Friday of the Third Week in
Ordinary Time
Thursday, January 31, 2019
Memorial of Saint
John Bosco, priest
(Hebrews 10:19-25; Mark 4:21-25)
The word scandal
comes from the Latin scandalum which
means stumbling block or trap. Those who
give scandal cause other people to fall into error. They entice others to behave badly. Beyond the hurt it has caused, scandal makes
the sexual abuse perpetrated by priests especially opprobrious. Priests not only victimized defenseless
children. As preachers of Jesus Christ,
they have caused many people to disregard the graces he bestowed.
Today’s gospel gives a hint of Jesus’ importance. He is the lamp that is to make everything
visible. By the light of Jesus human
beings are to judge the good or evil of everything. Those who use this light appropriately will
gain wisdom beyond their mental capacities.
Those who reject it will lose the benefit of their natural wisdom.
Today’s celebrated saint, John Bosco, appropriated well the
light of Jesus. He urged his religious congregation
to follow Christ in treating the boys in their charge. He said that they are to show the same
patience to the boys as Jesus showed to his disciples. As Jesus put up with his disciples’ ignorance
and roughness, so should Salesians bear with the orphans. There is wisdom for all of us here. Like Jesus, we should correct others gently
when it is necessary. We want to give the
example of Jesus’ gentleness and kindness to poor sinners.
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Wednesday of the Third
Week in Ordinary Time
(Hebrews 10:11-18; Mark 4:1-20)
Anyone familiar with the New Yorker magazine remembers a favorite cartoon that was used on
its cover. The drawing shows a man dressed
in a fashionable coat with a tall top hat.
He is examining a butterfly with his monocle as if he were seeing one
for the first time. The man seems
totally unfamiliar with nature. He would
probably not understand Jesus’ parable in today’s gospel. It would sound to him like a discussion in a
foreign language.
In the passage Jesus explains that the parables are not
intended for everyone. He implies rather
that they are meant for the poor in spirit who can appreciate the chore of
growing food. These people would
naturally pick up on his comparison of the word of God with seeds being
planted. They would realize that some hearers
of the word are never touched by it because of sinful inclinations in their
makeup. This is like the seed that is
sown in places where it cannot grow to produce fruit. They would also be aware that a harvest of a
hundredfold is tremendous. It is like the
person who has become a saint.
We should not be bothered if we have difficulty
understanding Jesus’ parable. Even his
disciples needed an explanation. But we
should try to profit from his explanation.
We need to be careful not to be led astray by new ideas that distort the
gospel message. Similarly, we should not
allow ourselves to be caught up in pleasures and vain pursuits of life. Also, we want to allow the word of God to take
root and grow by prayer and study. In
these ways we too will hopefully become saints.
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Tuesday of the
Third Week in Ordinary Time
(Hebrews 10:1-10; Mark 3:31-35)
The author of the Letter to the Hebrews tries to convince
his readers to stay with the Church. Some
were likely reverting to Judaism. In
today’s reading the author argues that Christ’s sacrifice was much more
effective than those offered in the Temple.
After all, it says, Christ did what the Scriptures claim that God
wants. He fulfilled the will of God.
Today many Catholics are likewise leaving the
Church. Arguments using Scripture will
probably not hold them close. Perhaps the
beauty of Church art or music keeps some from going. Others might stay because of saints like
Mother Teresa. But most of all, people remain
Catholic because of the fellowship they enjoy in the parish. They appreciate their relationships with other
members as well as with priests and other ministers. In a world adrift, they find themselves
solidly anchored near an island of caring.
Those reading these homilettes have a critical role in
keeping these people moored. They have freely
to share not Bible stories but their lived experiences. They should listen to others’ needs and describe
how theirs have been met through faith.
In doing so, they will exhibit love and inspire hope. Humans find it difficult to walk away from these
intangibles which they most deeply desire.
