you should not hurt at all.” In a world marked by human failure our first and often most grieved victims are the very people we share bread with. Perhaps we utter harsh words or belittle a significant effort of a loved one. Our misdeed results in the fracture of a relationship which we need for stability like a sailing ship needs ballast.
But the song ends on a happy note. The narrator can tell her loved one that she loves him most of all. Just so, Joseph is reconciled to his brothers and God adopts us into His family with the forgiveness of our sins. The result is not “natural.” It requires God’s grace and our acceptance of the divine initiative. But the result does manifest the glory of being human.
Homilette for Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Wednesday, Memorial of St. Benedict, Abbot
(Matthew 10)
After a pontificate as successful as John Paul II’s, it was surprising that the next pope did not choose the name John Paul III. But Cardinal Ratzinger chose the name Benedict because he wanted to remind Europe of its Christian heritage. St. Benedict, whom we remember today, founded the monastic movement that Christianized much of Europe. Benedictine monks not only evangelized Europe’s native tribes but also educated their leaders with the knowledge of the Greco-Roman civilization.
In the gospel Jesus sends his apostles out two-by-two to proclaim the Kingdom of God. To be sure, this sending is limited to Jewish locales because the disciples’ instructions are not yet complete. After Jesus rises from the dead, he will send the same group except, of course, Judas on a mission with greater scope and responsibility. He will direct them to the ends of the earth with the task of forming all people into one community through Baptism. In time that mission was enthusiastically taken up by Benedictine monks.
Now Europe needs to relearn the message. People there often resist the Gospel because they think that they might have heaven on earth through their own efforts. Science has staved off death. Technology has brought bubbly forms of life. Why believe in anything, they ask, beyond your favorite football team? The Christian and classical traditions that the followers of St. Benedict have long maintained do not evade an answer. We believe in the promises of God made in Jesus Christ because there is more to life than fun and more to death than the grave.
(Matthew 10)
After a pontificate as successful as John Paul II’s, it was surprising that the next pope did not choose the name John Paul III. But Cardinal Ratzinger chose the name Benedict because he wanted to remind Europe of its Christian heritage. St. Benedict, whom we remember today, founded the monastic movement that Christianized much of Europe. Benedictine monks not only evangelized Europe’s native tribes but also educated their leaders with the knowledge of the Greco-Roman civilization.
In the gospel Jesus sends his apostles out two-by-two to proclaim the Kingdom of God. To be sure, this sending is limited to Jewish locales because the disciples’ instructions are not yet complete. After Jesus rises from the dead, he will send the same group except, of course, Judas on a mission with greater scope and responsibility. He will direct them to the ends of the earth with the task of forming all people into one community through Baptism. In time that mission was enthusiastically taken up by Benedictine monks.
Now Europe needs to relearn the message. People there often resist the Gospel because they think that they might have heaven on earth through their own efforts. Science has staved off death. Technology has brought bubbly forms of life. Why believe in anything, they ask, beyond your favorite football team? The Christian and classical traditions that the followers of St. Benedict have long maintained do not evade an answer. We believe in the promises of God made in Jesus Christ because there is more to life than fun and more to death than the grave.
Homilette for Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Tuesday, XIV Week, Ordinary Time
(Genesis 32)
The family struggled for days with the decision. Their husband and father was suffering from heart failure. He had been placed on a ventilator, but the medical team wanted to remove it. Without the machine he would probably die within hours. Would they authorize the removal? The decision was excruciating. They accepted the medical wisdom that there was no reasonable hope for recovery, but they did not want to hasten his death. It was like struggling with God.
Medical technology often leaves families wondering about God’s will. Are they opposing His will when they choose to terminate sophisticated life support? Or is not allowing nature to take its course really fighting God? The struggle is enigmatic, soul-wrenching, and family-dividing. The story of Jacob’s wrestling in the night describes a similarly exasperating experience. His combatant is first identified as a man than as God. Which is he? Jacob seems to get the better of the man but then is seriously wounded. Who conquers whom? Jacob demands a blessing, but does he get it?
Still Jacob’s struggle turns out satisfactorily. If he is injured, he is also wiser for the experience. He is given the name Israel indicating a close relationship with God. Not apparent in the reading today but certainly part of the larger context, Jacob-Israel can now confidently have the dreaded reunion with his brother Esau, whom he swindled. So the decision to let go of a loved one when medical evidence leaves no reasonable hope makes us better people. We reaffirm our belief that God’s care for our loved ones extends beyond death. Also, we turn our lives over to His care as we accept the dreaded responsibilities associated with death.
