Friday, VI Week
(John 16)
Betty Friedan, the great American feminist, used to dimay many of her colleagues. After campaigning for women’s equality in work and society, she seemed to back-pedal a bit. In interviews during her later years, the author of The Feminine Mystique spoke about the happiness of raising children.
In the gospel Jesus digs to the primal experience beneath raising children. He tells of a mother’s joy in giving birth to a child. Today we would not want to exclude the father’s participation in that satisfaction. In giving birth parents contribute to the great chain of life. They not only experience a sense of solidarity with all humanity but also realize a great personal achievement. Their genetic material – what used to be called blood-line – is handed on. It is an assurance that they will not be totally obliterated in time. Rather, something of their being is preserved for future ages.
Of course, Jesus is only making a comparison when he speaks of a mother giving birth. He means to say that like a mother giving birth, his disciples will rejoice after being disillusioned with his rising from the dead after being crucified. We should see more here than a turn about from intense pain to uncontainable joy. We need to observe a reasoning similar to that beneath the joy of giving birth: the one on whom the disciples have latched their hopes for everlasting life has delivered. Better than handing their genetic material on, they themselves will have achieved everlasting life.
Homilette for Thursday, May 17, 2007
Thursday, VI Week
(Acts 18)
It is said that Paul’s being a tentmaker both helps him and restricts him. Of course, it gives him an income so that he isn’t dependent on anyone for his bread. More importantly, working in a tentmaker’s shop – like he does with Aquila in the reading – provides him a place to meet people. We can readily imagine that Paul would move any conversation with customers to his favorite topic, the Lord Jesus. The downside of being a tentmaker is that it identifies Paul as a laborer whom the upper class tends to look down on. He needs a rich patron to provide an ample house for the meeting of all interested in worshipping Christ. Fortunately, Paul always seems to make the right connection.
We who have fine churches in which to pray may snub our noses at the Evangelical Christians who pray in store fronts or in individual homes today. It is instructive to remember that Christianity has such simple people and humble dwellings at its origins. Furthermore, we should accept evangelical Christians as brothers and sisters in Christ. It is probably true that they often criticize Catholicism for our devotions and customs. But there is certainly plenty of room for dialogue with these people – above all, on our common love for Jesus.
The Catholic commentator George Weigel wrote in his syndicated column last week that Protestant Evangelicals in Latin America are not the real enemies of the Church. More threatening are the secularists who even in Latin America are claiming the right to abort a baby and the right for homosexuals to marry. These ideas stand in radical opposition to the Church’s Gospel of life.
(Acts 18)
It is said that Paul’s being a tentmaker both helps him and restricts him. Of course, it gives him an income so that he isn’t dependent on anyone for his bread. More importantly, working in a tentmaker’s shop – like he does with Aquila in the reading – provides him a place to meet people. We can readily imagine that Paul would move any conversation with customers to his favorite topic, the Lord Jesus. The downside of being a tentmaker is that it identifies Paul as a laborer whom the upper class tends to look down on. He needs a rich patron to provide an ample house for the meeting of all interested in worshipping Christ. Fortunately, Paul always seems to make the right connection.
We who have fine churches in which to pray may snub our noses at the Evangelical Christians who pray in store fronts or in individual homes today. It is instructive to remember that Christianity has such simple people and humble dwellings at its origins. Furthermore, we should accept evangelical Christians as brothers and sisters in Christ. It is probably true that they often criticize Catholicism for our devotions and customs. But there is certainly plenty of room for dialogue with these people – above all, on our common love for Jesus.
The Catholic commentator George Weigel wrote in his syndicated column last week that Protestant Evangelicals in Latin America are not the real enemies of the Church. More threatening are the secularists who even in Latin America are claiming the right to abort a baby and the right for homosexuals to marry. These ideas stand in radical opposition to the Church’s Gospel of life.
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