Monday, January 28, 2019
Saint Thomas
Aquinas, priest and doctor of the Church
(Hebrews 9:15.24-28; Mark 3:22-30)
In Thomas Aquinas’ “Prayer before Study” the saint asks
the Lord for light. He sees himself
engulfed by a twofold darkness – ignorance and sin. The first obscurity regards all the reality
which his mind has not grasped. Aquinas is
said to have known everything that was known at the time. But perhaps, like Socrates, he knew that
there were oceans of knowledge still to be learned. The second darkness is even thicker. Sin often infects the mind so that one thinks
he has answers to all questions or, at least, all the questions that are
important. We may liken these two obscurities
to the strongman which Jesus speaks of in today’s gospel.
Jesus’ parable astounds the person who considers it. He compares himself to a thief! Moreover, he says, the world is like a
household and the devil like a strong man controlling it. Jesus binds the
strong man by expelling demons. His aim
is to set the people of the household free.
He condemns anyone who would criticize his work but not because he takes
personal offense. No, Jesus is concerned
that his critics are preventing people from being liberated.
The struggle for liberation carries on today. Sometimes we act like we do not want to be
set free. This is true of petty sins
like being “know it alls” as well as more scandalous ones. Jesus has come to liberate us from all vices. Let’s not prevent him from doing so.
Friday, January 25, 2019
Feast of the
Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle
(Acts 22:3-16; Mark 16:15-18)
Today ends the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. “What’s that?” many people ask, even people
who come to church regularly. The Week
of Prayer for Christian Unity was established over a hundred years ago. It addresses the contradiction of Jesus’ church
being divided up as if it were an indigenous territory that was parceled in a
land rush. In the Gospel of John Jesus
prays: “’…that all of them may be one as You, Father, are in me, and I am in
you’” (John 17:21). As it now stands,
Christians are no more one than the colors of the rainbow.
The Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul closes the week
of prayer. It is worthwhile to ponder
why. Of course, Paul is universally
admired. Protestants see his insight of “salvation
by faith in Christ” as particularly critical to Christian self-understanding,
which it is. Catholic priests and sisters
have made Paul their model in the profession of celibacy. But a deeper reason explains the choice of
Paul as the patron of unity. As the name
of the feast indicates, Paul underwent conversion. He changed his mind and heart. He was the persecutor of Christ who became
his greater promoter. Something like Paul’s
conversion must take place in Christians if there is ever to be unity.
The conversion called for here is akin to the change of
heart preached every Lent. We must
humble ourselves before God and one another.
We must not think of ourselves as better than others because we are traditional
Catholics or “everyone’s welcome” Protestants.
Rather we must listen to Christ speaking through one another. And we must bend to accept one another as a
brother or sister. We cannot compromise
fundamental principles for a superficial unity.
But we can establish partnerships that transcend differences.
Thursday, January 24, 2019
Memorial of Saint
Francis de Sales, bishop and doctor of the Church
(Hebrews 7:25-8:6; Mark 3:7-12)
St. Francis de Sales lived at a particularly difficult time
in Church history. Protestantism had rent
Western Christianity in pieces. At his
death the Thirty Years War was eviscerating the faith of evangelical love. In the particularly contentious Swiss nation
Francis preached reconciliation. His early
understanding of a universal call to holiness would serve this end. In the
Introduction to the Devout Life he wrote that all Christians are called to sanctity. All Christians without exception have to pray
as well as avoid wrongdoing and love their enemies.
A parallel message is given in today’s first
reading. The Letter to the Hebrews
describes Jesus as “holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners,…” In fact, all Christians are called to
holiness because Jesus is holy. Likewise,
all Christians are priests because they share in Jesus’ high priesthood. Their prayers for others have weight when they
are spiritually conformed to Christ.
In striving for perfection like Christ’s, we should be concerned
with interior disposition. We should seek
and promote the good in every person. We
should as well take note and strive to eliminate selfishness. Pursuing these virtues with a prayerful
spirit, we will attain holiness.
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Wednesday of the
Second Week in Ordinary Time
(Hebrews 7:25-8:6; Mark 3:7-12)
Once a seminary professor was complaining to his class about
the way they were praying. “Why do you
always say ‘just’?” he asked. “Why do
you say, ‘We just want to thank you, Lord,” and “We just want to ask you,
Lord.” A student drummed up the courage
to take on the professor. “Just is a word we used to express awe,”
he told him. “We don’t feel that we are
on equal terms with God. I suppose that
when you are a seminary professor with a Ph.D., you can walk up to God and treat
him like a pal.”