(Genesis 32)
The family struggled for days with the decision. Their husband and father was suffering from heart failure. He had been placed on a ventilator, but the medical team wanted to remove it. Without the machine he would probably die within hours. Would they authorize the removal? The decision was excruciating. They accepted the medical wisdom that there was no reasonable hope for recovery, but they did not want to hasten his death. It was like struggling with God.
Medical technology often leaves families wondering about God’s will. Are they opposing His will when they choose to terminate sophisticated life support? Or is not allowing nature to take its course really fighting God? The struggle is enigmatic, soul-wrenching, and family-dividing. The story of Jacob’s wrestling in the night describes a similarly exasperating experience. His combatant is first identified as a man than as God. Which is he? Jacob seems to get the better of the man but then is seriously wounded. Who conquers whom? Jacob demands a blessing, but does he get it?
Still Jacob’s struggle turns out satisfactorily. If he is injured, he is also wiser for the experience. He is given the name Israel indicating a close relationship with God. Not apparent in the reading today but certainly part of the larger context, Jacob-Israel can now confidently have the dreaded reunion with his brother Esau, whom he swindled. So the decision to let go of a loved one when medical evidence leaves no reasonable hope makes us better people. We reaffirm our belief that God’s care for our loved ones extends beyond death. Also, we turn our lives over to His care as we accept the dreaded responsibilities associated with death.
Homilette for Monday, July 9, 2007
Monday XIV Week of Ordinary Time
(Genesis 28)
Lutheran congregations are often named “Bethel.” In the reading from Genesis today we hear why. Bethel means the “abode (or house) of God.” Certainly God resides in the people who come together in His name and, by extension, God is found in the building where they meet.
At Bethel the Lord promises Jacob that in his “descendents all the nations of the earth shall find blessing.” We see this prophecy doubly fulfilled. First, the Jewish people have brought blessing to the whole earth for the Scriptures that they have handed down through the centuries, for their wisdom in the arts and the sciences (which is really quite remarkable), and most of all for bringing to fruition the promise of Jesus Christ. As the Gospel of John says, “Salvation is from the Jews.”
We see a second blessing that surpasses the first in the spiritual descendants of Jacob. We Christians have been largely grafted into Judaism to become the greater and more efficacious branch of God’s people. It is mainly through us that the world knows Christ, its creator and redeemer. This claim sounds pretentious because we know many Christians who hardly live up to the name. Nevertheless, it is our calling as well as our faith. Because we are Christian, we are called to make Christ’s love known to the world.
(Genesis 28)
Lutheran congregations are often named “Bethel.” In the reading from Genesis today we hear why. Bethel means the “abode (or house) of God.” Certainly God resides in the people who come together in His name and, by extension, God is found in the building where they meet.
At Bethel the Lord promises Jacob that in his “descendents all the nations of the earth shall find blessing.” We see this prophecy doubly fulfilled. First, the Jewish people have brought blessing to the whole earth for the Scriptures that they have handed down through the centuries, for their wisdom in the arts and the sciences (which is really quite remarkable), and most of all for bringing to fruition the promise of Jesus Christ. As the Gospel of John says, “Salvation is from the Jews.”
We see a second blessing that surpasses the first in the spiritual descendants of Jacob. We Christians have been largely grafted into Judaism to become the greater and more efficacious branch of God’s people. It is mainly through us that the world knows Christ, its creator and redeemer. This claim sounds pretentious because we know many Christians who hardly live up to the name. Nevertheless, it is our calling as well as our faith. Because we are Christian, we are called to make Christ’s love known to the world.
Homilette for Friday, July 6, 2007
Friday, XIII Week of Ordinary Time
(Matthew 9)
The famous psychiatrist-writer Scott Peck once began a presentation by speaking about one of the most important events of the twentieth century occurring in Akron, Ohio, during the 1930s. The audience wondered if they heard the man correctly. They thought, “What famous event ever took place in Akron, Ohio?” Soon Peck explained. He was referring to the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous, an organization that has enabled millions of people to overcome a killing disease.
People attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings have a distinct advantage over most of the population. They know that they are sick; therefore, they seek the help they need to overcome their debility. Unfortunately most people are in denial about sickness. Of course, not everyone is an alcoholic, but each of us has some sickness, some inclination toward sin. Jesus tells the Pharisees in the gospel today that unless we can acknowledge ourselves as sinners, we cannot share in the Kingdom of God that he is bringing about.
