Monday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
(Amos 2:6-10.13-16; Matthew 8:18-22)
“It’s the song the whole world over;
It’s the poor, what get the blame;
It’s the rich, what get the curry.
Ain’t it all a blooming shame.”
This folksong would have been as valid in the prophet Amos’ day just as it is in our own. Amos is outraged at the crimes he finds taking place in Samaria, the Northern Kingdom of Israel. He sees good men being sold into slavery as if they were cheap footwear (“a pair of sandals”) and peasants’ land being expropriated while they are “trampled into the dust.” The list goes on. In fact, Amos is not being intentionally imprecise when he says, “For three crimes of Israel and for four”; he is just indicating that the crimes against the poor are too numerous to be counted.
It is tempting to overlook this reading as prophetic rant and to proceed to Jesus’ more curious words, “the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” But such dismissal would ignore the very reason of Jesus’ urgency. He comes to restore righteousness not only to Israel but to the whole world. He tells his followers that they are brothers and sisters to all. These new relationships entail the obligation to create a society based on love, not just “live and let live” and much less “all for me and the hell with you.”
Friday, June 29, 2012
The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, apostles
(Acts 12:1-11; II Timothy 4:6-8.17-18; Matthew 16:13-19)
Looking at billboards promoting the United States Marines, a young man can hardly resist wanting to join the corps. The blue, white and red uniforms stand out like stars in the night sky calling one to dream. In the first reading from Acts today Peter is told to similarly dress smartly so that he might serve his Lord.
The words of the angel to Peter in prison echo the command that Jesus makes of him at the end of the Gospel of John. In both instances Peter’s dressing is mentioned and he is told to follow. John’s gospel says forebodingly that the words indicate the way Peter is to die. Evidently following Jesus means that he will die like the Lord. The command in Acts is more promising. The angel rescues Peter from execution at the hands of the Jewish intolerants although Peter still will die a martyr for Christ.
All of us are called to follow Jesus, but graciously this does not mean that we will not die in bed. We follow Jesus by living like him as much as we can and always living for him. We rise in the morning to proclaim his mercy. He is our reason for treating our neighbor fairly and our families tenderly. To see his face in death is the goal of our life. We answer with Peter when Jesus asks his disciples if they wish to leave him: “Master, to whom shall we go?”
(Acts 12:1-11; II Timothy 4:6-8.17-18; Matthew 16:13-19)
Looking at billboards promoting the United States Marines, a young man can hardly resist wanting to join the corps. The blue, white and red uniforms stand out like stars in the night sky calling one to dream. In the first reading from Acts today Peter is told to similarly dress smartly so that he might serve his Lord.
The words of the angel to Peter in prison echo the command that Jesus makes of him at the end of the Gospel of John. In both instances Peter’s dressing is mentioned and he is told to follow. John’s gospel says forebodingly that the words indicate the way Peter is to die. Evidently following Jesus means that he will die like the Lord. The command in Acts is more promising. The angel rescues Peter from execution at the hands of the Jewish intolerants although Peter still will die a martyr for Christ.
All of us are called to follow Jesus, but graciously this does not mean that we will not die in bed. We follow Jesus by living like him as much as we can and always living for him. We rise in the morning to proclaim his mercy. He is our reason for treating our neighbor fairly and our families tenderly. To see his face in death is the goal of our life. We answer with Peter when Jesus asks his disciples if they wish to leave him: “Master, to whom shall we go?”
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Memorial of Saint Irenaeus, bishop and martyr
(II Kings 24:8-17; Matthew 7:21-29)
A few years ago a man owning a two hundred year-old house in New England visited Rome. He was bragging a bit about his historic home in the States when it occurred to him that the building in which he was standing went back five hundred years!
In the gospel today Jesus names the condition for a house to remain standing in perpetuity. He says that it must be built upon rock and not upon sand. Of course, he is not concerned about buildings but about people. He means to tell us that if people seek fulfillment in eternal life -- or a fulfilling regular life for that matter -- then they should base their lives upon his words. Doing all that he commands in the Sermon on the Mount, which he completes in today’s reading, will assure his assistance in weathering any storm.
The first reading offers a demonstration of what Jesus is getting at. The dynasty to which Jehoiachin belongs falls because of lack of attention to the word of God. As the reading says, Jehoiachin and his forbears “did evil in the sight of the Lord.” Interestingly, dynasties are frequently called “houses” probably because the accumulated wealth is passed along from ancestor to descendant as if it were stored in a house. Anyway, if dynasties are to survive, just as if individuals are to find fulfillment, their inheritors must practice justice.
(II Kings 24:8-17; Matthew 7:21-29)
A few years ago a man owning a two hundred year-old house in New England visited Rome. He was bragging a bit about his historic home in the States when it occurred to him that the building in which he was standing went back five hundred years!
In the gospel today Jesus names the condition for a house to remain standing in perpetuity. He says that it must be built upon rock and not upon sand. Of course, he is not concerned about buildings but about people. He means to tell us that if people seek fulfillment in eternal life -- or a fulfilling regular life for that matter -- then they should base their lives upon his words. Doing all that he commands in the Sermon on the Mount, which he completes in today’s reading, will assure his assistance in weathering any storm.