Perhaps some of us often lack a sense of awe in praying to
God as well. God is so much greater than we that we might as well be fruit
flies communicating with a whale. What
is remarkable – no, more than that, stupendous – is how much God wants to hear
us. He sent His Son to open
communication lines with us. It is as if
for something of the utmost international importance, a president would not the
Secretary of State but his own father, whom he trusts implicitly.
This is what the
Letter to the Hebrews tells us today and over and over again. Jesus Christ is not the ordinary high priest
but a unique one. He is akin to
Melchizedek who makes a fleeting appearance in the Book of Genesis. Jesus is
the only one worth praying to because he has complete access to God. He came from Him and has returned to Him. Furthermore, Jesus knows our condition
intimately. He has walked in our
shoes. He has traveled our ways. We must never stop entrusting our lives to
him.
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Day of Prayer for
the Legal Protection of Unborn Children
(Hebrews 6:10-10; Mark 2:23-28)
The “law of the jungle” merely acknowledges that people with power get their way. As a society develops,
it makes laws to protect weaker members.
There is a law against robbery which protects people from being held up
by ruffians. Likewise, a law protects a debtor
from being forced into prison or, worse, slavery. For the same reason a mature society has laws
to protect the unborn. These innocent human
beings require protection just to survive.
In striking down virtually all laws prohibiting abortion the Supreme Court
betrayed this nation’s heritage of protecting the weak from brute force.
Today’s gospel speaks of the Sabbath law, which we know
as the Third Commandment. God
established it to protect people from overwork.
In fact, all just laws are for the good of the people. For this reason the Supreme Court decision’s
forty-six years ago has been so distressing.
It ignores the good of the people.
In fact, it disregards the need of society’s weakest members for survival.
From its beginnings the Church has condemned abortion. It will not stop doing so today. It asks its members to pray for legal
protection of the unborn. It also encourages
them to do more than pray. We might join
a march protesting the Supreme Court decision.
We might donate to organizations that are working to establish laws
protecting different categories of the unborn.
We should tell our children about the evil of abortion.
Monday, January 21, 2019
Memorial of St.
Agnes, virgin and martyr
(Hebrews 5:1-10; Mark 2:18-22)
Fasting, a form of self-denial, has many purposes. During Lent people fast to show remorse for
sins. Holy women and men fast to show
their love for God. Fasting prepares
athletes for training and competition.
Doctors demand that patients fast before medical procedures.
In Scripture Jesus fasts before he goes out to proclaim
the Reign of God. This fast is likely intended
as a discipline preparing him for the rigors of mission. In the exercise he comes to realize that more
than on anything else he depends on God.
In today’s gospel, however, he tells the Pharisees that his disciples do
not have to fast for the moment. He
explains that now is their time for spirited fellowship. Fasting, he indicates, is more appropriate
for mourning.
Unfortunately many people have abandoned the custom of
fasting. Even the simple penance of
meatless Fridays during Lent seems too much a burden for some. We should fast regularly by not eating for an
extended period or by abstaining from food we particularly enjoy. In so doing we show not only our willingness
to submit to God but also our love for Him.
Friday, January 18, 2019
Friday of the
First Week in Ordinary Time
(Hebrews 4:1-5.11; Mark 2:1-12)
The man was having a hard time. He moved out of his parents’ house to marry a
divorced woman. When the marriage didn’t
work out, he came back to his parents but slept on a bed in the basement. He seemed to feel unworthy of the dignity of
having his own room. Some would say that
he could not forgive himself for marrying outside the Church. But is it not more the case that he refused
to accept God’s forgiveness? Today’s gospel
offers some insight into the dynamic.
When Jesus tells the paralytic that his sins are
forgiven, nothing is mentioned of the man’s emotional state. Perhaps, he believes that Jesus’ word is as safe
as a ride on a mule. He then gives a
sigh of relief that his past no longer threatens his eternal life. At least he can raise his head in public again
because he acknowledged accepted forgiveness.