Being alcoholic threatens one’s physical as well as spiritual life. Sometimes we downplay its seriousness by speaking of work-a-holism and even chocla-holism as comparable weaknesses. However, alcoholics have the blessing of a recognizable illness that they might treat by, as they say, “giving themselves over to a higher power.” We do well if everyday we give ourselves to God by similarly living disciplined, prayerful lives that seek the support of others.
(Matthew 9)
The famous psychiatrist-writer Scott Peck once began a presentation by speaking about one of the most important events of the twentieth century occurring in Akron, Ohio, during the 1930s. The audience wondered if they heard the man correctly. They thought, “What famous event ever took place in Akron, Ohio?” Soon Peck explained. He was referring to the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous, an organization that has enabled millions of people to overcome a killing disease.
People attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings have a distinct advantage over most of the population. They know that they are sick; therefore, they seek the help they need to overcome their debility. Unfortunately most people are in denial about sickness. Of course, not everyone is an alcoholic, but each of us has some sickness, some inclination toward sin. Jesus tells the Pharisees in the gospel today that unless we can acknowledge ourselves as sinners, we cannot share in the Kingdom of God that he is bringing about.
Being alcoholic threatens one’s physical as well as spiritual life. Sometimes we downplay its seriousness by speaking of work-a-holism and even chocla-holism as comparable weaknesses. However, alcoholics have the blessing of a recognizable illness that they might treat by, as they say, “giving themselves over to a higher power.” We do well if everyday we give ourselves to God by similarly living disciplined, prayerful lives that seek the support of others.
Homilette for Thursday, July 5, 2007
Thursday, XIII Ordinary Time
(Genesis 22)
We may be so outraged by the idea of child sacrifice that we would rather ignore the first reading today. However, after our indignation has passed, we do well to examine this text as a critical lesson of faith. At the start we should note that God never intends that Abraham sacrifice his son Isaac. God only wants to test Abraham’s faith. Although we still have to accept the story as picturing God as deceptive and perhaps not as perspicacious as we know Him, we need not question His goodness.
This story is meant to assure us that God sees on our behalf. Moriah is derived from a pun on the Hebrew word meaning “to see.” There God both sees or knows the steely faith of Abraham and sees to or provides a worthy offering in the ram. Of course, God does not need to administer such tests to know who believes. Nor are such provisions such as a ram in the pinch required for us to know of His mercy.
We often think of faith as a body of beliefs tendered for our acceptance. In a secondary yet essential way faith is our embracing doctrines that tell us who God is, what God demands, and what He has planned for us. But first and foremost faith is trust – that God loves us and will provide for our salvation. In a world where humans vaunt their accomplishments, we easily become discouraged when our lives are not as fruitful as we like. We may forget then that God sees what we need even more clearly than we do and that He will provide for us. Our responsibility is only to retain our trust in Him by not abandoning His ways and asking His assistance.
(Genesis 22)
We may be so outraged by the idea of child sacrifice that we would rather ignore the first reading today. However, after our indignation has passed, we do well to examine this text as a critical lesson of faith. At the start we should note that God never intends that Abraham sacrifice his son Isaac. God only wants to test Abraham’s faith. Although we still have to accept the story as picturing God as deceptive and perhaps not as perspicacious as we know Him, we need not question His goodness.
This story is meant to assure us that God sees on our behalf. Moriah is derived from a pun on the Hebrew word meaning “to see.” There God both sees or knows the steely faith of Abraham and sees to or provides a worthy offering in the ram. Of course, God does not need to administer such tests to know who believes. Nor are such provisions such as a ram in the pinch required for us to know of His mercy.
We often think of faith as a body of beliefs tendered for our acceptance. In a secondary yet essential way faith is our embracing doctrines that tell us who God is, what God demands, and what He has planned for us. But first and foremost faith is trust – that God loves us and will provide for our salvation. In a world where humans vaunt their accomplishments, we easily become discouraged when our lives are not as fruitful as we like. We may forget then that God sees what we need even more clearly than we do and that He will provide for us. Our responsibility is only to retain our trust in Him by not abandoning His ways and asking His assistance.