The first reading offers a demonstration of what Jesus is getting at. The dynasty to which Jehoiachin belongs falls because of lack of attention to the word of God. As the reading says, Jehoiachin and his forbears “did evil in the sight of the Lord.” Interestingly, dynasties are frequently called “houses” probably because the accumulated wealth is passed along from ancestor to descendant as if it were stored in a house. Anyway, if dynasties are to survive, just as if individuals are to find fulfillment, their inheritors must practice justice.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
(II Kings 22:8-13.23:1-3; Matthew 7:15-20)
A covenant is a sacred contract in which both sides pledge loyalty to another. In Old Testament times they are made with stated imprecations against the party that breaks the agreements. For this reason in the first reading today the king takes serious the news his people have been lacking in their covenantal agreement with the Lord
The king in the passage is curiously never mentioned by name. He is Josiah who reigned in Judah from 640 – 609 B.C. Josiah tries to reform the people according to God’s law but is either killed in battle or assassinated (the record is unclear) before fulfilling his mission. The prophet Jeremiah praises Josiah as a model king who, in the words of one commentator, “lived simply, acted justly….and defended the poor.”
It is hard but not impossible to act righteously in times when people do not seem to care. King Josiah provides a model for us today when greed is rife and non-marital sexual gratification is considered as normal as eating chocolate mousse.
(II Kings 22:8-13.23:1-3; Matthew 7:15-20)
A covenant is a sacred contract in which both sides pledge loyalty to another. In Old Testament times they are made with stated imprecations against the party that breaks the agreements. For this reason in the first reading today the king takes serious the news his people have been lacking in their covenantal agreement with the Lord
The king in the passage is curiously never mentioned by name. He is Josiah who reigned in Judah from 640 – 609 B.C. Josiah tries to reform the people according to God’s law but is either killed in battle or assassinated (the record is unclear) before fulfilling his mission. The prophet Jeremiah praises Josiah as a model king who, in the words of one commentator, “lived simply, acted justly….and defended the poor.”
It is hard but not impossible to act righteously in times when people do not seem to care. King Josiah provides a model for us today when greed is rife and non-marital sexual gratification is considered as normal as eating chocolate mousse.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
(II Kings 19:9b-11.14-21.31-35a.36; Matthew 7:6.12-14)
Presidents of the United States these days like to mention God, but they don’t dwell at length about Him. They find it politically expedient to say something like, “God bless America,” but they are not likely to express anything near Abraham Lincoln’s sense of God’s involvement in national affairs. The sixteenth president said in his second inaugural address, “If we shall suppose that American Slavery is one of those offences which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South, this terrible war, as the woe due to those by whom the offence came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a Living God always ascribe to Him?” We might, however, find a Lincolnesque quality to Hezekiah’s dire prayer in the first reading today.
Judah is being besieged by the mighty army of Sennacherib of Assyria. Its cause seems hopeless, but somehow the king realizes that Israel’s only real hope has always been God. So he prays, “Therefore, O Lord our God, save us from the power of this man…” Quite astonishingly Judah is spared being overrun. Assyria’s forces are stricken by disease and withdraw.
Like Lincoln we are wise to remember that God does punish offenses. But it is even more urgent that we remember God’s care for His people like Hezekiah. We should pray regularly that we may be spared the severest consequences of our sins and that we may become more loving like God.
(II Kings 19:9b-11.14-21.31-35a.36; Matthew 7:6.12-14)
Presidents of the United States these days like to mention God, but they don’t dwell at length about Him. They find it politically expedient to say something like, “God bless America,” but they are not likely to express anything near Abraham Lincoln’s sense of God’s involvement in national affairs. The sixteenth president said in his second inaugural address, “If we shall suppose that American Slavery is one of those offences which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South, this terrible war, as the woe due to those by whom the offence came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a Living God always ascribe to Him?” We might, however, find a Lincolnesque quality to Hezekiah’s dire prayer in the first reading today.
Judah is being besieged by the mighty army of Sennacherib of Assyria. Its cause seems hopeless, but somehow the king realizes that Israel’s only real hope has always been God. So he prays, “Therefore, O Lord our God, save us from the power of this man…” Quite astonishingly Judah is spared being overrun. Assyria’s forces are stricken by disease and withdraw.
Like Lincoln we are wise to remember that God does punish offenses. But it is even more urgent that we remember God’s care for His people like Hezekiah. We should pray regularly that we may be spared the severest consequences of our sins and that we may become more loving like God.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
(II Kings 17:5-8.13-15a.18; Matthew 7:1-5)
Historian Paul Kennedy thinks that great powers fall because their military campaigns overstretch their economic resources. In contemporary times Kennedy’s theory has successfully predicted the fall of Russia and the rise of China. He warns the United States that it should better balance its military expenditures with economic investment if it is going to maintain a leadership position in the world. The first reading summarizes the story of the downfall of a power twenty-seven hundred years ago. The causes are not the same which Paul Kennedy gives, but a correspondence is noted.
The Kingdom of Israel (or Samaria), long separated from its sister kingdom of Judah, fell to the Assyrians in 722 B.C. Biblical writers ascribe the downfall to the sinfulness of the people. According to today’s passage, Israel worshipped the gods of the land’s original settlers and refused to abide by the covenant made with the Lord. They became undisciplined and divided – an easy prey for their powerful neighbors.
Seeing God’s hand in history is by nature a humble effort. Nations demonstrating righteousness do not always triumph. Others with sinister aims sometimes succeed. But we no longer consider God working through nations such as Israel or the United States. His promise to Abraham that his descendants would outnumber the stars of night has been transformed from that of a nation to that of a tradition of peoples professing a common faith. To be sure, it is far from fulfilled, but Christianity is gaining momentum in places. It possesses a coherent theological and moral basis that will continue to attract people.
(II Kings 17:5-8.13-15a.18; Matthew 7:1-5)
Historian Paul Kennedy thinks that great powers fall because their military campaigns overstretch their economic resources. In contemporary times Kennedy’s theory has successfully predicted the fall of Russia and the rise of China. He warns the United States that it should better balance its military expenditures with economic investment if it is going to maintain a leadership position in the world. The first reading summarizes the story of the downfall of a power twenty-seven hundred years ago. The causes are not the same which Paul Kennedy gives, but a correspondence is noted.