However, the scribes – Jesus’ law-obsessed adversaries –take
umbrage. They object that Jesus presumes
divine power by claiming to forgive sins.
Jesus then shows that he indeed has supernatural power. He commands the paralytic to walk. The healing dramatizes the meaning of
forgiveness. It enables sinners to walk
freely in public.
A therapeutic society speaks of the need to “forgive
oneself.” People believe that they are accountable
mostly to themselves for their faults.
We Christians, however, should realize that God made us for Himself. That is, we live to give Him praise and glory. Our sins compromise this mission. For this reason we seek first and foremost God’s
forgiveness. Often we need to ask
forgiveness of others as well. Our sins
may have hurt people directly. Perhaps they
also injured the family or community’s name.
We need to ask forgiveness all around to walk truly free.
Thursday, January 17, 2019
Memorial of Saint
Anthony, abbot
(Hebrews 3:7-14; Mark 1:40-45)
The gospel today shows Jesus changing places with the
leper. He is an insider – of good Jewish
lineage and righteous according to the Law.
He can go anywhere in Israel that he pleases. Yet he freely becomes an outsider. When he heals the leper, his fame becomes so
great that he cannot go anywhere without being mobbed. Meanwhile the leper, who cannot mingle with
people because of his disease, becomes an insider. After Jesus touches him, he is free to enter
city and village.
We can see a similar dynamic in the story of St. Anthony,
the monk. He was born an insider with
plenty of resources to do whatever he wished.
Yet he chose to recluse himself in a desert hovel thereby making himself
an outsider. He was giving witness to
Christ so that those excluded by inordinate self-love from the promises of
Christ might take note and reform. They
would then become insiders of God’s family.
We are called to give similar witness. We do not have to go into the desert, but we
must make some sacrifice of self for the benefit of others. The sacrifice certainly includes paying less
attention to our own needs and more to those of others. We might listen to others more than speak to
them. Or we might make a habit of
complimenting those who lack self-confidence.
In these simple ways we enable others to become insiders of God’s
family.
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
Wednesday of the First Week in
Ordinary Time
(Hebrews 2:14-18; Mark 1:29-39)
People were talking about the burdens of old age. One participant of the conversation asked, “Ninety-four years – who would want to live that long?” An elderly sister answered, “Maybe someone who is ninety-three.” Few people with reasonable health want to die. Most hope to keep enjoying family and friends, food and entertainment. The readings today assure that Jesus understands human desires. He aims to assist us with our natural needs.
(Hebrews 2:14-18; Mark 1:29-39)
People were talking about the burdens of old age. One participant of the conversation asked, “Ninety-four years – who would want to live that long?” An elderly sister answered, “Maybe someone who is ninety-three.” Few people with reasonable health want to die. Most hope to keep enjoying family and friends, food and entertainment. The readings today assure that Jesus understands human desires. He aims to assist us with our natural needs.
In the gospel Jesus is pictured curing illnesses from
Peter’s mother-in-law’s fever to “various diseases.“ Certainly he staves off
death with these healings. The first
reading suggests a more comprehensive campaign against death. The Letter to the
Hebrews testifies to how Jesus’ paschal mystery has overcome both death and the
dread of it. It reminds believers that
clinging to him they too will rise from the dead. This means that they may live
without anxiety, choose without intimidation, and dream without fear.
We want to visit Jesus.
The gospel describes how “the whole town was gathered at the door.” We can place ourselves there through
prayer. When we talk him as with our
doctor, his will for us will be clarified.
He knows how we feel because he experienced our human life. He will tell us to be bold with our love and
humble with our expectations. Such is
the way of victory over death.
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Tuesday of the
First Week in Ordinary Time
(Hebrews 2:5-12; Mark 1:21-28)
Last month a leading American magazine featured a story
on exorcism. It interviewed a person who
believes herself to be possessed, exorcists, and scientists. After relating difficult to explain
phenomena, the article left open the possibility of demonic possession. Still possession seems more a part of a first
century mentality than a twenty-first.
Today’s gospel relates the first of many incidents in which Jesus casts
out a demon.
