The Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist
(Mark 6)
This curious sidebar in Mark’s gospel describing the martyrdom of John the Baptist resolves what happened to one of the first century’s greatest religious leaders. It also anticipates Jesus’ death.
John was an enormously popular religious prophet whom evidently even Jesus followed for awhile. His being executed without trial and like a dog shows how state power can lay aside human rights with little more consideration than for a paper cup. More than the other evangelists Mark will describe Jesus death as similarly gruesome and unjust. The Jewish leaders have false witnesses testify against Jesus. Pilate will hardly give him a hearing at all. And Jesus hangs on the cross for a full six agonizing hours in this gospel.
“Where is justice?” we want to cry out. It is with God, and He has introduced it into the world with the paschal mystery of Jesus. Just as Jesus’ brutal death ended in the glory of the resurrection so the lives of those who believe in him will be saved. For now we move under Jesus’ inspiration to fortify our society’s mechanisms of justice. We also pray that when injustice strikes despites our efforts to keep it at bay, its victims will be also inspired to respond with the love of enemy which Jesus taught.
Homilette for Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Memorial of St. Augustine, bishop and doctor of the Church
(I Thessalonians 2)
It has been proposed that the three most important persons in early Christianity were Jesus, Paul, and Augustine. Some might wonder why Jesus’ name is put on this short list that does not include the Blessed Mother or St. Peter. But the proposition concerns the formation of a great religion. Jesus, of course, started it all. Paul propelled the Christian movement forward with his work among the Greeks. And Augustine gave Christianity, in the West at least, a solid theoretical basis.
There are other comparisons to be made between Paul and Augustine beyond being nominated together as all-time great Christians. Both experienced famous conversions. Paul, of course, persecuted Christianity before the Lord encountered him on the way to Damascus and turned his life upside down. Augustine’s conversion was more subtle and more gradual. He had leaned for a long time toward a heretical Christian sect. He also had a child with a woman whom he lived with for fifteen years. Finally, however, he could not deny the coherence of Christian thought and was baptized by the great St. Ambrose of Milan. Another comparison is that both Paul and Augustine worked tirelessly for Christ after their decisions. In the first reading today Paul mentions how he labored for neither money nor praise among the Thessalonians. Augustine’s enormous output of books and sermons eloquently testifies to his arduous work.
Perhaps most importantly both Paul and Augustine can be considered together for their work developing the concept of grace. Paul understood that we humans could not help ourselves but were doomed to sin when God sent His son to save us. Augustine in the intellectual battle with the Pelagians made it clear that salvation is not a little bit God’s offer and a little bit our response. No, even the inspiration to respond to God’s offer is a movement of divine grace in us.
(I Thessalonians 2)
It has been proposed that the three most important persons in early Christianity were Jesus, Paul, and Augustine. Some might wonder why Jesus’ name is put on this short list that does not include the Blessed Mother or St. Peter. But the proposition concerns the formation of a great religion. Jesus, of course, started it all. Paul propelled the Christian movement forward with his work among the Greeks. And Augustine gave Christianity, in the West at least, a solid theoretical basis.
There are other comparisons to be made between Paul and Augustine beyond being nominated together as all-time great Christians. Both experienced famous conversions. Paul, of course, persecuted Christianity before the Lord encountered him on the way to Damascus and turned his life upside down. Augustine’s conversion was more subtle and more gradual. He had leaned for a long time toward a heretical Christian sect. He also had a child with a woman whom he lived with for fifteen years. Finally, however, he could not deny the coherence of Christian thought and was baptized by the great St. Ambrose of Milan. Another comparison is that both Paul and Augustine worked tirelessly for Christ after their decisions. In the first reading today Paul mentions how he labored for neither money nor praise among the Thessalonians. Augustine’s enormous output of books and sermons eloquently testifies to his arduous work.
Perhaps most importantly both Paul and Augustine can be considered together for their work developing the concept of grace. Paul understood that we humans could not help ourselves but were doomed to sin when God sent His son to save us. Augustine in the intellectual battle with the Pelagians made it clear that salvation is not a little bit God’s offer and a little bit our response. No, even the inspiration to respond to God’s offer is a movement of divine grace in us.
Homilette for Monday, August 27, 2007
Monday, XXI Week of Ordinary Time
(Matthew 23)
This is the last week that the daily gospels are taken from St. Matthew’s version. Next week we launch afresh into Jesus’ ministry through the eyes of Luke. Now we meet Jesus is in Jerusalem. He has cleaned out the Temple and is waiting for the wrath of the religious leaders to fall upon him. In the meantime, as we see this week, he criticizes the Pharisees for their abusive teaching and prepares his followers for his imminent departure.
But we should not think that Jesus was historically incensed with the Pharisees as much as he appears in the gospel today. The setting reflects the situation of the church at the time of Matthew’s writing, perhaps fifty years after Jesus died. By then Judaism was in reform with the Romans demolishing the Temple. Its religious leaders, predominantly Pharisees, had to draw lines in the sand to distinguish its full followers and those who might be Christian in heart but still attending synagogue services as well. They persecuted Christians severely and Matthew shows how Jesus might have defended his followers if he were present in the late first century. Today we should hear Jesus’ critique not so much of first century Judaism but of religious zealots in general.