The Kingdom of Israel (or Samaria), long separated from its sister kingdom of Judah, fell to the Assyrians in 722 B.C. Biblical writers ascribe the downfall to the sinfulness of the people. According to today’s passage, Israel worshipped the gods of the land’s original settlers and refused to abide by the covenant made with the Lord. They became undisciplined and divided – an easy prey for their powerful neighbors.
Seeing God’s hand in history is by nature a humble effort. Nations demonstrating righteousness do not always triumph. Others with sinister aims sometimes succeed. But we no longer consider God working through nations such as Israel or the United States. His promise to Abraham that his descendants would outnumber the stars of night has been transformed from that of a nation to that of a tradition of peoples professing a common faith. To be sure, it is far from fulfilled, but Christianity is gaining momentum in places. It possesses a coherent theological and moral basis that will continue to attract people.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
(II Kings 11:1-4.9-18.20; Matthew 6:19-23)
Today’s first reading sounds like an episode of I, Claudius, the British television series exploring the intrigues of Roman emperors. The story tells of a woman’s revenge for the death of her son and the weaving of a plot to kill her husband’s other heirs. From a religious viewpoint, the evil is compounded by the woman’s pagan practices.
Athaliah is the daughter of the wicked Ahab and Jezebel of Samaria (Israel), and wife of Jeroram, king of Judah. When her husband and son are killed, Athaliah attempts to have all Jeroram’s other children slain so that she can rule Judah as queen. The scheme fails, however, when prince Joash, Ahaziah’s son, is rescued. Athaliah does rule Judah for six years, but eventually Joash is anointed king by the high priest Jehoiada, who has Athaliah killed. Zeal for the Lord with the attendant desire to have Judah rid of the idols moves Jehoiada to act ruthlessly with Athaliah.
The complicated story clashes with contemporary sensibility. We are astounded by the blatant disregard for human life. But the writers of Judah’s history are moved more by the supreme priority of maintaining the covenant with the Lord. It is incumbent upon us to see both values in tandem. We value human life so highly because of our devotion to God in whose image each human is made.
(II Kings 11:1-4.9-18.20; Matthew 6:19-23)
Today’s first reading sounds like an episode of I, Claudius, the British television series exploring the intrigues of Roman emperors. The story tells of a woman’s revenge for the death of her son and the weaving of a plot to kill her husband’s other heirs. From a religious viewpoint, the evil is compounded by the woman’s pagan practices.
Athaliah is the daughter of the wicked Ahab and Jezebel of Samaria (Israel), and wife of Jeroram, king of Judah. When her husband and son are killed, Athaliah attempts to have all Jeroram’s other children slain so that she can rule Judah as queen. The scheme fails, however, when prince Joash, Ahaziah’s son, is rescued. Athaliah does rule Judah for six years, but eventually Joash is anointed king by the high priest Jehoiada, who has Athaliah killed. Zeal for the Lord with the attendant desire to have Judah rid of the idols moves Jehoiada to act ruthlessly with Athaliah.
The complicated story clashes with contemporary sensibility. We are astounded by the blatant disregard for human life. But the writers of Judah’s history are moved more by the supreme priority of maintaining the covenant with the Lord. It is incumbent upon us to see both values in tandem. We value human life so highly because of our devotion to God in whose image each human is made.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, religious
(Sirach 48:1-14; Matthew 6:7-15)
Recently a number of liturgists from different Christian traditions approved an alternative translation of the Lord’s Prayer. There are no “thy’s” in the new version nor does it say of the Father “who art in heaven.” The experiment calls for “sins” to be forgiven, not “trespasses,” and prays to be saved from “the time of trial” and not to be led “not into temptation.”
The purpose of the experiment, no doubt, is to enable Christians to be more conscious of what they are saying when praying this quintessential Christian prayer. As Jesus in today’s gospel criticizes pagans for babbling in prayer, some Christians mindlessly repeat the words of the “Our Father.”
The alternative version still must be approved by the various traditions. This may take some doing as the traditional form is so embedded in people’s consciousness that mandating a change may cause a bitter reaction. Still we should be careful not to rattle off the words of the Lord’s Prayer as if they were a magic formula for attracting God’s attention. Rather we should say the words with deliberation always contemplating what they mean.
(Sirach 48:1-14; Matthew 6:7-15)
Recently a number of liturgists from different Christian traditions approved an alternative translation of the Lord’s Prayer. There are no “thy’s” in the new version nor does it say of the Father “who art in heaven.” The experiment calls for “sins” to be forgiven, not “trespasses,” and prays to be saved from “the time of trial” and not to be led “not into temptation.”
The purpose of the experiment, no doubt, is to enable Christians to be more conscious of what they are saying when praying this quintessential Christian prayer. As Jesus in today’s gospel criticizes pagans for babbling in prayer, some Christians mindlessly repeat the words of the “Our Father.”
The alternative version still must be approved by the various traditions. This may take some doing as the traditional form is so embedded in people’s consciousness that mandating a change may cause a bitter reaction. Still we should be careful not to rattle off the words of the Lord’s Prayer as if they were a magic formula for attracting God’s attention. Rather we should say the words with deliberation always contemplating what they mean.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
(II Kings 2:1.6-14; Matthew 6:1-6.16-18)
“Is there a Santa Claus?” children ask. If they are old enough, one might answer, “It depends what you mean by Santa.” Santa Claus is not a man who lives at the North Pole and takes toys to every boy and girl on Christmas Eve. But Santa Claus may be thought of as God Himself who loves every child so much that He moves hundreds of millions of parents to express His affection. The story of Elijah’s assumption into heaven told in the first reading may be seen in a similar way.