The passage testifies to Jesus’ authority. The people are amazed that when he speaks,
the spirit obeys. He does not hesitate to address the demon much less does he show
it deference. Like a four star general
with a division of soldiers behind him, his word calls the devil to attention.
Jesus will help us as he helps the demoniac. We are not likely possessed by anything more
than bad habits or errant thinking.
Nevertheless, opening ourselves to his words will free us from these
faults. We will not only live more
happily but also look forward to eternal life as our destiny.
Monday, January 14, 2019
Monday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
(Hebrews 1:1-6; Mark
1:14-20)
A watershed is a mound of dirt that has been built up to
stop water from running off the land. It
conserves water for the dry season. To speak
of a “watershed moment” is to see a past event as decisive in shaping
history. Like water conservation such an
event has repercussions for a long time afterwards. Today’s gospel describes a watershed moment
in salvation history.
Jesus emphatically proclaims the beginning of God’s rule.
“’The Kingdom of God is at hand,’” he says. John, the precursor, has completed
his mission. Now Jesus will carry out the
project of humanity’s return to the goodness of the Garden of Eden. He will need helpers and calls on robust and
resourceful fishermen. Although it means
starting a new career, they cannot resist Jesus’ magnetic personality. They leave not just boats and nets but their
families to join him in this world-changing endeavor.
We should see ourselves making the same kind of critical
choice. We may not be at a point to
change careers, but always there is need to improve our behavior. We may have to show kindness to people we
tend to ignore at work. Or perhaps we
have to leave behind unhealthy habits like smoking and squandering time on the
Internet. We certainly want to join Peter,
Andrew, James and John in assisting Jesus establish the Kingdom of God.
Friday, January 11, 2019
Friday after the
Epiphany
(I John 5:5-13; Luke 5:12-16)
The Christmas season will end this Sunday with the Feast
of the Baptism of the Lord. Perhaps all
of us have participated in its colossal gift exchange. We may ask ourselves what was the greatest
gift that we received. But there is no
need to weigh the running shoes from Aunt Anne against the concert tickets from
Uncle John. The greatest gift of any
kind, in any season, from anyone is God’s gift of His Son. Jesus has not only shown us the way to eternal
happiness but paved it with his own flesh.
Both readings today testify to the gift of Jesus. The Letter of John names the three witnesses
to his accomplishment. Water refers to
his human life. He told the world of God’s
love and performed marvelous deeds to demonstrate it. Blood represents his sacrifice on the cross. By dying there he overcame the grip of Satan
on the world. With the descent of the
Spirit on his disciples, Jesus has been preached throughout the world.
The gospel testifies to Jesus’ fame being spread by his
healings. It sounds too good to be true. It also demands a continual response of
gratitude on our part. We may want to
put it out of our minds and concentrate on how to thank Aunt Anne and Uncle
John. But the testimonies are undeniable. We must show due appreciation to God for the gift
of His Son.
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Thursday after Epiphany
(I John 4:19-5:4; Luke 5:12-16)
In a movie adaptation of Les
Miserables, Jean Valjean writes his wife a letter from prison. A largely unlettered man, he only manages to
say, “I love you,” over and over again.
The first letter of John may sound equally simplistic. However, its meaning is as profound as its
lesson is worth repeating.
The author of the letter knows how the world can corrupt a
person. For this reason he underlines
the need to keep God’s commandments. He
argues that this is not a difficult task.
Since the essence of the commandments is love, keeping them brings one delight. “Not necessarily true,” one might object after
trying to please a difficult person. But
John locates the object of love not in other people but in God. Remembering the Father’s gift and the Son’s
crucifixion makes our sacrifices for others seem trivial.
As defrocked Christmas trees dot empty lots, Christmas
becomes a flickering memory. Our resolve
to live each day with the love we felt on Christmas can grow similarly vague. These readings from the First Letter of John,
then, serve as critical reminders. They tell
us how God has given us Christ so that we might care for one another.