Jesus’ first charge is that Pharisees deprive people of access to the Kingdom. In other words the religious leaders actually prevent the people from knowing God. Certainly the clerical abuse of children has exemplified this condemnation of Jesus. Then Jesus criticizes the Pharisees’ proselytism which makes fanatics of religious converts. Proselytism has become a sensitive issue as some religious leaders have called for Christians to stop evangelizing among Jews and Muslims. But such a halt would mean unfaithfulness to Jesus’ command to make disciples of all nations. Nevertheless, Christians must respect the holiness of other religions by acknowledging that the Holy Spirit may indeed be present to their peoples. Finally, Jesus condemns the way Pharisees try to manipulate the law by drawing meaningless distinctions between gold and Temple or between gift and altar. Catholic leaders who say that the unmarried may have sex as long as it is done “responsibly” or that one can miss Mass on Sunday as long as you go once during the week make the same kind of wrongful distinction as the Pharisees here.
(Matthew 23)
This is the last week that the daily gospels are taken from St. Matthew’s version. Next week we launch afresh into Jesus’ ministry through the eyes of Luke. Now we meet Jesus is in Jerusalem. He has cleaned out the Temple and is waiting for the wrath of the religious leaders to fall upon him. In the meantime, as we see this week, he criticizes the Pharisees for their abusive teaching and prepares his followers for his imminent departure.
But we should not think that Jesus was historically incensed with the Pharisees as much as he appears in the gospel today. The setting reflects the situation of the church at the time of Matthew’s writing, perhaps fifty years after Jesus died. By then Judaism was in reform with the Romans demolishing the Temple. Its religious leaders, predominantly Pharisees, had to draw lines in the sand to distinguish its full followers and those who might be Christian in heart but still attending synagogue services as well. They persecuted Christians severely and Matthew shows how Jesus might have defended his followers if he were present in the late first century. Today we should hear Jesus’ critique not so much of first century Judaism but of religious zealots in general.
Jesus’ first charge is that Pharisees deprive people of access to the Kingdom. In other words the religious leaders actually prevent the people from knowing God. Certainly the clerical abuse of children has exemplified this condemnation of Jesus. Then Jesus criticizes the Pharisees’ proselytism which makes fanatics of religious converts. Proselytism has become a sensitive issue as some religious leaders have called for Christians to stop evangelizing among Jews and Muslims. But such a halt would mean unfaithfulness to Jesus’ command to make disciples of all nations. Nevertheless, Christians must respect the holiness of other religions by acknowledging that the Holy Spirit may indeed be present to their peoples. Finally, Jesus condemns the way Pharisees try to manipulate the law by drawing meaningless distinctions between gold and Temple or between gift and altar. Catholic leaders who say that the unmarried may have sex as long as it is done “responsibly” or that one can miss Mass on Sunday as long as you go once during the week make the same kind of wrongful distinction as the Pharisees here.
Homilette for Friday, August 24, 2007
Feat of St. Bartholomew, Apostle
(John 1)
On the Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle, we hear the gospel story about Nathanael. Why? In the lists of apostles in Matthew’s, Mark’s, and Luke’s gospels the name Nathanael doesn’t appear but the name Bartholomew does. This Bartholomew is always paired on the lists with the apostle Philip. In John’s gospel there is no mention of Bartholomew, but there is the story of Nathanael, a friend of Philip. It is logical that Nathanael and Bartholomew is the same person. Also, Bartholomew appears to be a surname since “bar” in Hebrew means “son of.” Some have concluded then that today we celebrate the Feast of Nathanael Bartholomew.
As interesting as the apostle’s name may be, we can commemorate him today for something more. He proclaims Jesus at first hearing as “Son of God and King of Israel.” As Jesus says, he is “without duplicity,” a straight shooter. He is also on the mark as he identifies Jesus correctly. At the end of John’s gospel another disciple, Thomas, will call Jesus “my Lord and my God.” But he will have the advantage of seeing him after the resurrection. Nathanael’s insight comes from his being, as Jesus says, “a true child of Israel,” who has faithfully waited for the Lord.
As Nathanael Bartholomew and all true Israelites waited for the coming of the Messiah, so we and all true Christians wait for him to come back. It might be a frustrating experience if we did not have some reason to believe that he is not far away. In fact, Jesus is present to us in the Eucharist where his Spirit nourishes and guides us. We still want him to reappear in human form to tell us secrets about ourselves, that are hidden from even our eyes, as he does Nathanael in the gospel.
(John 1)
On the Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle, we hear the gospel story about Nathanael. Why? In the lists of apostles in Matthew’s, Mark’s, and Luke’s gospels the name Nathanael doesn’t appear but the name Bartholomew does. This Bartholomew is always paired on the lists with the apostle Philip. In John’s gospel there is no mention of Bartholomew, but there is the story of Nathanael, a friend of Philip. It is logical that Nathanael and Bartholomew is the same person. Also, Bartholomew appears to be a surname since “bar” in Hebrew means “son of.” Some have concluded then that today we celebrate the Feast of Nathanael Bartholomew.
As interesting as the apostle’s name may be, we can commemorate him today for something more. He proclaims Jesus at first hearing as “Son of God and King of Israel.” As Jesus says, he is “without duplicity,” a straight shooter. He is also on the mark as he identifies Jesus correctly. At the end of John’s gospel another disciple, Thomas, will call Jesus “my Lord and my God.” But he will have the advantage of seeing him after the resurrection. Nathanael’s insight comes from his being, as Jesus says, “a true child of Israel,” who has faithfully waited for the Lord.
As Nathanael Bartholomew and all true Israelites waited for the coming of the Messiah, so we and all true Christians wait for him to come back. It might be a frustrating experience if we did not have some reason to believe that he is not far away. In fact, Jesus is present to us in the Eucharist where his Spirit nourishes and guides us. We still want him to reappear in human form to tell us secrets about ourselves, that are hidden from even our eyes, as he does Nathanael in the gospel.
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