It is a fantastic tale. The old Elijah is walking along with his young companion when a flaming chariot sweeps him into heaven. Although biblical literalists consider it historical, more probably Elijah’s assumption is a figurative way of saying that he dies in God’s favor, perhaps with horses pulling his casket to its burial place. The Old Testament is filled with such wondrous testimony – Methuselah living almost a thousand years or Ezekiel bringing dry bones to life.
We should not be either defensive of or disillusioned by the story of Elijah’s assumption. Demythologizing it will not backslide into forsaking belief in Christ’s resurrection. Much of the Old Testament serves as a type for the New. What is presented there hints at what is to come in Christ. Elijah, living more than eight hundred years before Christ, confirms the righteousness of God. His leaving a double portion of his spirit on Elisha foreshadows Jesus’ sending the Holy Spirit with marvelous powers on his disciples.
(II Kings 2:1.6-14; Matthew 6:1-6.16-18)
“Is there a Santa Claus?” children ask. If they are old enough, one might answer, “It depends what you mean by Santa.” Santa Claus is not a man who lives at the North Pole and takes toys to every boy and girl on Christmas Eve. But Santa Claus may be thought of as God Himself who loves every child so much that He moves hundreds of millions of parents to express His affection. The story of Elijah’s assumption into heaven told in the first reading may be seen in a similar way.
It is a fantastic tale. The old Elijah is walking along with his young companion when a flaming chariot sweeps him into heaven. Although biblical literalists consider it historical, more probably Elijah’s assumption is a figurative way of saying that he dies in God’s favor, perhaps with horses pulling his casket to its burial place. The Old Testament is filled with such wondrous testimony – Methuselah living almost a thousand years or Ezekiel bringing dry bones to life.
We should not be either defensive of or disillusioned by the story of Elijah’s assumption. Demythologizing it will not backslide into forsaking belief in Christ’s resurrection. Much of the Old Testament serves as a type for the New. What is presented there hints at what is to come in Christ. Elijah, living more than eight hundred years before Christ, confirms the righteousness of God. His leaving a double portion of his spirit on Elisha foreshadows Jesus’ sending the Holy Spirit with marvelous powers on his disciples.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
(I Kings 21:17-29; Matthew 5:43-48)
Biblical theologian John Meier finds Jesus’ command, “Love your enemy,” as unique. He examines all Jewish and pagan literature before and during Jesus’ lifetime without locating any equivalent saying. For Meier this indicates that the words come directly from Jesus. That is, he is convinced that the command could not have been borrowed from another source and attributed to Jesus as “the kind of thing he would say.” The phrase may be jarring to many who hear it for the first time but perhaps not as much so as the last command in today’s passage is to many contemporary Christians.
Jesus tells his disciples to “’be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.’” Now wise men have opined that perfection is the enemy of the good. And mothers warn their children that only God is perfect and that humans have to accept themselves as given to error. But Jesus remains unsparing in his command. His disciples are to become like God in their relations with others; that is they must be kind to everyone.
Before putting aside Jesus’ command as impossible, impractical, or self-detrimental, we need to consider what Jesus is offering with these dictates. He sends us the Holy Spirit which does not merely help us but transforms us. We are no longer crippled by sin but walk as God’s children capable of emulating His goodness much like Bach’s children wrote music approaching the glory of their father’s work.
(I Kings 21:17-29; Matthew 5:43-48)
Biblical theologian John Meier finds Jesus’ command, “Love your enemy,” as unique. He examines all Jewish and pagan literature before and during Jesus’ lifetime without locating any equivalent saying. For Meier this indicates that the words come directly from Jesus. That is, he is convinced that the command could not have been borrowed from another source and attributed to Jesus as “the kind of thing he would say.” The phrase may be jarring to many who hear it for the first time but perhaps not as much so as the last command in today’s passage is to many contemporary Christians.
Jesus tells his disciples to “’be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.’” Now wise men have opined that perfection is the enemy of the good. And mothers warn their children that only God is perfect and that humans have to accept themselves as given to error. But Jesus remains unsparing in his command. His disciples are to become like God in their relations with others; that is they must be kind to everyone.
Before putting aside Jesus’ command as impossible, impractical, or self-detrimental, we need to consider what Jesus is offering with these dictates. He sends us the Holy Spirit which does not merely help us but transforms us. We are no longer crippled by sin but walk as God’s children capable of emulating His goodness much like Bach’s children wrote music approaching the glory of their father’s work.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
(I Kings 21:1-16; Matthew 5:38-42)
Two women come to the rectory door asking five dollars for gas. The older one explains that she needs to take the other, her daughter, to the hospital but has no gas. What should the priest do? It is a small sum, but perhaps enough for a snort of cocaine. The priest sends the women to the parish office where the secretary will call a courtesy service that provides rides for people with emergency needs. Yet he wonders if he is resisting Jesus’ directive in the gospel today.
Jesus tells his disciples to “’give to the one who asks of you…’” He certainly is making a radical demand. Anyone who gives to all who make requests will soon find his/her resources exhausted. Yet this is the new way of living that Jesus presents. Followers will heed his words as best they can and give away their materials assets for the blessings of God’s kingdom.
Following Jesus means denying ourselves in ways that some will consider self-destructive. But reaching the fullness of Christian generosity should be seen as a gradual process that avoids harm to self. Hopefully as we grow older we will more freely make sacrifices for the good of others. This last item is relevant. We cannot be mindless in our generosity but always seek the true good of our beneficiaries.