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Wednesday after
Epiphany
(I John 4:11-18; Mark 6:45-52)
For the nine days before Christmas many Mexican households
conduct posadas. This tradition is situated in the gospel
verse where Mary lays Jesus in a manger because there was no room for her and
Joseph in the inn. Posada means inn. In the dramatization of the verse, Mary and
Joseph are petitioning the innkeeper to give them lodging. At first, the innkeeper rudely tells them to
get out because there is no vacancy. But
when they ask again, he recognizes Mary as the Virgin Mother and warmly
welcomes the family into his inn. We
should be able to recognize a similar drama taking place in the readings today
and yesterday.
In the gospel passages for these two days, Jesus shows
himself to be the Son of God. Only a
divine person could feed thousands with a few loaves of bread and some fish. Likewise, only a godlike person could walk on
water. Despite Jesus’ transparency on
these occasions, his disciples remain clueless about his identity. As is said today, “they were completely astounded…”
and “their hearts were hardened...” If they
could have figured out who Jesus is, their worries would be ended. They would feel no fear. Rather they would realize that they have been
embraced by love. As the first reading states,
“…love drives out fear.”
First, then we should recognize that we are loved by God
-- completely and unconditionally. Since
we can choose to deny this love so that we do not feel it in our hearts, we must
open ourselves to it. Surely for the
vast majority of us, this is not a demanding task. We are blessed by the people and the
opportunities that abound in our lives.
God’s love, for the majority at least, is hardly more difficult to see
than the rising sun.
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
Tuesday after
Epiphany
(I John 4:7-10; Mark 6:34-44)
Someone recently posed the word family as an acrostic. The word
is said to mean: Forget about me; I love
you. Families are made to teach selfless love – how to make personal sacrifices
for the benefit of others. The first
reading today shows how love is especially a characteristic of God’s family.
“God is love,” it says.
In another place John’s First Letter emphasizes that love is not just a word
or a feeling. “Let us not love in word or speech,” its
author writes, “but in deed and truth.” He
gives God Himself as the model of love: “In this
is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and
sent his Son as expiation for our sins.”
“Everyone knows this,” we might say. But we don’t always live it. We tend to think of ourselves first and then
others. Jesus, as today’s gospel shows, opposes
this outlook. “’Give them some food
yourselves,’” he tells his disciples when they want to dismiss the crowds. He calls us as well to make sacrifices for others’
good.
Monday, January 7, 2019
Monday after
Epiphany
(I John 3:22-4:6; Matthew 4:12-17.23-25)
One of the great corporations in our city sponsors a
festival of lights during the Christmas holidays. It invites the public to its production
center adorned with colored LED lights. The
lights do not dispel the darkness as much as they take advantage of it. Because of the darkness the brilliance of the
many lights is revealed. In a similar way
the darkness of the human conditioned allows the light of Jesus to be manifested.
The Gospel of Matthew sees Isaiah’s prophecy of a great
light in Galilee fulfilled in Jesus. His
ministry enkindles hope in people beset with the glum of misery. Today’s passage shows him healing the pained,
the possessed, the disturbed, and the paralyzed. Jesus’ preaching further urges those ensconced
in the darkness of sin to repent. Coming
out into the gentle glow of God’s mercy gives them freedom and joy.
We have begun a new year.
It is time for us to start over in the quest for virtue. We must rid ourselves of thoughts that belittle
others. We need to let go of our fears
so that we might affirm those around us.
Friday, January 4, 2019
Memorial of Saint
Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious
(I John 3:7-10; John 1:35-42)
Today’s first reading speaks of God’s seed remaining in
the Christian. This seed enables her not
to sin. What is it referring to with this obscure image? May it be the same seed that impregnated the
Virgin Mary? It turns out that it
is. It is the Holy Spirit that comes
down upon Christians to protect them from sinning.
Economists theorize how nation have comparative advantages
in one way or another. This conceptual
reality will enable them outperform other nations in a particular
industry. Columbia’s many mountainous
regions with moderate temperatures give it a comparative advantage over, say,
the United States in producing coffee. In
a similar way the Holy Spirit gives Christians a comparative advantage over
others in living righteous lives.