Homilette for Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Fourth of July
(Genesis 21)
Above all the Fourth of July is time to celebrate. Some may want to listen to the music of marching bands. With no less civic pride we have chosen a more subdued celebration in the confines of church. Here we praise God for blessing our country with so much opportunity and no small amount of equality. Yes, we know that not all opportunity has been parceled out fairly. For this reason our celebration begins on a note of contrition.
The story of Hagar and Ishmael wandering in the desert mirrors an experience of contemporary America. Many immigrants are trying to enter this country via the southwestern desert. Frequently they, like the biblical desert wanderers, become lost and sometimes are found dying or dead. Their plight cries out for attention just as Ishmael weeps from thirst. Solutions, however, are not easily found as the report from Washington this past week shows. So we join our voices with the contemporary Ishmaels and Hagars in prayer to God for their well-being.
A sage law professor has observed that the United States is both a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws. A nation so large and promising as we are needs both to continue to prosper. Not today but tomorrow we should ponder what changes in laws are workable to fulfill the hopes of immigrants. With them in our midst, with all abiding by the rule of law, and with the blessing of the Most High the future will see an even greater America.
(Genesis 21)
Above all the Fourth of July is time to celebrate. Some may want to listen to the music of marching bands. With no less civic pride we have chosen a more subdued celebration in the confines of church. Here we praise God for blessing our country with so much opportunity and no small amount of equality. Yes, we know that not all opportunity has been parceled out fairly. For this reason our celebration begins on a note of contrition.
The story of Hagar and Ishmael wandering in the desert mirrors an experience of contemporary America. Many immigrants are trying to enter this country via the southwestern desert. Frequently they, like the biblical desert wanderers, become lost and sometimes are found dying or dead. Their plight cries out for attention just as Ishmael weeps from thirst. Solutions, however, are not easily found as the report from Washington this past week shows. So we join our voices with the contemporary Ishmaels and Hagars in prayer to God for their well-being.
A sage law professor has observed that the United States is both a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws. A nation so large and promising as we are needs both to continue to prosper. Not today but tomorrow we should ponder what changes in laws are workable to fulfill the hopes of immigrants. With them in our midst, with all abiding by the rule of law, and with the blessing of the Most High the future will see an even greater America.
Homilette for Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Feast of St. Thomas, the Apostle
(John 20)
Like Thomas sometimes we may prefer not to believe in the resurrection of Jesus. We may think that life would be neater if the end were the end. We would congratulate those who accomplished their goals – be they earning a million dollars, helping the poor, or raising a large family. We would not have to consider whether they (or ourselves for that matter) conform to Christ’s love and thereby merit eternal life.
But all that is wishful thinking. The gospel today asserts that Jesus has risen from the dead. He appears to a man who did not give credibility to the word of witnesses but insisted on touching the wounds of the crucified Christ. The doubter even turns into the person expressing the deepest faith in all the gospels. Thomas’ final words “my Lord and my God” mirror the statement of belief at the beginning of the gospel, “In the beginning was the Word...and the Word was God.”
Of course, we can deny the truth of Jesus’ appearance to Thomas. We can say that it is just a pious story fabricated to get simple people to believe. But such a stance denies our experience. It is not only that people of faith seem to live fuller, happier lives – that they face hardship with less turmoil and recover more easily from setback. It is also that when we call on Jesus in distress, “my Lord and my God,” we also experience the steadiness of his guiding hand.
(John 20)
Like Thomas sometimes we may prefer not to believe in the resurrection of Jesus. We may think that life would be neater if the end were the end. We would congratulate those who accomplished their goals – be they earning a million dollars, helping the poor, or raising a large family. We would not have to consider whether they (or ourselves for that matter) conform to Christ’s love and thereby merit eternal life.
But all that is wishful thinking. The gospel today asserts that Jesus has risen from the dead. He appears to a man who did not give credibility to the word of witnesses but insisted on touching the wounds of the crucified Christ. The doubter even turns into the person expressing the deepest faith in all the gospels. Thomas’ final words “my Lord and my God” mirror the statement of belief at the beginning of the gospel, “In the beginning was the Word...and the Word was God.”
Of course, we can deny the truth of Jesus’ appearance to Thomas. We can say that it is just a pious story fabricated to get simple people to believe. But such a stance denies our experience. It is not only that people of faith seem to live fuller, happier lives – that they face hardship with less turmoil and recover more easily from setback. It is also that when we call on Jesus in distress, “my Lord and my God,” we also experience the steadiness of his guiding hand.
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