(I Kings 21:1-16; Matthew 5:38-42)
Two women come to the rectory door asking five dollars for gas. The older one explains that she needs to take the other, her daughter, to the hospital but has no gas. What should the priest do? It is a small sum, but perhaps enough for a snort of cocaine. The priest sends the women to the parish office where the secretary will call a courtesy service that provides rides for people with emergency needs. Yet he wonders if he is resisting Jesus’ directive in the gospel today.
Jesus tells his disciples to “’give to the one who asks of you…’” He certainly is making a radical demand. Anyone who gives to all who make requests will soon find his/her resources exhausted. Yet this is the new way of living that Jesus presents. Followers will heed his words as best they can and give away their materials assets for the blessings of God’s kingdom.
Following Jesus means denying ourselves in ways that some will consider self-destructive. But reaching the fullness of Christian generosity should be seen as a gradual process that avoids harm to self. Hopefully as we grow older we will more freely make sacrifices for the good of others. This last item is relevant. We cannot be mindless in our generosity but always seek the true good of our beneficiaries.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
(Hosea 11:1.3-4.8-9; Ephesians 3:8-12.14-19; John 19:31-37)
For forty years people have understood the meaning of the heart in “I (heart)New York” souvenirs. No one would suggest that it resembles the quality of love found in the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Where love for New York (or other locales that have copied the popular idea) is strictly self-aggrandizing, the Sacred Heart exhibits sacrificial love for its beholder.
Today’s gospel portrays the origin of the wound in the Sacred Heart. Hanging lifeless on the cross, Jesus’ side is lanced by a Roman soldier. The act is not intentionally brutal, but only indicates that Jesus is really dead. More to the point, by emitting blood and water the wound reveals that Jesus has loved his followers from the deepest part of his heart. No one’s sacrifice for another could be more complete.
We are always tempted to think of our love for God and neighbor as most consequential. Such a mindset, however, is misguided if not arrogant. Yes, we are to love the Lord and others but our love can be only a shadow of His love for us. That love, which neither tires nor chills, is redeeming and most consoling.
(Hosea 11:1.3-4.8-9; Ephesians 3:8-12.14-19; John 19:31-37)
For forty years people have understood the meaning of the heart in “I (heart)New York” souvenirs. No one would suggest that it resembles the quality of love found in the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Where love for New York (or other locales that have copied the popular idea) is strictly self-aggrandizing, the Sacred Heart exhibits sacrificial love for its beholder.
Today’s gospel portrays the origin of the wound in the Sacred Heart. Hanging lifeless on the cross, Jesus’ side is lanced by a Roman soldier. The act is not intentionally brutal, but only indicates that Jesus is really dead. More to the point, by emitting blood and water the wound reveals that Jesus has loved his followers from the deepest part of his heart. No one’s sacrifice for another could be more complete.
We are always tempted to think of our love for God and neighbor as most consequential. Such a mindset, however, is misguided if not arrogant. Yes, we are to love the Lord and others but our love can be only a shadow of His love for us. That love, which neither tires nor chills, is redeeming and most consoling.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Thursday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
(I Kings 18:41-46; Matthew 5:20-26)
The seven sacraments use the most ordinary of objects to relate God’s presence. Water, bread, wine, oil, the human body: one does not have to go far to find the stuff that conveys eternal life. Similarly in the first reading God’s work is manifested in the simplest of forms on the horizon.
Elijah’s servant spies a wisp of a cloud in the distance. It seems hardly probably that it will produce the rain that the earth craves at the time. But just as the Lord speaks later in the saga of Elijah through a gentle breeze, the cloud grows into a thunderhead that revives the parched land.
We should not expect God to approach us in grandeur. Indeed, it is much more characteristic of Him to come to us humbly. We faithfully wait on Him by keeping His commandments and speaking to Him in prayer.
(I Kings 18:41-46; Matthew 5:20-26)
The seven sacraments use the most ordinary of objects to relate God’s presence. Water, bread, wine, oil, the human body: one does not have to go far to find the stuff that conveys eternal life. Similarly in the first reading God’s work is manifested in the simplest of forms on the horizon.
Elijah’s servant spies a wisp of a cloud in the distance. It seems hardly probably that it will produce the rain that the earth craves at the time. But just as the Lord speaks later in the saga of Elijah through a gentle breeze, the cloud grows into a thunderhead that revives the parched land.
We should not expect God to approach us in grandeur. Indeed, it is much more characteristic of Him to come to us humbly. We faithfully wait on Him by keeping His commandments and speaking to Him in prayer.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, priest and doctor of the Church
(I Kings 18:20-39; Matthew 5:17-19)
“Dear St. Anthony, look around,” Catholics have long prayed for lost objects. Theologically, the prayer requests the saint's intercession with God so that in His Providence they may locate whatever has been misplaced. Most often, it seems, the objects are indeed found. Such a beneficent force is at work in the first reading today.
Elijah is contemptuous of the indigenous god Baal precisely because the god has no real existence. The prophet’s aim is to reconnect the people with their true God. Because their enchantment with falsity runs deep, the antidote must be strong. Elijah first allows Baal’s own prophets to come out in force and exhort their god to act. When Baal fails to produce the desired fire, Elijah has both his sacrifice and the wood to burn it doused with water before he singlehandedly calls on Israel’s Lord to send a thunderbolt. The prayer is answered, and the people return, at least for a while, to worship the true God.
We may feel silly praying for an incidental object that we cannot find. But is it not sillier to curse the object because we do not know what we have done with it? Such prayers turn us to God whom we need more than air or water. And, yes, it is hardly a coincidence that after such prayers we almost always find what we are looking for.