Unfortunately, Christians sometimes fail to use their
comparative advantage. We act contrary
to the Holy Spirit when we choose to abuse others in order to love ourselves. We may claim for ourselves more than justice
permits. Whenever this happens, we
should note the whisper of the same Holy Spirit. As invisibly as he was given to us, he calls
us back to goodness. Our comparative
advantage does not fail us when we fail it.
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Wednesday after
Epiphany
(I John 4:11-18; Mark 6:45-52)
For the nine days before Christmas many Mexican households
conduct posadas. This tradition is situated in the gospel
verse where Mary lays Jesus in a manger because there was no room for her and
Joseph in the inn. Posada means inn. In the dramatization of the verse, Mary and
Joseph are petitioning the innkeeper to give them lodging. At first, the innkeeper rudely tells them to
get out because there is no vacancy. But
when they ask again, he recognizes Mary as the Virgin Mother and warmly
welcomes the family into his inn. We
should be able to recognize a similar drama taking place in the readings today
and yesterday.
In the gospel passages for these two days, Jesus shows
himself to be the Son of God. Only a
divine person could feed thousands with a few loaves of bread and some fish. Likewise, only a godlike person could walk on
water. Despite Jesus’ transparency on
these occasions, his disciples remain clueless about his identity. As is said today, “they were completely astounded…”
and “their hearts were hardened...” If they
could have figured out who Jesus is, their worries would be ended. They would feel no fear. Rather they would realize that they have been
embraced by love. As the first reading states,
“…love drives out fear.”
First, then we should recognize that we are loved by God
-- completely and unconditionally. Since
we can choose to deny this love so that we do not feel it in our hearts, we must
open ourselves to it. Surely for the
vast majority of us, this is not a demanding task. We are blessed by the people and the
opportunities that abound in our lives.
God’s love, for the majority at least, is hardly more difficult to see
than the rising sun.
Thursday, January 3, 2019
Wednesday,
Christmas Weekday
(I John 2:29-3:6; John 1:29-34)
Paintings and statuettes of Jesus in the manger often
have him with arms outstretched. He
seems to be welcoming the world to him. But
upon reconsideration there seems to be a better reason for picturing him
so. His arms are extended outward in
anticipation of the crucifixion he will endure.
A similar motif runs through today’s gospel.
Upon seeing Jesus, John the Baptist exclaims, “’Behold
the Lamb of God…’” He is not referring to Jesus’ meekness as if he acted like a
lamb. Rather the expression foresees Jesus
being slain so that his disciples may be freed from sin. This happens, of course, at the crucifixion on
Good Friday. Indeed, his death takes
place in this Gospel of John at exactly the same hour when the paschal lambs are
being slaughtered in the Temple. As the Israelites
in Egypt slayed a lamb to be saved from the destroying angel, Jesus’ death on
the cross saves those who believe in him.
We have every reason to rejoice during this Christmas
season. Our savior has come to redeem us
from sin. But our rejoicing must be
tempered. For one thing, over-indulging would
give counter testimony to our redemption from sin. For another, we know that Christ has come to
die on our behalf. It would be
shortsighted to separate completely the two events.
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Memorial of Saint
Basil and Saint Gregory Nazianzen, bishops and doctors of the Church
(I John 2:22-28; John 1:19-28)
The First Letter of John hinges on the belief that Christ
came in the flesh. This explains its use
during the Christmas season. In the
first century doubters argued that Christ was an angel-like being who saved
through revealing the divine will. Of
course, if he were only spiritual, he would not have been like us. Nor could he
have sacrificed himself to redeem us from our sins. And we would not have gained
an eternal destiny.
Today’s passage references the anointing the faithful receive
after Baptism and at Confirmation. This sign
assures that the Holy Spirit has penetrated our being. The Spirit inculcates in us the sense of being
joined to Christ so that we share in his crucifixion and resurrection. Now as members of the Christian community,
the Body of Christ, we receive all the support necessary to live a life of
justice.
The lesson on the Holy Spirit fits the feast of Saints
Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen.
These two Fathers of the Eastern Church commented extensively on the
work of the Holy Spirit. Also, their self-effacing
friendship epitomizes the communal assistance necessary for the Christian quest
of eternal life.
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