(I Kings 18:20-39; Matthew 5:17-19)
“Dear St. Anthony, look around,” Catholics have long prayed for lost objects. Theologically, the prayer requests the saint's intercession with God so that in His Providence they may locate whatever has been misplaced. Most often, it seems, the objects are indeed found. Such a beneficent force is at work in the first reading today.
Elijah is contemptuous of the indigenous god Baal precisely because the god has no real existence. The prophet’s aim is to reconnect the people with their true God. Because their enchantment with falsity runs deep, the antidote must be strong. Elijah first allows Baal’s own prophets to come out in force and exhort their god to act. When Baal fails to produce the desired fire, Elijah has both his sacrifice and the wood to burn it doused with water before he singlehandedly calls on Israel’s Lord to send a thunderbolt. The prayer is answered, and the people return, at least for a while, to worship the true God.
We may feel silly praying for an incidental object that we cannot find. But is it not sillier to curse the object because we do not know what we have done with it? Such prayers turn us to God whom we need more than air or water. And, yes, it is hardly a coincidence that after such prayers we almost always find what we are looking for.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
(I king 17:7-16; Matthew 5:13-16)
According to social philosopher David Brooks people today like to think of themselves as good. Yet they find themselves, as always, giving in to selfishness and other vices. How do they live with the contradiction? They mix and match trying to keep themselves on the positive side of the moral ledger. For example, they may justify taking $20 they see lying on the floor but turn in a wallet with $100 by saying that the $100 obviously belonged to somebody. Such moral calculus hardly approaches what Jesus has in mind in the gospel today.
Jesus wants his disciples to be perfect. They are to give good example and, indeed, attract others by their moral rectitude. In fact, they are to live in such exemplary ways that their neighbors will thank God for having them in their midst.
We should never justify immoral acts by saying that everyone does them. The statement is false and in any case does not live up to Jesus’ expectations. Some moralists criticize using as a guide to good behavior, “What would Jesus do?” Perhaps it is difficult to extrapolate Jesus’ actions in modern society. But we can certainly ask, “What does Jesus want us to do?” We hear him telling us in the gospel today to act as a model for everyone to follow.
(I king 17:7-16; Matthew 5:13-16)
According to social philosopher David Brooks people today like to think of themselves as good. Yet they find themselves, as always, giving in to selfishness and other vices. How do they live with the contradiction? They mix and match trying to keep themselves on the positive side of the moral ledger. For example, they may justify taking $20 they see lying on the floor but turn in a wallet with $100 by saying that the $100 obviously belonged to somebody. Such moral calculus hardly approaches what Jesus has in mind in the gospel today.
Jesus wants his disciples to be perfect. They are to give good example and, indeed, attract others by their moral rectitude. In fact, they are to live in such exemplary ways that their neighbors will thank God for having them in their midst.
We should never justify immoral acts by saying that everyone does them. The statement is false and in any case does not live up to Jesus’ expectations. Some moralists criticize using as a guide to good behavior, “What would Jesus do?” Perhaps it is difficult to extrapolate Jesus’ actions in modern society. But we can certainly ask, “What does Jesus want us to do?” We hear him telling us in the gospel today to act as a model for everyone to follow.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Memorial of Saint Barnabas, apostle
(Acts 11:21b-26.13:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12)
The patriots of the American Revolution risked their lives and their fortunes in order to establish the new nation. Surely George Washington and John Adams would have been hung for treason had they not prevailed in their cause. Today the Church honors one of the patriots of the faith. Although he was not a disciple of Jesus, St. Barnabas joined the Christian community in its infancy and gave himself for its growth.
Barnabas is first mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles as Joseph, a Jew from Cyprus. He is the man who sells some property he owns and gives all the proceeds to the apostles. He becomes the emissary of the Jerusalem community to Antioch where pagan Greeks are turning to faith in Jesus. His name is translated by the author of Acts as “son of encouragement” as if to say that he is the indicated person for the work because of a sunny temperament. Perhaps his congeniality makes him the right person to investigate the strange news from Damascus that Saul, formerly the terror of Tarsus, has converted to Christ. Barnabas will accompany the newly named Paul until, according to Acts, his willingness to overlook a fellow traveler’s indiscretion clashes with Paul’s apostolic discipline.
Obviously, Barnabas has much to teach us. Generosity, friendliness, and dedication are indispensable on the Christian journey. Most of all, perhaps, Barnabas models Christian hope. We do not place ultimate stock in what we acquire for ourselves. No, God has graced us immeasurably in Christ. What we do merely reflects His goodness and propels us closer to Him.
(Acts 11:21b-26.13:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12)
The patriots of the American Revolution risked their lives and their fortunes in order to establish the new nation. Surely George Washington and John Adams would have been hung for treason had they not prevailed in their cause. Today the Church honors one of the patriots of the faith. Although he was not a disciple of Jesus, St. Barnabas joined the Christian community in its infancy and gave himself for its growth.
Barnabas is first mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles as Joseph, a Jew from Cyprus. He is the man who sells some property he owns and gives all the proceeds to the apostles. He becomes the emissary of the Jerusalem community to Antioch where pagan Greeks are turning to faith in Jesus. His name is translated by the author of Acts as “son of encouragement” as if to say that he is the indicated person for the work because of a sunny temperament. Perhaps his congeniality makes him the right person to investigate the strange news from Damascus that Saul, formerly the terror of Tarsus, has converted to Christ. Barnabas will accompany the newly named Paul until, according to Acts, his willingness to overlook a fellow traveler’s indiscretion clashes with Paul’s apostolic discipline.
Obviously, Barnabas has much to teach us. Generosity, friendliness, and dedication are indispensable on the Christian journey. Most of all, perhaps, Barnabas models Christian hope. We do not place ultimate stock in what we acquire for ourselves. No, God has graced us immeasurably in Christ. What we do merely reflects His goodness and propels us closer to Him.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Friday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
(II Timothy 3:10-17; Mark 12:35-37)
A Protestant layman once told a Catholic priest how much he envied him. The layman said that he would love to have meditation on Scripture his life’s work. Lay people can, of course, study Scripture, but their efforts are almost exclusively an avocation. Priests and Protestant ministers, on the other hand, make their careers deriving Scripture’s meaning and conveying their understanding to others in an appealing way.
St. Paul in the first reading today shows the highest regard for Scripture. He knows that it provides rich soil to root one’s life in. He exhorts Timothy, as the leader of a community, to find nourishment in Scripture. Working with it, he will find success as God’s minister as well as support as a vulnerable human being.
In fact, reflecting on Scripture daily, like a balanced diet enhanced by omega-3 fatty acids, will enrich anyone’s life. We cannot read it like Italians drink coffee in one gulp. Rather, more like cognac, Scripture should be read slowly and savored. It will leave behind an appreciation of life that will see us through both rough times and good.
(II Timothy 3:10-17; Mark 12:35-37)
A Protestant layman once told a Catholic priest how much he envied him. The layman said that he would love to have meditation on Scripture his life’s work. Lay people can, of course, study Scripture, but their efforts are almost exclusively an avocation. Priests and Protestant ministers, on the other hand, make their careers deriving Scripture’s meaning and conveying their understanding to others in an appealing way.
St. Paul in the first reading today shows the highest regard for Scripture. He knows that it provides rich soil to root one’s life in. He exhorts Timothy, as the leader of a community, to find nourishment in Scripture. Working with it, he will find success as God’s minister as well as support as a vulnerable human being.
In fact, reflecting on Scripture daily, like a balanced diet enhanced by omega-3 fatty acids, will enrich anyone’s life. We cannot read it like Italians drink coffee in one gulp. Rather, more like cognac, Scripture should be read slowly and savored. It will leave behind an appreciation of life that will see us through both rough times and good.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Thursday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
(II Timothy 2:8-15; Mark 12:28-34)
There is a story about a holy man who was journeying through a forest. As he was preparing to spend the night, a robber approached and demanded that the holy man hand over his most valuable possession. The holy man without hesitation reached into his bag to pull out a diamond as large as a grapefruit. He gave it to the robber saying, "You must mean this." The robber took the diamond and happily went his way. Not long afterwards, however, he returned to the holy man. "Now," he said, "give me the treasure that made it so easy for you to hand over that diamond."
The greater treasure that makes a person capable of letting go of all material objects is God. He provides for peoples’ material needs and gives them hope for eternal happiness. Love for God has a diffusive quality which explains the apparent conflict in Jesus' dual commandment in today's gospel. People can love God with all their heart and still love their neighbor because love for God, the source and ground of all being, includes the responsibility to care about His creation.
It is not easy to love God. As human beings dependent upon material creation, we easily forget the spiritual creator. Still devoting our time and energy to prayer, we will fulfill Jesus' first commandment and if we do that, it is no great hurdle to love our neighbors.
(II Timothy 2:8-15; Mark 12:28-34)
There is a story about a holy man who was journeying through a forest. As he was preparing to spend the night, a robber approached and demanded that the holy man hand over his most valuable possession. The holy man without hesitation reached into his bag to pull out a diamond as large as a grapefruit. He gave it to the robber saying, "You must mean this." The robber took the diamond and happily went his way. Not long afterwards, however, he returned to the holy man. "Now," he said, "give me the treasure that made it so easy for you to hand over that diamond."
The greater treasure that makes a person capable of letting go of all material objects is God. He provides for peoples’ material needs and gives them hope for eternal happiness. Love for God has a diffusive quality which explains the apparent conflict in Jesus' dual commandment in today's gospel. People can love God with all their heart and still love their neighbor because love for God, the source and ground of all being, includes the responsibility to care about His creation.
It is not easy to love God. As human beings dependent upon material creation, we easily forget the spiritual creator. Still devoting our time and energy to prayer, we will fulfill Jesus' first commandment and if we do that, it is no great hurdle to love our neighbors.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Wednesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
II Timothy 1:1-3.6-12; Mark 12:18-27)
In A Grief Observed, his memoir of dealing with the death of his wife, C.S. Lewis exhibits no euphoria about eventual reunion. He almost dismisses the idea saying that it is not biblical and, in any case, cannot be a replay of earthly bliss. In this remark Lewis reflects the surprising teaching of Jesus in today’s gospel.
The context of the passage is a debate between Jesus and a group of Sadducees, the priestly party which does not believe in the resurrection of the dead. The Sadducees propose to Jesus an almost ridiculous scenario of seven brothers marrying in succession the same woman in order to give the first brother-husband an heir. Then they pose the question, “’At the resurrection when they arise, whose wife shall she be?’’’ Jesus responds that the Sadducees misunderstand the nature of resurrected life where marriage between man and woman does not exist.
Although Christians eagerly look forward to eternal life, it is best that we not try to describe it. Saying that it is like an eternal honeymoon seems to conflict with what Jesus is saying here. Describing it as an eternal liturgy is likely to take away many people’s interest. The idea of an eternal banquet may raise more interest, but sound theologians have commented that there is no corporal satiation in heaven. We just don’t know what eternal life is like, yet we do know that it is eminently worth striving for.
II Timothy 1:1-3.6-12; Mark 12:18-27)
In A Grief Observed, his memoir of dealing with the death of his wife, C.S. Lewis exhibits no euphoria about eventual reunion. He almost dismisses the idea saying that it is not biblical and, in any case, cannot be a replay of earthly bliss. In this remark Lewis reflects the surprising teaching of Jesus in today’s gospel.
The context of the passage is a debate between Jesus and a group of Sadducees, the priestly party which does not believe in the resurrection of the dead. The Sadducees propose to Jesus an almost ridiculous scenario of seven brothers marrying in succession the same woman in order to give the first brother-husband an heir. Then they pose the question, “’At the resurrection when they arise, whose wife shall she be?’’’ Jesus responds that the Sadducees misunderstand the nature of resurrected life where marriage between man and woman does not exist.
Although Christians eagerly look forward to eternal life, it is best that we not try to describe it. Saying that it is like an eternal honeymoon seems to conflict with what Jesus is saying here. Describing it as an eternal liturgy is likely to take away many people’s interest. The idea of an eternal banquet may raise more interest, but sound theologians have commented that there is no corporal satiation in heaven. We just don’t know what eternal life is like, yet we do know that it is eminently worth striving for.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Memorial of Saint Boniface, bishop and martyr
(2 Peter 3:12-15a.17-18; Mark 12:13-17)
Saint Boniface confronted many challenges in a long career. He was an English monk who served for a while as both a resident scholar and administrator of an abbey school. At forty he became a missionary in what is now northern Netherlands and eventually was named by Pope Gregory the Great as bishop of Germany where he was to preach to non-Christians. He baptized thousands, ordained and organized the hierarchy of Germany, and founded a famous monastery at Fulda. He was martyred as he was preparing to confirm German converts. The gospel today pictures Jesus in Jerusalem as facing the first of a similar series of challenges.
Jesus is confronted by an odd mixture of Pharisees and Herodians. His adversaries place him on the horns of the ancient dilemma of who is owed allegiance—God or the state. Jesus sagely calls for a middle way. He tells his challengers that people should pay the state its proper tribute and God His. In other words, they are to keep the two distinct. There is no inherent conflict.
Sometimes, however, the interests of Church and state come to loggerheads. Such is the case in the present standoff between the Obama Administration and the Catholic Church on the issue of mandating the payment of health insurance that includes contraceptive services. Of course, the Church gives a priority to God’s law. It seems hardly possible that it may pay for a morally offensive service.
(2 Peter 3:12-15a.17-18; Mark 12:13-17)
Saint Boniface confronted many challenges in a long career. He was an English monk who served for a while as both a resident scholar and administrator of an abbey school. At forty he became a missionary in what is now northern Netherlands and eventually was named by Pope Gregory the Great as bishop of Germany where he was to preach to non-Christians. He baptized thousands, ordained and organized the hierarchy of Germany, and founded a famous monastery at Fulda. He was martyred as he was preparing to confirm German converts. The gospel today pictures Jesus in Jerusalem as facing the first of a similar series of challenges.
Jesus is confronted by an odd mixture of Pharisees and Herodians. His adversaries place him on the horns of the ancient dilemma of who is owed allegiance—God or the state. Jesus sagely calls for a middle way. He tells his challengers that people should pay the state its proper tribute and God His. In other words, they are to keep the two distinct. There is no inherent conflict.
Sometimes, however, the interests of Church and state come to loggerheads. Such is the case in the present standoff between the Obama Administration and the Catholic Church on the issue of mandating the payment of health insurance that includes contraceptive services. Of course, the Church gives a priority to God’s law. It seems hardly possible that it may pay for a morally offensive service.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Monday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary time
(2 Peter 1:2-7; Mark 12:1-12)
The Greek language has different words for love. Love is eros when it is acquisitive of one’s own benefit. Lovers are known for this kind of love. Love is charis when it seeks mutual spiritual benefit. Charis is characteristic of love between friends who count on one another in thick and thin. The purest kind of love is agape. Agape seeks nothing for oneself but only the other’s betterment because the other already possesses some good. God loves humans out of agape. The reading from Peter today offers Christians a strategy for developing perfect love.
But it must be said that agape is not strictly a human enterprise. God’s grace must precede it as the author indicates in the initial verse. Still it requires effort, not to complement God’s work but to live it. In a series of calls to mounting sacrifice – virtue, knowledge, self-control, endurance, devotion, and mutual affection -- Peter shows his readers how their faith can end in perfect love or agape.
Some may balk at Peter’s call. The goal, after all, is not the accumulation of either fortune or fun. Many will begin the quest and flag along the way because of the increasing difficulty of the challenge. We hope to persevere – to become saints like Jesus himself. But if we too falter in the trial, we still can turn to Jesus for mercy.
(2 Peter 1:2-7; Mark 12:1-12)
The Greek language has different words for love. Love is eros when it is acquisitive of one’s own benefit. Lovers are known for this kind of love. Love is charis when it seeks mutual spiritual benefit. Charis is characteristic of love between friends who count on one another in thick and thin. The purest kind of love is agape. Agape seeks nothing for oneself but only the other’s betterment because the other already possesses some good. God loves humans out of agape. The reading from Peter today offers Christians a strategy for developing perfect love.
But it must be said that agape is not strictly a human enterprise. God’s grace must precede it as the author indicates in the initial verse. Still it requires effort, not to complement God’s work but to live it. In a series of calls to mounting sacrifice – virtue, knowledge, self-control, endurance, devotion, and mutual affection -- Peter shows his readers how their faith can end in perfect love or agape.
Some may balk at Peter’s call. The goal, after all, is not the accumulation of either fortune or fun. Many will begin the quest and flag along the way because of the increasing difficulty of the challenge. We hope to persevere – to become saints like Jesus himself. But if we too falter in the trial, we still can turn to Jesus for mercy.
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